HOST : Thank you, Ms. Lee, for joining us for our
local news hour.
WOMAN: My pleasure. It’s fun to be here.
HOST: You’ve been working in urban planning for how
long now?
WOMAN: Um, around 23 years, give or take.
HOST: That’s quite impressive. I read somewhere that
you’ve worked in eight cities throughout Canada during that time.
WOMAN: Yes, that’s right. I began my career with
small community projects, such as developing outdoor public spaces, urban
gardens, and youth centres. All of these grassroots projects really helped me
to develop a framework for understanding the bigger picture in terms of how a
city environment evolves. And to me,
that’s very exciting. I love how much creativity there can be when the public
gets involved in planning their city, according to their needs. When you
incorporate all perspectives, especially that of communities typically
marginalised by mainstream society, into urban planning, you get as a result
incredibly functional spaces.
HOST: What do you mean by marginalised, exactly?
WOMAN: Segments of the population that are often
ignored, or who are intentionally not included, in community-level decisions.
Take, for example, lower socio-economic classes, immigrant populations, ethnic
minorities, women...there are many groups that aren’t well represented in most
communities. So, if we want to be truly inclusive and as functional in our city
designs as possible, we have to actively seek out those voices.
HOST: Thank you for the clarification. For the
benefit of our listeners, could you give us an example of an aspect of an urban
plan that was successfully inclusive?
WOMAN: Sure. There’s a suburb around Vancouver called
Richmond that has experienced a lot of immigration and is now predominantly
East Asian. East Asian cultures are used to having outdoor walking paths and
gathering spaces. They spend a lot of time outside, especially the elderly, to
exercise as a community. Go to China and just about anywhere you’ll find open,
flat park spaces where people do Tai Chi in quite large groups.
HOST: Yes, I’ve seen that in my travels.
WOMAN: Well, we fit those into that suburb’s urban
renewal scheme, and the community loved them. We can see they are very popular
by the amount of people that use them, and in surveys we’ve noticed increases
in satisfaction with the community environment.
HOST: A job well done, then.
WOMAN: I like to think so.
HOST: And now you are
working on a project in Guelph.
WOMAN: Uh-huh. Guelph is this
incredibly beautiful, quaint, artsy city that is unfortunately struggling
economically. There isn’t a lot of industry there, so young college graduates
tend to migrate towards larger urban areas, leaving behind an ageing
population. We’ve been looking at that city for a while now and asking what we
can monopolise on to give young people the option of making a career for themselves
there.
HOST: And what did you find?
WOMAN: Tourism! It’s a great place to spend time, to browse
boutique shops, and buy local arts and crafts. It also offers some excellent
fine dining options. It just needs more of a tourist infrastructure. That’s
where we come into play. We’ve put together a team of experts in urban design,
tourism development, and business development to assist the community in its
growth. It’s a very holistic and inclusive urban renewal project, and we are
excited to see how it all unfolds.
HOST: I love the idea. How
long until the project is finished?
WOMAN: It’s hard to pinpoint
an exact time frame, but I would say the first phase will be completed by next
March. The first phase involves getting a comprehensive plan and budget
approved by the city council. Phase two will consist of using project funds to
help start-up businesses that fit into our plan. We’ll offer financial,
logistical and consultative support. So, if you are a young person who wants to
open a bed and breakfast in Guelph, our team will help you develop a sound
business plan and give you a low-interest loan as an incentive. This type of
entrepreneurial support is usually very popular amongst adults in their
twenties.
HOST: I’m sure it is. Now,
how can people contact you if they are interested in taking advantage of this
opportunity?
WOMAN: Our project’s
information is available through the city council’s website, and they can reach
me directly by email at suelee@urbanpro.ca.
HOST: Well, good luck with
this project, and thank you for stopping by.
WOMAN: Thanks.