Many citizens of Waterloo have been writing to me asking about my views on various issues.
I’m posting one of the responses I wrote tonight, which clarifies my position on a number of topics including:
1. Dealing with urban sprawl.
2. The City of Waterloo website.
3. Energy conservation.
4. Optimal transit.
5. Dog friendly spaces.
My wife and I work and live in the City of Waterloo paying municipal taxes for our primary residence and businesses. We are also politically active meaning we vote.
1) One of the reasons we decided to move to Waterloo was that Waterloo was not an urban sprawl like Mississauga, Ottawa and Milton. In recent years, we have witnessed the increase in cookie cutter homes in the peripheries of the city. Although developers love to expand outer city limits, this makes for lazy city planning and makes public transportation a headache to design around. What will you be doing to limit urban sprawl in the City of Waterloo?
You’ve touched on an issue very close to my heart.
Rather than try to shape or limit urban growth exclusively through regulations and directives, I would focus on launching a strategy that aims to go straight to the decisions people make in the market.
Over the past six months, I have surveyed more than 600 recent homebuyers and found that the most frequent complaints about city living had to do with the lack of privacy, the crowding of houses and people, the level of noise, and the lack of access to nature and wildlife.
I also asked homebuyers what their ideal living environment would be. Over half of those surveyed showed clear preferences that were consistent with moving out. For instance, about 23 percent — mostly middle-to-upper income homebuyers without children at home—expressed a strong desire to have nature right out their back door and preferred little interaction with their neighbours.
But, others seemed amenable to denser living arrangements. About a quarter of the market, mainly middle-aged and middle-income families, said they valued a sense of community, intimacy with neighbours, and proximity to stores and services. They preferred being close to gyms, ball fields, theatres, and cultural activities, as opposed to having outdoor recreation outside their back door.
Confronted with older in-town neighbourhoods afflicted with noise, traffic, and deterioration, say planners, many consumers see few alternatives but to move out to the typical large-lot, detached, single-family home. Regulatory mandates — such as minimum-lot sizes — by and large prohibit alternative neighbourhoods. And spread-out development has been the accepted wisdom for several decades. This leaves builders with little incentive to undertake riskier unconventional projects that may better suit these homebuyers' needs.
I would work on expanding available choices. My goal would be to use better urban design to address the issues that are pushing people out of built-up areas by promoting the construction of what people tend to call "Great Canadian Neighbourhoods."
Based on traditional towns and villages, these neighbourhoods ideally will be relatively dense — a ten-minute walk across — and will be built around a civic core such as a library or a school. They will include open space, such as a town green, and small-scale commerce. The focus would be on medium density intensification, encompassing buildings for those who want it, of no more than five storeys high.
I would add to this mix the following. We can use storm water harvesting for household and industrial use, water recycling, conversion of sewage and garbage into fuel, and greenhouse market gardens and aquaculture using low-grade waste heat. Energy that would otherwise go to waste can be used by homes and industry. Planning is crucial. Infrastructure can be designed to handle a certain maximum load, and does not need to be continuously upgraded to meet ever-increasing demands.
New vistas could be opened up for urban environment: a city can be designed to be "green", with an abundance of parks and gardens, bicycle tracks and open recreation areas. The process would need to be induced by government incentives such as cheaper land, tax cuts and reduced water and energy costs.
Simply increasing urban sprawl may have political value, but it is not environmentally sustainable. The voting centre of gravity lies in a big city, which is one of the reasons that amalgamation has become such a hot topic. The result is a disproportionate amount of taxpayer money being spent in these large urban centres rather than on new concepts that will benefit future generations. Unless we see some vision and determination on a political, corporate and private level around creating smaller cities, the downfalls of other cities which have encouraged urban sprawl will be the new reality.
What I am suggesting is not short-term. It would take time and consultation.
I do not envision a committee to study the issue but a conglomeration of interested parties who are presented with a fairly tight timeline in which to present their recommendations.
