The benefits of walkable communities are well documented and we should consider spending an adequate amount of time to better understand their merits.Walkable communities support an improved environment, benefits to personal health and community economic prosperity.
My wife and I were lucky to live in the West End for several years and we walked to parks, beaches, restaurants and to our jobs on Granville Island. Eventually we decided to start a family and enjoy the single-family home lifestyle. Now it is time to consider revisiting our first housing choice.
In such centres and communities, you would not expect to be able to walk everywhere to get what you want or need, but it’s likely the majority of service and retail needs could be met within a mile radius or less.
Fewer car trips to fulfill the necessities of life means less emissions from vehicles, and improved physical activity that may help to prevent sedentary diseases such as obesity and diabetes. Seeing your neighbours on a regular basis through engagement in public meeting spaces typical in densified areas can contribute to positive mental health and happiness.
Businesses within the walkable community only stand to benefit from increased economic activity in the densified area.
Some people assume that densified areas will only create traffic chaos and gridlock. Lower person trips on a daily basis are common in dense communities. You may have to feed yourself on an arterial road to get to the highway to get to your job in another city but once home, you can walk to the butcher, the bookstore, the library and the other amenities that cluster to be a part of the economy in the walkable community.
Century Group recently showcased its revised master plan for the Town Centre Mall after having worked on it with city staff over the past year. As usual in these parts, nothing is simple and a major change to the dynamic and look of our community does require careful consideration.
There have been letters for and against the new proposal and that will continue throughout the process, just like in any other major change to our surroundings.
A couple of letters to this paper have come from people who seem to be offended by any notion of change, even though that change will provide housing choice that is missing here and that will help to keep families together in their same town.
One letter suggested the “interests of developers come first with Delta council, the interests of the community a bad last.” The myth of the evil developer percolates to the top here. Mr. Potter from the epic Christmas movie It’s a Wonderful life comes to mind.
Another letter suggests Century is deploying some sort of strategy by “gutting… the Town Centre”…and that…”Unless council stands up for the good of the community by banning the project altogether, the outlook for Tsawwassen is bleak indeed.” The same letter writer suggests “council rammed the Southlands development through.” Are you kidding me?
I don’t see the outlook for Tsawwassen being bleak at all. Thoughtful development within our city will ensure we have a positive and vibrant future that should be embraced.
Mike Schneider is founder of Project Pickle and likes to write about growing, cooking and eating food. He is a Jamie Oliver Food Revolution ambassador.
