Michael Dudley is the Indigenous and Urban Services Librarian at the University of Winnipeg.
Yesterday, as a part of my university’s
community outreach efforts, I delivered a lecture at a suburban retirement home
on the theme of sustainable cities. I discussed Smart Growth, New Urbanism and
the need for greater urban densities, all framed by the current events
unfolding in Copenhagen at the United Nations Climate Change Conference.
At the end of my talk, several elderly
ladies came up to chat with me and thank me for the lecture. On her way out,
one turned to me and said, “You take care of the world for us. We’re not going
to be around much longer – it’s up to you young people.”
Wednesday, December 9, 2009 - 10:22am PST
Sunday, October 4, 2009 - 8:48am PDT
Tuesday, September 15, 2009 - 10:02am PDT
All
forms of public decision-making are subject to controversy and competing
expectations. Many of these relate to the perceived utility gained -- or
disutility incurred -- through public expenditures.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009 - 10:54am PDT
When we think of cities in antiquity, we
don’t hesitate to think of them in association with their respective
civilizations. After all, the words civic and civilization share
the same root word in Latin, civitas. Similarly, we can now say that we
live in a globalized civilization largely structured on what author Jeb
Brugmann refers to in his new book Welcome to the Urban Revolution as the global City.
However, in our focus as planners on
addressing concerns with current development projects and other local issues we
might be forgiven for sometimes losing touch with this larger picture: that the
city is still the focal point and driver for those processes we refer to as
civilization.
Friday, June 12, 2009 - 11:40am PDT
Since the passage of
The Telecommunications Act of 1996, media activists have been warning that a combination of consolidated corporate ownership of media outlets and a correspondingly intense profit orientation is resulting in diminished diversity of opinion, an avoidance of controversies and loss of choice for media consumers. In particular, they are concerned that remotely-owned newspapers, television and radio stations are incapable of adequately meeting local information needs, reporting on local issues and expressing local concerns.
Monday, March 30, 2009 - 2:16pm PDT
In her 1998 book Towards Cosmopolis,
Leonie Sandercock deconstructs what she calls the “heroic” story of planning
history as found in leading texts. These mainstream histories, she says, may
champion various (male) heroes such as Ebenezer Howard, Patrick Geddes or
Daniel Burnham, but the real hero, she observes, is the planning profession
itself.
Friday, February 20, 2009 - 8:12am PST
Normal
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Like all of us I have
been watching the carnage in Gaza with concern and growing despair. And like
many people, I have struggled with how best to understand this conflict,
fraught as it is with historic hatreds, accusations and counter-accusations. If
it is at all possible I would like to attempt a pragmatic view, starting with
the recognition that the historic conflict over Palestine concerning land
ownership, use and associated rights may be seen as falling within the spectrum
of issues related to land use planning.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009 - 10:16am PST
While Americans and Canadians alike watched the U.S. presidential race with growing enthusiasm and passion over the past two years, it may have slipped the notice of our American friends that we actually had a federal election here in October.
It was a decidedly passionless affair: the lowest voter turnout in Canadian history helped to ensure that almost nothing changed in Ottawa in terms of the balance of power. The Conservatives were returned with a minority mandate, and the once seemingly undefeatable Liberals had their worst showing ever.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008 - 8:37am PST
James Howard Kunstler has been saying for some time now that
when our "ponzi scheme" economy finally crumbles around us, people are
going to be very angry, and looking for someone to blame.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008 - 12:06pm PDT
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