Well actually, most Herald readers would probably agree with the so-called "differing point of view" - which is really Herald propagandha that seems to have unsurprisingly little resistance from its readership.

Most people in Calgary don't want to have a world-class city and would rather have banal neighbourhoods lacking in any vibrancy or diversity if they can help it. Calgary is the most American city in Canada - by virtue of having the highest number of U.S. citizens per capita living here. And guess what that means? It translates into a city that values money at the expense of community solidarity and cultural growth or evolution of any kind, corporation growth at the expense of failing leadership in government, and overall just plain blind living in the face of imminent environmental and social fabric destruction. Most Calgarians think "who cares what happens with our land or people who can't even afford a home, as long as we can have our 2500 sq. ft. home with 2.5 cars, 1.8 children and 1.7 pets?". Such is the ridiculousness and myopia of vision of Calgary.

Most people who read a publication such as FFWD might agree with many of the proposed changes associated with PlanIt, but I assure you, most Calgarians would not!

<i>"Calgary is the most American city in Canada - by virtue of having the highest number of U.S. citizens per capita living here. And guess what that means? It translates into a city that values money at the expense of community solidarity and cultural growth or evolution of any kind, corporation growth at the expense of failing leadership in government, and overall just plain blind living in the face of imminent environmental and social fabric destruction."</i>

What does that have to do anything? I see you're perfectly happy to live within the boundaries of your own biased personal narrative but come out swinging when someone else dares to do the same thing.

You've not lived in very many 'American' communities have you? Well I'm here to tell you that I have, and I do. And I was born and raised in Calgary. And I am, by birth, Canadian. And I have found that all things being equal, the social and community focus in American cities is leaps and bounds beyond anything found in Calgary; even on it's best days. The communities down here are very much interested in building solidarity, interdependency, growth and supporting ecologically and socially sound infrastructures. In fact, I live in one, right now whose mandate is exactly that. So my friend you see if there is a problem with Calgary's lack of community spirit and diversity it is not the fault of the Americans who live there (as convenient as that excuse might have been for you), but rather the Calgarians.

Cheers
k

Subvertisement, I think you give Calgarians less credit than they deserve. A poll commissioned by the homebuilders association last month found 57 per cent of Calgarians agree with this statement: "Encouraging more high density multi-family homes such as townhouses and apartment high rises is a good thing in my community." Not everyone is set on having a massive house out in the suburbs.

I also don't know many Calgarians who prefer "banal neighbourhoods lacking in any vibrancy or diversity." Don't know any, actually.

Truth is, most Calgarians are more thoughtful and open minded than the folks on the Herald editorial board.

I agree that Calgarians don't want to live in "banal neighborhoods" and they do want to make Calgary a better place. But I think most of them can't see past their own wants.

Jeremy. You're numbers are correct the statement "Most everyone is set on having a massive house in the suburbs" still lacks a few numbers.

From the same survey you quoted:
72% of respondents said their preferred type of dwelling was a single family home.
67% agreed with the statement: I want to live in an area that is predominately made up of single family homes.
79% of respondents agreed with the statement: I hope that my children will be able to live in their own single family home in Calgary

But maybe they only want little houses in the 'burbs ;)

Perhaps I should have elaborated more clearly on what I believe "Calgary is the most American city in Canada" means.

I grew up in Calgary, and was raised not a in "white picket house suburb" type situation, but rather in the inner city, in a neighbourhood that is now only for the "priveleged" it seems. I still choose to live in the inner city and foster true community interaction, whether that means through active volunteering in the community or simply by being a community member or what have you.

My feeling growing up in Calgary is that we have had the chance several times over to create a city that values community needs (i.e. people) over developers' and business's "needs" (i.e. money). Or better yet, have developers respond to communities' needs (if we are going to let "the almighty market" decide). However, I don't see that Calgarians have put the rubber on the road as far as that is concerned not *only* because there is a large proportion of Americans living here, but because I see a lot of regular "home grown" Calgarians sharing many of the values that faceless multinational (unfortunately usually American) corporations have, and have incidentally implanted into modern American cities as a result. Yes some American communities exist where many of these issues have been fought and hard-won, but when you are faced with governments (or municipalities) that favour the ephemeral and fleeting wisdom of the "market" or business to decide crucial urban planning issues everytime over communities and citizens, it's hard and tiring for citizens not to start thinking that paradigm is the way to go somehow.

That is, factors such as an inordinate amount of concern on fiscal policies determining things such as community development, at the expense of people becoming displaced from the communities they used to be able to live in - either through gentrification or property values going up in inner cities or other factors. This is just one example.

Yes, I believe there are progressive minded Americans out there as there are also progressive minded Calgarians out there, but from my observations and experience they are few and far between, at least in Calgary it seems. I can't count the number of times that I've heard many seemingly sane Calgarians expressing out loud that their biggest concern for Calgary is that we need to address things like having a ring road, instead of say, addressing the issue of homelessness, or say, making our city a friendly place for those in creative industries to name some examples. These are some things that can increase diversity or vibrancy in a city (to name a couple).

Anyway, this may sound like a rant, but I am just trying to communicate what I believe are a number of different complex factors coming together to create a nefarious situation in Calgary where many Calgarians seem to be downright allergic to any progressive and interactive community creation. For me it is telling that the same survey that says "57% of Calgarians agree encouraging more high density multi-family homes such as townhouses and apartment high rises is a good thing in my community", also has 72% of respondents say their preferred type of dwelling was a single family home, as well as the other two statements that Lindsey quoted. I see a huge NIMBY factor going on here, as in, "I want to have a diverse and vibrant community (but I'm only willing to say that because it's trendy to do so and not because I'm willing to live that way for real and demand it)".

Maybe Lindsey you are right, that Calgarians just want little houses in the 'burbs instead of monster ones, but I would think that developers would also be hearing that from their customers if that were the case and respond accordingly. It doesn't seem to be the case judging from what we are actually seeing.

And Jeremy, I think that is great you that don't know any Calgarians who prefer banal neighbourhoods lacking in any vibrancy or diversity - but it seems really strange to me that a frightening number of Calgarians are not only willing to live in banal neighbourhoods that are lacking in vibrancy, but flocking to do so. The circle of people I hang out with certainly don't think this way, but I can believe it from them at least as they also don't LIVE this way.

Sorry to post again, but I just wanted to add that no matter what a city decides to do for a long range plan, there are choices to make and costs involved in those choices. For instance, one "cost" of having a vibrant and diverse community that appreciates arts and public infrastructure and services for instance might be that not as many people in said city might be able to own a monster home or conveniently and cheaply drive an SUV around everywhere.

On the other hand, a major cost of continually choosing to live in a monster home in the middle of nowhere and drive your SUV everywhere is that suddenly you have a city that lacks walkable areas or a human dimension, or other qualities that are the life and soul of community life for instance.

I feel most Calgarians haven't reconciled the fact that things like owning that monster house in the middle of nowhere and driving your SUV everywhere are almost antithetical to having a vibrant community life.