| dumb & dumber |
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| By Hans Tammemagi | |||
| At last year's annual conference on Smart Growth in Niagara, it occurred to one attendee that maybe it is not so much the smart we need to be worried about, but the growth.
The summit’s theme, Smarter Niagara, Better Ways to Grow, is a clever adaptation of "smart growth," a movement that has come into vogue in the past decade. It recognizes that the continuous expansion of suburbs, although providing a good lifestyle, is damaging to the environment. Natural habitats fall under the bulldozer’s blade, gridlock becomes more fume-filled, groundwater becomes polluted, natural resources dwindle, and the global climate slowly heats up. Furthermore it makes no economic sense. As Jack Diamond, the feature speaker and internationally recognized urban architect, noted, for every $1.00 increase in tax base, it costs $1.40 to service new subdivisions. "Smart growth" advocates a shift to land-use patterns that are more compact with population densities that support mass-transit systems. It also encourages revitalization of city cores rather than spreading into outlying suburbs. The benefits are many: less commuting leads to better lifestyle; sewers, power, and other expensive infrastructure are minimized; and parkland and natural spaces are preserved. In summary, compact is smart. But as I munch on a muffin, I realize the problem goes beyond ’smarter’ growth. The real enemy is growth itself, which, in turn is driven by an ever-increasing population. As long as the number of people in the Golden Horseshoe continues to rise -- 33 percent more growth is estimated by 2028 -- there will be relentless pressure to increase not only suburbs, but the entire economy. It is like a giant pyramid scheme that has to keep expanding to stay afloat. If so, I worry that at some point we must run out of resources, and we all know how quickly pyramid schemes can collapse. >> To read the rest of this article click here.
About the author Illustration by Margaret Amy Reiach
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I enjoy getting away to conferences. Surrounded by knowledgeable people and stimulated by thoughtful presentations, ideas swirl in my head, caroming, bubbling, and often coalescing to reveal fresh insights.
Thus, happily seated at the third Smarter Niagara Summit in March, held at White Oaks Conference Resort and Spa, below the escarpment, in the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, I am looking forward to our focus on an issue of considerable importance: growth and Niagara’s environment. Over 200 attendees were also in the room including many mayors and councillors.