What a successful neighbourhood looks like
Advertisement
Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 08/10/2021 (603 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
In my piece “Neighbourhood investment is on the rise” (Aug 4, 2021), I mentioned that there is often conflict between property developers and residents. Neighbourhood groups have gripes about the lack of parking and the character of the neighbourhood when new buildings go up.
At the same time, Winnipeg is seeing a huge housing affordability and homelessness problem.
I can’t, with a clear conscience, say that investing in more housing is a failure – but is it a success? What does a successful neighbourhood investment look like?
I believe housing is an important aspect of a community but success really starts with capital staying in the community, and the people in the community experience that success through a growth in their individual wealth.
In the current paradigm of neighbourhood investment this is not happening. In the current state, infill development happens and the capital gains don’t stay in the community – they are external to the neighbourhood.
Finding ways to allow people in a community to make low-stakes investments themselves would redirect some of that flow of capital so it stays in that community.
This can only be done by making it easier, not harder, to build things in communities.
Adding restrictive measures to development procedures does not deter investment, it just creates additional investment risk, which means investments must create a larger return on investment. This actually makes it more likely that something out of scale to a neighbourhood will be built.
Such restrictions also place bigger burdens on homeowners trying to make small modifications to their homes, as they don’t have the in-house professional counsel needed to navigate cumbersome development procedures.
The city has a role to play. Here again, we need a paradigm shift.
Right now, city council has the mindset that it needs to invest public money to induce development – for example, building the Kenaston flyover to facilitate the development of Waverley West.
Chuck Marohn, the founder of Strong Towns, a non-profit organization in Minnesota pushing for more sustainable development, says it best – Rome didn’t build the colosseum to induce greatness, it built the colosseum because Rome was already great.
Council needs to enable infill development through an easing of development restrictions and an investment in inner-city neighbourhoods. Only then will we find success at the neighbourhood level.
Steve Snyder is a community correspondent for the Seven Oaks and Luxton neighbourhoods and chair of the Seven Oaks Residents’ Association
In my piece “Neighbourhood investment is on the rise” (Aug 4, 2021), I mentioned that there is often conflict between property developers and residents. Neighbourhood groups have gripes about the lack of parking and the character of the neighbourhood when new buildings go up.At the same time, Winnipeg is seeing a huge housing affordability and homelessness problem.I can’t, with a clear conscience, say that investing in more housing is a failure – but is it a success? What does a successful neighbourhood investment look like?I believe housing is an important aspect of a community but success really starts with capital staying in the community, and the people in the community experience that success through a growth in their individual wealth.In the current paradigm of neighbourhood investment this is not happening. In the current state, infill development happens and the capital gains don’t stay in the community – they are external to the neighbourhood.Finding ways to allow people in a community to make low-stakes investments themselves would redirect some of that flow of capital so it stays in that community.This can only be done by making it easier, not harder, to build things in communities.Adding restrictive measures to development procedures does not deter investment, it just creates additional investment risk, which means investments must create a larger return on investment. This actually makes it more likely that something out of scale to a neighbourhood will be built.Such restrictions also place bigger burdens on homeowners trying to make small modifications to their homes, as they don’t have the in-house professional counsel needed to navigate cumbersome development procedures.The city has a role to play. Here again, we need a paradigm shift. Right now, city council has the mindset that it needs to invest public money to induce development – for example, building the Kenaston flyover to facilitate the development of Waverley West.Chuck Marohn, the founder of Strong Towns, a non-profit organization in Minnesota pushing for more sustainable development, says it best – Rome didn’t build the colosseum to induce greatness, it built the colosseum because Rome was already great. Council needs to enable infill development through an easing of development restrictions and an investment in inner-city neighbourhoods. Only then will we find success at the neighbourhood level.
Steve Snyder is a community correspondent for the Seven Oaks and Luxton neighbourhoods and chair of the Seven Oaks Residents’ Association
Steve Snyder
Luxton / Seven Oaks community correspondent
Steve Snyder is a community correspondent for the Seven Oaks and Luxton neighbourhoods and chair of the Seven Oaks Residents’ Association