THE RURBAN FRINGE

Do Highway Bypasses Bring Benefits?

My community has gone through several agonizing months of presentations, consultations and the like in order to determine the best possible scenario for a proposed major highway realignment.  I won’t lie, it’s been heated at times, with residents arguing for - and against – the proposals.
But do highway bypasses really create unimaginable damage to communities?  Or are there [...]

On the Edge: Land-Use Planning in the ‘Fringe

When land use changes, there’s any number of impacts which affect a community’s social, economic, and environmental features. 
And although land-use planning tends to be dry, it can also be made that much more interesting when the land-use plan in question involves Prairie Merchant, Brett Wilson’s private holding company which focuses on business opportunities in the energy, agriculture, [...]

Rurban Sense and Sensibilities

With increasing numbers of people moving from urban areas to suburban/rural residential developments near farmland, the result is often a mix of dashed expectations or distress.  In the country, farming is often a way of life … with all the dust, noise and smells that go along with it.  But do new residents really understand their [...]

How to Kill Your Community …

… with cul-de-sacs.  For the love of infrastructure, I strongly encourage everyone to advocate for attractive, strategic design and development in your community.

Building a Legacy

“Mega-sporting events can transform a city.  Forgotten neighbourhoods get desperately needed makeovers.  Massive clean-up efforts curb smog and pollution.  Transportation upgrades enhance mobility.
[And] for cities and nations that focus on both the immediate and the longer term, they do more than simply host an event, they build a legacy.”
- Jamil Satchu, Emmanuel Hembert, Nicolass du [...]

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