5 councillors voted against a document that supplies funding to study, plan, and implement public realm improvements near LRT stations across Calgary.
Learn more: Transit Oriented Development Strategy (IP2024-1225)
Luckily, this 5-5-1 defeat was merely for the IPC recommendation before it goes to council for final approval. Consider emailing your councillor, or the councillors who voted against, today, to ensure we take this critical step for housing, transportation, climate, and overall economic resilience in Calgary.
Contact form: Write your councillor today!
Take a look at the letter I wrote to the dissenting councillors — Chu, Sharp, Wong, Chabot, and Wyness — if you need some inspiration on this issue!
Open letter re: Transit-oriented development strategy
Councillor,
Your vote against the Transit Oriented Development Strategy is incredibly disappointing to me, and I hope you’ll support a reconsideration of this critical failure to act.
As a lifelong citizen of Mayland Heights, Ward 10, and more broadly, the beautiful city of Calgary, I understand very intimately the economic opportunity transit-oriented development would bring directly upon myself, my community, the communities’ of Ward 10, and our city as a whole. I believe, or hope, you do as well. Enabling housing development in close proximity to our critical transportation infrastructure investments is simply necessary for Calgary’s long term climate, social, and economic sustainability.
In the midst of intersecting crises, ensuring viable alternative choices of housing and transportation for Calgarians should be a fundamental priority of all public servants. Enabling intensification of transit stations not only affords Calgarians individual the freedom of a more cost-effective way of life, but builds capacity for Calgary’s collective fiscal resilience, as we better connect our communities together, and create capacity to better utilize the infrastructure we already have.
What I do not understand is the dereliction of duty to reject outright, rather than amend or improve, this desperately-needed measure. Each one of you has indicated the opportunity for transit-oriented development to achieve our city’s goals of responsible growth, a strong economy, and an enviably progressive quality of life on the global stage.
Please reconsider your vote, and support swift action to ensure the long-term viability of the very city and corporation that you are tasked to defend and enhance. We cannot afford such a rejection at this time.
All the best,
Hazen “Bis” Ellwood
(they/all)