Co-creating Inclusive Healthy Cities with City Leaders from Edmonton, Waterloo and Winnipeg
From October to November 2021, 8 80 Cities hosted city leaders from Edmonton, Waterloo and Winnipeg for a four-day virtual workshop series on creating healthy cities called ‘Implementing Healthy Urban Policy Virtual Workshop’. Over the course of the workshop, the multidisciplinary teams heard from experts from Denmark, Netherlands, India, and the United States and gained an understanding of the high-level policies and on-the-ground implementation practices that go into creating healthy cities. Read this post for our takeaways from the workshop.
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Buses, Bikes & You: How One BRT Can Connect Communities Across The Toronto-Durham Region
With the rapid growth Toronto has seen in the past decade, the demand for travel in and around the city has also increased. A higher capacity form of transit will be needed to link places where people of all ages live, work, and play. In this article, Nithursan Elamuhilan, Ontario Community Changemakers 2021 cohort, makes the case for a better connected Toronto with the implementation of the Durham Scarborough Bus Rapid Transit system.
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From Mobility to Access for All: Expanding Urban Transportation Choices in the Global South
Many cities are experiencing a decline in access to jobs, services and people due to rapid urbanization and motorization. Analysis from two cities in the global south -Mexico and Johannesburg- reveal that traffic congestion and urban sprawl are major problems.
WRI's World Resources Report examines how cities can improve access to core urban services and achieve higher economic productivity and better environmental quality. This paper proposes three priorities to address the problem of deteriorating environmental quality and economic competitiveness and focuses on actionable solutions that have been proven to work across cities of the global south to improve urban sustainability.
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Photo Credit: Connect the Dots
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Time for Public Participation to Evolve with Transportation Planning
Three firms in the transportation and planning space came together to reflect on community engagement and public participation in the past two years. They believe that flexible, innovative public involvement processes will be the most critical way to build robust, far-reaching solutions and long-lasting impact. In this article via Planetizen, the authors Marisa Denker, Mike Flynn, Samantha Donovan, Theresa Carr and Alexandra Zazula, recommend what to keep, where to start and what to stop doing when engaging communities in the planning process.
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Survey: Children Less Active During the Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has had an effect not only on the mental wellbeing of children. Physical activity has declined during the pandemic as parents reported on the Child Wellbeing Survey 2021, carried out by Premier Education, a provider of primary school sport and physical activity sessions in the UK. Get more of the insights of the survey in this article by Katy Morton (Nursery World, UK)
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Want Equity & Prosperity? Invest in Urban Public Spaces
Over the past year, Civic Commons’ cross-sector working group, Place Driving Equity and Prosperity published Place Driving Equity: An evidence-based action guide on the role of public space for shared prosperity. This new publication details the research, public policies and actions that can deliver shared prosperity through investments in public space. Co-chairs of this group. Alexa Bush and George Abbott write about research and evidence-based practices that enhanced the public realm in Detroit and Memphis.
The authors of the article (via Governing) say: "Based on our experience, we believe that building trust by reducing racism and building welcoming environments, providing multi-modal access, and hiring staff that reflect the diversity of visitors can advance shared prosperity in American communities".
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Planning Cities for People Living with Dementia
Ryerson University School of Urban and Regional Planning professor Samantha Biglieri developed low-cost city planning processes to make city planning more inclusive for people living with dementia. In an effort to prevent stigma associated with people living with the illness, Professor Biglieri is exploring ways to build neighbourhoods that are accessible to them. According to her, planners can promote justice by helping a diverse range of people access the planning process.
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It started With Five Families. Now Hundreds Bike to School Together in Barcelona Every Friday
Don't you agree that this is THE action to take towards a more sustainable future for all? In this article via NPR, Deepa Shivaram introduces us to the nuts and bolts of how to organize a bike to school and to work ride as a group of children and parents. The Bicibús or Bike Bus started as a bike ride to school for a few kids and now entire neighbourhoods are joining. This is an action towards more active children/adults and more responsible road users.
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Why Is It Great to Drive in The Netherlands?
