Sky's Vic Park Newsletter #9: the electors' meeting, get involved, and inspiration from elsewhere
Kaya!
I hope that you’re all well, and staying warm.
Unfortunately, we’ve had some bad news and we’ll need to travel to Canada to spend time with my partner’s family there. This means that I’ll be taking most of July off council work.
This is a personal issue, but it's also political. It demonstrates the very real, personal impacts of political failures. A significant factor shaping the outcome we're dealing with is the systematic underfunding of the health system in Alberta, compounded by an inadequate public health response to Covid. Those big structural issues come down, eventually, to family level.
At local government level we don't deal with funding health systems, but our choices still have important effects on people's lives.
A failure to prepare for climate change will mean more deaths here during heatwaves. Unsafe pedestrian and cycling infrastructure can not only lead to deaths and injuries, it can also contribute to more sedentary and unhappy lives. Local government policies can play a role in homelessness. What local government does matters, often in small ways but sometimes at the level of life or death.
This is one of the reasons why I encourage everyone to pay attention to politics, including at the local level: because whether or not you realise it, it shapes your life. And, ultimately, you have the potential to shape political decision-making and ensure that we solve problems rather than create them...perhaps more so at the local level than anywhere else.
Get involved
There is a development application open for public feedback for a three storey building containing 24 apartments, intended for low-income affordable housing and with good communal spaces for young families.
The Vic Park Collective have a couple of great community events coming up: Neighbourhood Soup and the 4th Annual Vic Park Lasagna Bake Off.
A new draft policy for ‘Bicycle and Car Parking for Non-residential Development’ was passed at the latest Ordinary Council Meeting. This means that it will soon go out for public comment - I’ll remind you, but you should be able to find it on the Your Thoughts page along with other consultations.
The Annual Meeting of Electors
The Annual Meeting of Electors is an opportunity for residents to ask questions about the budget and other council matters, and to put forward ideas. Ours was held on 27th May (with the livestream recorded here and the minutes here) and it was wonderful hearing from the community!
Some of the motions passed included:
That Council install a Peace Pole in one of the parks it manages.
That council publicise the responses to the climate crisis with the focus on engaging with the community meaningfully on mitigation, adaptation, and dealing with the urban heat island effect.
That Council create an Integrated Transport Residents Advisory Group to offer input on decisions related to active and integrated transport.
The next step is that a report on these will be presented to council at the July 2024 Ordinary Council Meeting.
Inspiration from elsewhere
Victoria is raising minimum rental standards – it’s good news for tenants and the environment
Victoria is leading the way in ensuring poor-quality rental housing is upgraded to be safe, comfortable and energy-efficient.
Daycares in Finland Grew Forests, And It Changed Kids' Immune Systems : ScienceAlert
Playing through the greenery and litter of a mini forest's undergrowth for just one month may be enough to change a child's immune system, according to an experiment in Finland.
Barcelona bets on green to boost city’s mental health – POLITICO
Plans to expand low-traffic, green zones are targeted at reclaiming streets for residents — and lifting their spirits in the process.
The Urbanist: Start with Children summit on Apple Podcasts
Show The Urbanist, Ep Start with Children summit - 6 June 2024
We are all connected
As people around the world face heatwaves, floods, war, and displacement, it continues to be crucial that we stretch our care beyond borders. There are many efforts to help people facing horrendous situations, including a project to help people in Gaza stay online and the World Food Program’s aid to Sudan.
That's all folks!
Thanks for reading! As always, I encourage you to get in touch if there's anything you want to ask about or discuss.
best wishes,
sky.
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