Council gets lobbied occasionally on specific issues by specific groups, but usually on a reactive, issue by issue basis. Volunteer boards will coordinate email and phone campaigns during the budget process to make the case for their grant requests; the Advocates for This Park or Friends of That Park can be very forceful in making their preferences known; members of business groups and other outside agencies are appointed to City advisory boards to protect their interests, etc. But the bulk of the communication we get, at least that I get, is from individuals with their individual ideas, opinions, requests and complaints.
Earlier this evening, during a chat initiated through the “Chat with Rob” feature on this blog (which is becoming more and more popular), my anonymous chat partner — known only to me as the person who comments on the Guardian website as “PFA” — directed me to scaledown.ca, a blog that aims to “promote the cultural identity, social fabric and economic prosperity of Windsor, Ontario through open discussion and grass-roots advocacy.”
While scanning that site I found this post about the formation of a Downtown Resident Association. While we do have Downtown Charlottetown Inc. here, it is very much business oriented. Although I don’t live downtown myself, I do work there and I live close enough to feel I have a stake in its continued vitality and livability, so I find the idea of a group like this very appealing, both from my points of view as a resident and a councillor. As the author of the post points out:
If we go to the decision makers to voice our opinions, visions, and complaints by ourselves, we likely aren’t going to get anywhere. But one unified voice representing many – that’s power in any democratic setting.
In fact, I’d welcome any number of associations that could engage and advise council. There are many talented and creative people who, speaking as one voice, could influence council to make better, more progressive, more informed decisions. How about the Charlottetown Amateur Urban Planners Association?
Sounds good to me, Rob. Count me in … in fact we should talk about this.
There is, in fact, a Downtown Residents Association in Charlottetown, although it’s been in stasis for a few years. It was instigated by Catherine Hennessey and we held several very well-attended meetings on various topics about 5 years ago. We should start things back up…
It should be bigger than just the downtown, Peter. Many issues are facing the residential neighbourhoods as well as downtown planning. Witness the ‘group homes” at the beginning of North River road, or the dispute the Gower Street residents had with the city (over development behind Nick’s).
Check out the new three story box now on Linden Avenue … how does that thing ever fit in a residential neighbourhood?
Spotted this interesting idea:
That’s a good idea, Shawn. Part of the problem with the “downtown livers” group (as Catherine called it) was that anyone north of Euston was exempt.
Rob, I’m glad you not only took the opportunity to read Scaledown.ca, but also found some information there that can help Charlottetown build on its’ many strengths. Mark Boscariol and Chris Holt are outstanding in their assessment of status of Windsor, Ontario. I don’t always agree with their point of view, but I do appreciate their activism on the behalf of their community.
Resident associations are very powerful lobby groups at the local and, in the case of PEI, provincial level. I would strongly encourage the formation of neighbourhood groups to build and strengthen neighbourhoods across the city, not just in the downtown core. Diversity of input will make it easier for councilors to do their jobs — representing the people who elected them in the first place.
Perhaps I’ll have to advocate for a resident association in my own neighbourhood — Lewis Point. (Hmm, maybe that is too much information about the identity of the mysterious PFA!)
Oh yes, I forget to mention, the Amateur Urban Planners Group is something that I would absolutely be up for. Having helped author the traffic calming policy in Windsor, building a group to have input on urban planning (or lack thereof, as the case /may/ be in Charlottetown) would be something I might even come out of “hiding” to be a part of!
Are there any Urban Planning resources in the area that might be able to give a group like that a kickstart?