The participants would encompass:
• City neighbourhood groups
• Suburb leaders and organizations
• Urban studies professors and students
• Urban planners and landscape architects
• Social workers sensitive to concentration of poverty
• Church groups
• Tax efficiency groups
• Environmentalists of every stripe
• Historic preservation organizations
• Affordable housing and neighbourhood revitalization umbrella groups
As usual in what is going to ultimately be a political campaign, I would identify people in local office who are sympathetic to urban sprawl solutions or to environmental issues. I will talk with them personally to try to line up key allies.
Depending on personality, politics, and law, this entity could provide the muscle for urban planning solutions.
I will also find people who have studied the issue in this area and can speak with authority.
I will also:
• Create a shared vision and shared language, embracing unlikely new allies.
• Seek out respected community leaders and organizations to lend prestige to the effort.
• Focus on one short-term accomplishment at a time and shine glory on any political leaders who spend political capital helping.
• Systematically build genuine public support through solid research-based education and user-friendly printed and web-based materials.
2) The city of Waterloo's website is in great need of improvement. Too many documents are pdf making it hard to search for citizens. The design of the site has improved over years but is still not designed optimally for users (residents, businesses, etc.). For one of the world’s most intelligent cities, we need to develop a leading edge interactive and user centered website that is simple to use and find information. This is the best way to ensure accountability for citizens. What will you be doing to ensure the city of waterloo is improved?
I hope you do not think me immodest when I say this, but many other people, including candidates, have said that I have the simplest, yet most effective website. My Management Team for the campaign includes a group of young people, all under age 30, who are simply geniuses at what they do. I have been fortunate to attract this kind of talent, but after 25 years in consulting, teaching and business, I have garnered over 10,000 former students.
The people who designed my site include my Campaign Manager and two young men who are top in the field at what they do.
I have publicly stated on my website that I will establish a site for open rating of the Mayor.
In addition, I intend to use talent similar to those I’ve attracted to make the City of Waterloo website into something that is easily navigable, interactive and most importantly, easily utilizable.
What helps is that in my teaching, in a course called “Managerial Communication” for my MBA and Ph.D. classes, I teach website building so am very familiar with what is user friendly.
While I have no vested interest in RIM, I also believe that the Blackberry has great potential. I’d like to let you have one of my campaign cards, or if you go to the Facebook site set up by supporters, you will see a Blackberry PIN and barcode.
If you have a BB, just aim it at the picture of the barcode there, and you will be instantly connected to my website and other contact information.
This could be very useful in the near future-the concept of instant and relevant information available via Smartphone.
3) We are concerned about the environment and looking for leadership in this regard. Will you support improving City of Waterloo buildings by reducing their energy use? Will you expand the construction of roundabout in the City of Waterloo as they reduce car idling and improve traffic flows and reduce the need for energy consuming traffic lights?
Having spent much time in Europe, I am used to roundabouts and their value. In our City, people deign to realize the value of roundabouts. I believe an attitudinal change is essential and this can only come about by educating people about the value of this simple, inexpensive and effective structure. I will use minimal City finances to ensure an educational program. However, what I have acutely learnt in my campaign is that we have experts in so many areas of study, who are willing to give of their time when they have bought into a common goal. I see Waterloo as becoming a Community of communities, in which there is engagement and sharing between those whose would share and those who would learn.
In terms of City of Waterloo buildings, we have no choice other than continuously aiming for the ultimate objective of smart, green buildings.
Energy is the foundation for green building. Energy codes define the minimum acceptable standards for a climate zone. In today’s world of climate change and high energy prices, it is critical that buildings use as few fossil fuels (including coal generated electricity) as possible to protect City buildings and homes against unpredictable and rapidly rising prices.
Energy Use in Buildings
This has a direct impact on us. Buildings comprise 35 percent of direct energy use in the Waterloo. Of that 35 percent, 64 percent goes into heating, ventilation, and air conditioning; 24 percent heats hot water; 13 percent provides lighting; and electrical appliances are beginning to cut a significant wedge into the pie. In terms of carbon dioxide production, in total, buildings are responsible for 48% of all greenhouse gases.
