When retailers and resto owners (a sm handful exert outsized influence on the market BIA) refuse to accept pedestrianization of a #BetterByWard, they hold all #OttCity hostage to outmoded thinking on making better #PlacesForPeople; we need to act in the public interest and make change 1/
And now capital trust funds are buying up all the real estate and pricing everyone out. My city of Copenhagen is being destroyed by greed and mass tourism. Gucci and souvenir shops is what’s left in the wake of capitalism.
We need to create a better place for people and show leadership on improved places, that will bring in more opportunities, better tourism, revitalize the market with new housing, safer places (bc there are more ppl, basics of CPTED) and a meaningful response to climate change and livable cities. 2/
We can do this if a want to. We say we do (official plans etc) and then hire consultants who don’t know our city, produce reports that ignore public input, issue RFPs that go no where, and wonder why the market struggles. Sure, there are isolated instances of improvement but at what cost? 3/
And are they systemic or blips on a downward trajectory? Are we getting benefit from $50m or more in police funding? What if we’d spent that $ on housing and care for the most vulnerable? What if we’d make systemic change to benefit the public, and stop giving outsized value to a handful of 4/
My counterpoint to the proposed policing line on the upcoming budget … calling out that amount as excessive implies that the balance of the budget lines are acceptable They aren’t That policing line in the budget sticks up like a small blade of grass on a lawn that’s been scalped to the dirt
Resto/business owners who just want their status quo free street parking? Who will stand up and lead, in the public interest, meaningful change? @stephanieplante.bsky.social @jleiper.bsky.social @neilsara.bsky.social @tkavanaghbayward.bsky.social @arieltroster.com