[GREN-Exec] First draft GREN 5 year review of ROW climate action

Sun Feb 28 13:44:04 EST 2021

I'm now putting some things together -- too many end of Feb deadlines.  Will send in piece by piece.  Incorporate what ye will, don't wait unduly long for me.  I can always make  a submission of my own.

- G

________________________________
From: Executive <executive-bounces at gren.ca> on behalf of Susan Bryant <shbryant at uwaterloo.ca>
Sent: Sunday, February 28, 2021 11:30 AM
To: John Jackson
Cc: GREN Executive
Subject: Re: [GREN-Exec] First draft GREN 5 year review of ROW climate action

Hi John-

I was about to phone you when this email came in! I will incorporate these points into the draft Susan K put together and then wait to see if Kevin and Greg have additions. There’s time. I emailed the Region to tell them the GREN submission will be late. As Susan K noted, we don’t have much to say about the How We Move section, so if anyone does, please send on.

I’m glad you focused on the city green space issue. As a country bumpkin who moved to the city, I guess I’ve been too impressed by what the cities do in contrast to the townships. Good corrective here.

How come we are all so busy?? It’s weird. But then most everything is a bit weird.

Thanks, John.

Susan B

Sent from my iPad

On Feb 28, 2021, at 10:56 AM, John Jackson <jjackson at web.ca<mailto:jjackson at web.ca>> wrote:

Great work everyone. Very impressive. Sorry that i haven't reviewed it until the last minute. The current months have been insane because added onto my normal work is the teaching of my waste class at UofW totally on-line for the first time.

My comments are only a few and should be easy to integrate:

  1.  in Recs under 12 it only refers to townships. I think these are excellent and am really glad they are here, but we imply that the cities are doing fine. In the matter of creating greenspace we need greenspace created in the cities as well to provide all kinds of energy saving provisions as well as to give people who live in the city easy daily access to greenpeace. Every time a city dweller steps outside they should experience nature. And they should not have to use cars or even transit to experience some aspect of nature.
  2.  In recs under 13 on green infrastructure it again focuses on townships. This is really good and the needs for townships are different and so well pointed out. But we ignore the cities saying that they are doing "pretty good." "Pretty good" is just passable, which is far from what we need for the future. So in terms of green infrastructure in the cities: Yes they have plans, etc., but they constantly compromise when putting in infrastructure such as building roads and rebuilding old roads and streets. They regularly chop down wonderful mature trees that are major contributors to addressing cc issues, to put the priority on cars. Even if they don't cut down the trees, they shorten the lives of trees by chopping off parts of their root systems. Also the cities fund important work by REEP to get green infrastructure installed. However, this work is piece meal and will not get us where we need to be nearly quickly enough - if ever. This is not REEPs fault. It is because there is not sufficient dollars put into these programs. Also the Region needs to look at ways to require leading edge green infrastructure in new developments (residential, institutional, commercial and industrial and also rehabilitation in existing developments. E.G., change the parking lots in shopping malls, churches, community centres, etc.
  3.  The stuff on agriculture is an excellent addition. I particularly like the sentence about making the entire country-side line "permanent." Find a way to highlight this better. My biggest fear is that each time we review the ROP we will move the line outwards.
  4.  In rec 18 near end where it talks about including parks, please put into this "and benches". I am finding increasingly that benches are seen as a problem - as drawing undesirables, especially in downtown areas.

John
--------------------s---------
John Jackson
17 Major Street
Kitchener N2H 4R1
519-744-7503

On Feb 26, 2021, at 2:48 PM, Susan Koswan <susankoswan at execulink.com<mailto:susankoswan at execulink.com>> wrote:

Hi GREN exec,

I've attached the first run-through of GREN's submission to ROW's 5 year climate change review paper. Still needs a lot of work and input on How We Move. I've generally formatted both Susan B and Sandra B's input for How we live, work, build, but have done no editing.

Please. Someone take it and run with it. My brain hurts.

Susan K

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