Dear Gil Penalosa
June 5, 2024
Dear Gil Penalosa:
Thank you so much for coming all the way out here to St. Catharines the other day to share your vision with us on sustainable, equitable and playful cities. Your passion came through loud and clear during the hour and a half that you spoke and I hope I wasn’t the only one who took away some valuable information from the event.
It was such a shame there weren’t more there to hear you speak. It must have been disappointing to say the least to have the place less than half full despite how well promoted it was and the fact that tickets were free. Even more disappointing was that even though a local councilor was the driving force in bringing you here, so few of her colleagues on council joined her in attending. She said the man who occupies the office of mayor (referring to Mr. Siscoe as the mayor remains a bit of a sore point in these parts) promised to attend, but if he was there, I missed him. I felt so badly for her. To see such a small crowd after she had been stressing so much about the event was truly heartbreaking.
I couldn’t have agreed with you more when you said we need to think differently when it comes to the public sector. We need to be generous. Money, of course, is no object. You can always print more. It practically grows on trees. All progressives know that. Given such financial freedom, however, I did wonder why you spent so much of your valuable time criticizing Doug Ford for wasting billions on building subways and the proposed Bradford Bypass. You did repeatedly state you weren’t politically biased to the left or the right. Maybe I was just taking things out of context. It wouldn’t be the first time. This old country bumpkin does have a tendency to get confused sometimes. I hope you won’t hold it against me.
I felt like there was a veil lifted off my face when I saw how much cleaner the air was in big cities like Paris during the lockdowns. You’re right, Covid has presented us with a golden opportunity to do things better and highlights the importance of lowering our carbon footprint. Our neighborhoods need to be redesigned for walking and cycling. Sidewalks are a human rights issue. Lower speed limits on residential streets to 30 km/h and enforce it with speed cameras. Impose high taxes on big cars. Because taxes solve all problems.
Speaking of lowering our carbon footprint, I must say I was taken aback when you said you had rented a car and driven to St. Catharines to deliver your presentation, thus emitting more pollution than this nondriver who walks, cycles and uses public transit to get around does in a year. I can only assume you are unaware that GO Transit serves St. Catharines and the Niagara region quite well with hourly service. There is also the Megabus, which serves the downtown terminal, located less than a block away from the venue where you spoke. If one of the world’s top urbanists isn’t aware of these services, how can we expect the average person on the street to know of them? Your experience highlights how much more we need to do to publicize their availability. The future of our planet depends on it. As you stated, today’s big bad wolf in the nursery rhymes is indeed the car. Neither wolves nor cars should be permitted on residential streets.
As you spoke, I was appalled to learn the number of mistakes our politicians have made over the last 40 years. Our cities would be so much better today if only they had listened to you. Change is indeed difficult and getting the message through to the unwashed masses who aren’t as enlightened as you can be next to impossible. As you noted, so many are CAVE people. Citizens Against Virtually Everything. Specifically, in the GTHA, people have honey in their veins, not blood. Toronto would indeed be so much better today if only more residents shared your vision and had the good sense to elect you as their mayor when you put your name on the ballot.
In addition to your views on building better cities, I was glad to hear you speak on the need for getting eight hours of sleep every night. I know I don’t function the same way if I don’t get some good shut-eye. Perhaps you should consider dedicating another session to sharing more of your medical advice for us. I don’t think I’m the only one who would eagerly welcome such a presentation.
I can’t speak for the rest of the audience, but I know I was completely captivated by your talk, as was the councilor seated in front of me. She and her tiny entourage were robotically nodding like bobbleheads all evening long. I look forward to hearing what proposals she makes to council based on the many excellent points you raised.
Thank you again for making the trek out here to the boonies to speak to us. It was an honor just to be in the same room with such a visionary.
Sincerely,
One of the unworthy CAVE people.
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