Energy and Building Systems Design
Energy efficiency requires a systems-based approach to designing and building a home. All elements of the building shell; foundation, framing, roof structure and windows play key roles in defining the potential energy savings for a house. Energy use inside the home is the second tier of consideration. Mechanical equipment sized to the actual loads of the house, natural day lighting and ventilation greatly impact how much energy will be used to provide comfort and convenience. Appliances and lighting also impact net energy efficiency. All need to be considered in the early design stages to maintain cost effectiveness.
The study, Greening the Building and the Bottom Line by Joseph Romm and William Browning of the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), highlights case studies of several companies that invested in energy-efficient designs and thereby experienced significant savings. The companies highlighted in the RMI study saved enormous amounts of energy—up to a 90 percent decrease in previous consumption. Further justifying the investment in retrofitting is the compelling evidence that day lighting (a design feature which allows the use of natural light, rather than artificial light during daytime hours), improved HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning), and improved indoor air quality. This resulted in increased productivity, fewer worker errors, and less absenteeism in many cases studies. Because labour costs are such a large share of total costs (workforce accounts for approximately $130 per square foot, 72 times more than energy costs), a one percent increase in worker productivity can result in savings to a company that exceeds their total energy costs.
There are more and more cases similar to those documented by RMI, and as a result, companies are starting to invest in energy efficiency for the reasons suggested above: reduced energy expenditures and increased worker productivity.
Embodied Energy
The energy buildings require starts accumulating long before the building materials are on-site. The energy required to extract, manufacture, and transport building materials is tallied into the sum total - embodied energy. Producing stone, glass, and clay--common building materials--makes up 6.9 percent of the industrial sector’s 37 percent of total energy use. Cement production worldwide accounts for 8% of all carbon released into the atmosphere. Additionally, minerals are found in a wide variety of building materials in the home from plumbing and wiring to insulation. There are even minerals in paint and wallpaper. Because minerals must be mined, they come to us at a high price—both in terms of energy costs and environmental impact.
Investing in Energy Improvements
Next to sitting and building orientation, insulation quantity and quality are the most important decisions you will make at the onset of construction. The code officials and many energy consultants used to optimize insulation thickness according to payback. Payback was based on the average rate in increases in energy costs over 30 years. This was approximately 6 1/2 % per year. In 2002 that changed. Natural gas just stopped flowing in Canadian gas wells and we became a natural gas importer. The resultant doubling of natural gas prices (and oil prices for those who heat with oil) have changed the entire economic equation for insulation payback. Today, looking into the energy crystal ball, the more insulation you can fit into the envelope the better. After all, how long will your homes last? What will be the price of fossil fuels used to heat your home in 5,10, 15 years? If your house will stand that long it needs to be insulated sufficiently to meet those economic demands for energy.
Green building reduces energy consumption in numerous ways. First, we can decrease the embodied energy of the building through efficient design, use of recycled and local materials, and recycling construction waste. Second, green building design reduces a building’s energy consumption over its lifetime. Strategically placing windows and skylights can eliminate the need for electrical lighting during the day. A whole house fan can cool the house over night, rather than relying on air conditioning. High quality insulation reduces temperature regulation costs in both summer and winter. Additionally, houses can maximize passive heating and cooling. South facing windows with overhangs can reduce heating costs by 20 to 30 percent, and prevailing breezes, shading, and natural plantings can keep houses cooler in the summer. This list only scratches the surface of the possibilities for reducing a building’s energy requirements.
4) We are very concerned on some of the councilors backing away from promises to fund the new public transit systems which includes light rail. We are very supportive of this initiative but are concerned about increased taxes. What is your position on this and how will you ensure we get the best public transit system in Southern Ontario while ensuring we keep tax hikes controlled?
I’m in favour of improving the bus system, and having environmentally friendly buses as well as priority bus routes/lanes.
I’m not in favour of the LRT because I see it as detrimental to a way of life.
Here is what I wrote in my blog.
CTV recently reported that the proposed LRT system would likely cost the average homeowner $400 for a single person or $1,600 for a family.
A report (P-05-101) that deals with Regional Growth Management Strategy and Transit Initiative Technical Studies Planning, Housing and Community Services, Transportation Planning, dated November 15, 2005 is very interesting.
