Before I decided I would apply for this teaching program I was determind to be a city planner at the municipal level. I had been inspired by my Urban Geography profs, like the great Larry McCann, and was hopeful for a sustainble future. I still am hopeful! A few days ago my man Sam (Sullivan, Mayor of the City of Vancouver) announced a new streetcar line for the 2010 Olympic games.
From an urban planning perspective streetcars cut down on pollution, make public transit more affordable, and disperse population quickly without crowding already full streets. Originally, cities such as Victoria were built based on streetcar lines...suburbs such as The Uplands were reached by streetcar lines from downtown (called 'streetcar suburbs').
This new announcement is a real step forward for Canada. After the rise of the automobile in 1950's North America, it was said that dispersed rapid urban transport would never again be feasible with the existing sprawling urban centers With Sam backing this new project I'm hoping that streetcars will roll again in Vancouver and help move Canada towards the European model of sustainable urban rail transportation that can be accessible to all.
Here is the Vancouver Engineering Services Streetcar homepage:
http://www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/engsvcs/transport/streetcar/index.htm
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2 comments:
Interesting topic! Thanks!
Brian wrote:
"I like the idea of bringing city politics and urban planning into the classroom! It seems to be a topic that is never explored in high school Social Studies."
I agree...I may have to run ideas past you seeing as you're much more of an expert than I am on this broad topic...no urban geography for me unfortunately. Local politics could truly pique student interest if tackled appropriately. Love it!
I did research into the demise of Victoria's streetcar... it was really interesting. There was a long advertising campaign by the bus company to promote the advantages of bus transit over the streetcar. The arguments were fairly week, yet appealing on a surface level. Victoria residents voted in a referendum to the late 40s to destroy our last streetcar line. It's a very interesting topic on a social, environmental, and political level
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