Smart Growth, Dumb Bridge
As submitted for publication in the November Manor Park Chronicle:
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Smart Growth, Dumb Bridge
Christophe Credico,
Chair – Manor Park Bridge Committee
As the Interprovincial Crossings project keeps stubbornly rolling along, recurring themes are emerging. Despite National Capital Commission (NCC) claims to the contrary, the fundamental framework of the project is flawed, and its execution is laughable; though this is no laughing matter.
The NCC prides itself on being progressive with a focus on ensuring sustainability for the National Capital Region. Visionary initiatives such as the NCC’s Horizon 2067: The Plan for Canada’s Capital are high profile and have the right intent. But, ironically, while this is going on, the NCC is also pushing forward the bridge project, founded upon 1950’s transportation planning principles.
Smart Growth planning principles define global best practices for sustainable urban development, livable communities, and integrated transportation planning. The Ontario Smart Growth Network believes:
“that there are three basic requirements with respect to achieving the principles of smart growth in Ontario: stopping urban sprawl, fostering healthy communities, and supporting community involvement in planning”.
As the Nation’s Capital, the region must be held to a high standard. We have aspirations to define ourselves as one of the great cities in the world. It is the role of the NCC to lead by example, to make Canadians proud, and to showcase progressive, sustainable stewardship of the region.
But if this truly is the case, why is the current bridge project violating many basic Smart Growth principles? Instead of truly isolating and defining the problem, assessing a broad range of innovative options that may best provide a solution, and doing so with a regional Smart Growth perspective within the context of an integrated transportation plan with a strong emphasis on public transit, the NCC has instead decided to simply build a bridge.
This bridge will create urban sprawl, will encourage more people to car commute from Gatineau suburbs, will deteriorate communities in and around the selected corridor, and could blemish the region for generations to come, without solving the main problem of removing the truck traffic on King Edward.
Something is seriously wrong.
Granted, the problem on King Edward is terrible. But let’s not be dumb about trying to fix it. And, let’s make sure the attempted fix doesn’t create other, bigger problems for the National Capital Region down the road.
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November 26th, 2011 at 8:50 am
I completely agree: A solution that (a) doesn’t solve the truck problem on King Edward, while (b) encouraging more car traffic into the downtown and (c) increasing urban sprawl on the Gatineau side, IS JUST SIMPLY NOT THE SMART SOLUTION THAT WE ALL SEEK.
The NCC and its provincial partners should go back to the drawing board, and really think this thing through, for the sake of our National Capital Region.
November 26th, 2011 at 2:52 pm
I feel that we may be battling against a behind-closed-doors decision that was made long ago. The choice of consultants Genivar and Mr Taylor to oversee the selection process does not fill me with confidence that a choice will be made on rational objective grounds. Perhaps the best option may be to challenge the process itself rather than explain and re-explain why the best option is not Kettle island–that should have been obvious from the outset.