It deals with issues such as:
"Amendments to the Regional Official Policies Plan that will: further define a rapid transit right-of-way and station locations; incorporate a countryside line; articulate a Corridor vision...and provide for the necessary." (P. 12)
Consequently, going ahead with the LRT means that not only will land be expropriated, but also that it will encroach on our Green Space.
On Page 13 of that same report, there are some eyebrow raising statements.
"...limit new surface parking facilities: Additional parking supply is counter productive (sic) to increasing transit use and must be carefully managed." (P. 13).
"Reduce or eliminate free parking for CTC Employers." (P. 13).
The language is Orwellian and frankly, frightening.
On Thursday September 02, 2010, a CKCO-TV poll indicated that 87% of our citizens are against paying for the LRT with 13% in favour.
Cost overruns are endemic to our projects.
The proposed cost of a new bridge over the Grand River has more than doubled in two years to $55 million. (Jeff Outhit, The K-W Record, January 29, 2008.) Can you just imagine the overrun on a 790 Million Dollar project?
What about the opportunity costs involved while a proposed LRT is being built?
It will be devastating to small businesses and even larger ones also.
Citizens of Waterloo have been writing to me.
Here is an excerpt from one such email.
"They claim to promote 'freedom' and 'independent choice' for commuters to make their way to work but when people choose to exercise that same freedom and make the independent choice to own and operate their own vehicle, suddenly we see the emergence of our old friend 'authoritarianism'; where those who do not choose to comply willingly are forced to do so through punitive changes to policy and the instatement of ludicrous parking regulations.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, I don't live in Toronto, I don't want to live in Toronto, and I don't understand the obsession people seem to have with making this Toronto. There is no reason in a city this size and density that they should be intentionally making it so difficult to drive a car. For those that can make public transit work, power to you, but by that same regard it does not seem to me unreasonable to leave the rest of us be. This is the kind of thing you should be focusing on in your campaign platform, Franklin. Representing the concerns of the average citizen against the increasingly forceful nonsense being rammed down our throats..."
5) As dog owners, we are discouraged by the lack of facilities for dogs in city parks. Neighboring towns like Kitchener and Cambridge have more off leash parks per capita than Waterloo has. In fact, Waterloo only has one off leash park (Bechtel park) and there are rumors the City is considering closing it down. A large number of citizens of the city have dogs and would welcome leadership in providing additional dog friendly spaces. The City of Toronto has innovated in this regard creating multiple use parks with zones that allow off leash dogs. What is your position in thinking creatively to support the tens of thousands of dog owners in the City of Waterloo?
We have two dogs at home. My wife has been a canine coach with the KW Humane society for eight years now and we know only too well the problems to which you refer.
My stance is to ensure that all Parks are multiple use and friendly to pets. This would need to be accompanied by responsible pet owners and ensuring that each individual has the good of the Community at heart- which enhances the vision I have for a “Community of communities.”
Dog parks are fenced in sections of some parks where dogs are allowed to frolic, romp, and roam. They often include great toys, water fountains, and plenty of room for playing and exercising. Some dog parks don't use fences but rather incorporate a natural boundary, while other parks may simply have certain days where dogs are allowed to play off leash.
Back in the 70's it wasn't uncommon to see people playing Frisbee with their dogs in parks, or to find dogs swimming beside their owners at the beach. Today things are much different. Due to the fact that laws are in place to prevent dogs from running freely in public places, compromise was inevitable. Dog parks allow dog owners the opportunity to enjoy public fun with their pets, while those who may have a fear of dogs are not subjected to sharing their outdoor experience with them.
There will be qualifications though.
My ultimate vision is to incorporate natural organic products into a Dog Park care program. This would reduce the risk of health problems from synthetics and chemicals, and also make great strides toward lowering the impact chemicals have on the overall environment. It would involve a system to apply fertilizer and soil amendments through irrigation. This, in conjunction with soil amendments lessens the amount of fertilizer needed, eliminates most runoff and reduces percolation into the ground water. It would also save water and control odour.
