An Interview With Two Of Canada's Top Planners

Brent Toderian on creating a city's vision:

"I think that cities have to move back to emphasizing a physical vision for the city. Too many master plans for the city are closer to strategic plans than an actual physical vision. City planning departments have lost their physical sense--it is too much about process, facilitation, politics and demographics than it is about an actual physical vision for the city. Build your processes to deliver that vision instead of standing in the way, and then staff your departments with the right renaissance people to be able to negotiate that vision."

Robert Freedman on sustainability:

"The key is marrying the liveability and sustainability. I am convinced that many cities have healthy densities--such as when you have a number of people supporting excellent transportation systems contributing to liveable cities. I think that it's the density and the liveability that are all very achievable."