Professional Planner VS The Public

Jane Jacobs was an observer and writer; she was not a professional of the built environment. I remember working for my city (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada) as a heritage planner and listening to people complaining about an affordable housing unit proposed for their area, or a medium-rise apartment complex invading a primarily low-density neighbourhood. The public always had something bad to say about the project, and generally did not trust the planner’s explanation as to why it was important. I saw the public as a major roadblock to good planning; leave the planning to the professionals!

Although there are many cases in the heritage sector when magnificent old buildings slated for demolition are saved by public lobbying. One particular example of this is of Whyte Avenue in Edmonton. It was part of a plan in the 1980s to become a massive freeway connecting the suburbs to the downtown. The district around the avenue was over a hundred years old, it was the main street of a small town that grew around the first railway to enter the region. Citizen groups in the area lobbied against the plans and saved their beloved district. It is now the very popular nightlife district of Edmonton, and the entire city is very proud of this area.

Anyway, I am starting to see the value of public input in planning. After the Jane Jacobs reading this week I noticed that planners get caught up in the latest development trend and forget about the experience of the area. How people using the area experience it. The conclusion I came out of class with was that the planner reaches for his textbook to tell him how to remedy a declining downtown (for example), but often that general solution is not what that area needs. Studying the declining downtown, and leaving the planner’s toolbox/textbook in the office, allows the planner to see what everyone else sees and decide what to do based on experience.

Here is an image of Whyte Avenue located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. I also attached a website of the district, it provides the history behind the area and how it was saved. Enjoy!

(image curtesy of: http://apps.business.ualberta.ca/photogallery/aboutus/livinginedmonton/default.html)

Website: http://oldstrathcona.ca/explore-the-ave

Book mentioned:

Jacobs, J. (2000). The death and life of great American cities. London: Pimlico.