Monica Wolfson’s article on ScaleDown’s Planning For The Future event held on Saturday, March 22nd at the St. Clair Centre for the Arts.

‘Walkable urbanism’ focus of forum

Monica Wolfson, Windsor Star

Published: Saturday, March 22, 2008

WINDSOR - The economic downturn plaguing this area is a perfect opportunity for Windsor and Essex County to rethink how it designs its communities, a forum heard Saturday.

The area is expected to grow much slower than it has in the past decade, which means there is time to adopt planning policies that promote “walkable urbanism,” said Larry Silani, director of planning and development services for the town of LaSalle.

Planning gurus and advocates for walkable, liveable communities gathered at St. Clair College’s downtown campus Saturday to share ideas about revitalizing downtown cores. The event was put on by St. Clair and Scaledown.ca, a local Web site that advocates construction of communities where people can walk or bike or take public transit to work.

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Larry Silani, director of planning and development for the town of Lasalle speaks Saturday at a forum to discuss the future of the Windsor region.

Dan Janisse, The Windsor Star

About two dozen small business people and professors listened to presentations.

When James Coulter graduated with a civil engineering degree, he was ready to build super highways. But after a few years, he realized there was something missing.

“I think one of the things we are lucky about in Windsor is the building blocks are there,” said Coulter, who teaches at St. Clair. “We just have to reinhabit the city. If we can draw people in, we can go back to where we were. I’d like to see downtown as a complete community where people live and work.”

While he invited the Windsor city council to the seminar Saturday, only Coun. Percy Hatfield came. The conference also taught attendees about the planning process and the work it takes to get a city to modify its vision of bedroom communities.

Silani said that LaSalle is trying to make the shopping area on Malden Road more of a town centre by urging businesses to put drive-through services behind the stores, widening sidewalks and planting trees.

“This is a transition toward a higher development that will take five to 10 years,” Silani said. “We are getting resistance. Developers are saying I don’t have to do this in Leamington or Lakeshore. Why do I have to do it here?”

Chris Holt, a laid-off Ford worker who lives in old Walkerville, started the website Scaledown.ca in June.

“We are trying to encourage a more walkable, urban living with a focus on where we live instead of sprawling out,” he said. “It will make us a stronger community as a whole.”

? The Windsor Star 2008