The Netherlands is famous for bicycles and putting walking, cycling, and public transit ahead of cars. Yet paradoxically, it's the best place in the world to be a driver. This video by Not Just Bikes explores why it's so great to drive in the Netherlands in comparison to other places in the U.S. and Canada.
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NYC's Streetfighter Janette Sadik-Khan Visits 34th Avenue!
In this video, former Commissioner of NYC Dept. of Transportation, Janette Sadik-Khan, answers key questions from Clarence Eckerson Jr. (Streetfilms) about the success of NYC's now famous 34th Avenue open street which is now 20 months in operation.
Watch the interview here...
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Interview on Urban Playground: How Child-Friendly Planning and Design Can Save Cities
What type of cities do we want our children to grow up in? Car-dominated, noisy, polluted and lacking nature? Or walkable, welcoming and green? As the climate crisis and urbanization escalate, cities urgently need to become more inclusive and sustainable. Patrin Watanatada chats with Tim Gill about his new book, which reveals how seeing cities through the eyes of children strengthens the case for design, planning and transportation policies that work for people of all ages and for the planet. It shows how urban designers and city planners can incorporate child-friendly insights and ideas into their masterplans, public spaces and streetscapes.
Watch the interview here... |
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Bridging the Green-Divide in Joburg & Play Africa Designing with Children
TODAY! 11:00 - 11:50 am.
Don't miss a great session on the parks system in Johannesburg, South Africa, and how Play Africa integrates children in their creative approach to reimagining cities and communities.
A Walk in the Park Upcoming Sessions
- Dec. 14: Trees and Parks, Research and Tech: Creating Greener Cities for All.
Guests: Dr. Cecil Konijnendijk, Director, Nature Based Solutions Institute & Program Director, Master of Urban Forestry Leadership, UBC.Dr. Nadina Galle, Founder, Internet of Nature. Forbes '30 under 30'.
- Jan. 11th, 2022: Jan Gehl, author of Life Between Buildings: Using Public Space, and Cities for People, and many other books. Danish architect, world-renowned visionary, advisor, creator of cities centred on all people. Equity. Sustainability.
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New: School Streets Webpage
 School Streets is a program that creates a car-free environment in front of schools at the start and end of the school day to prioritize safe walking conditions for children, their caregivers and teachers. Check out this one-stop-shop page to keep track of all things School Streets-related that we at 8 80 Cities are working on. This includes the Ontario School Streets Pilot, Toronto’s first-ever School Streets pop-up in 2019 and the School Streets Guidebook published in 2019.
Visit the page...
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AIHP Partners With 8 80 Cities
 The International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH) is proud to announce its partnership with 8 80 Cities in support of the AIPH World Green City Awards. Enhancing public space for the wellbeing of all urban residents is a common vision shared by both AIPH and 8 80 Cities. Does your city have a bold vision of being greener, healthier, and more livable? Are you implementing urban nature-based solutions to enhance the public realm and build the resilience of your city in response to the growing urban challenges our urban areas face? Find out more about the AIPH World Green City Awards and how to enter here.
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 World Urban Parks is excited to announce its 2021 virtual World Urban Parks Congress following the success of the 2020 Parks for all Congress with the City of Tirana. This virtual event will bring together city and community leaders, park professionals, partners, affiliates, and engaged citizens under the shared goal of advancing parks through intentional successful strategies. 8 80 Cities' E. D., Amanda O'Rourke, will moderate a session on Young People and Parks.
Register here...
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On November 9th the Globe and Mail hosted a webinar titled Future Cities, Future Care. 8 80 Cities founder and chair, Gil Penalosa, attended and spoke about the need to invest in healthy cities that put pedestrians first. Gil accompanied a panel of doctors, professors and politicians tasked with answering the question: What would a future city that puts citizen care front and centre look like?
Check out the webinar recording and read more here...
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BC Healthy Communities Application
BC Healthy Communities is currently accepting applications for their Active School Travel Pilot Program. Check out the program if you are a K-12 school in BC interested in piloting Active School Travel at your school. Applications close on Dec 2, 2021.
Apply here...
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