Cheryl Randall of Ecology Ottawa will speak to the Environment Action interest group about the need for 15-minute neighbourhoods in our city.
Guest participants are welcome. Please contact environment@cfuw-ottawa.org to request a Zoom invitation to this conversation.
From the Ecology Ottawa website:
When it comes to cities and climate change, there is a clear and widely observed connection: the denser the city, the lower its carbon pollution. Density is a powerful tool in the fight against climate change, but it can’t happen with the flick of a switch. It takes policy ambition and, underpinning that, community support for more bustling, dynamic neighbourhoods. Increasing density alone isn’t a silver bullet; it needs to be combined with smart policies that enhance, rather than degrade, the vitality of our neighbourhoods.
To make our city more walkable, we must change our approach to community design. We can no longer afford to follow the 1950s ideal of vast tracts of housing separated from basic amenities like parks, schools and grocery stores. We must push back against the big-box outlets, strip malls and vast parking lots that degrade livability while doing damage to our environment.
As with other cities all over the world, Ottawa has seen cars prioritized at the expense of pedestrians and cyclists over the past few decades. We see new communities cut off from basic amenities and viable transit. A better way is possible, but we must tackle car-dependency head-on. We need to give Ottawans more choice in their transportation options, and more reasons to choose healthy, sustainable transportation alternatives.
We can make progress on 15-minute neighbourhoods by enhancing density, increasing the vibrancy of our neighbourhoods and reducing car-dependency.
