Despite a new report from researchers at Queen’s University claiming the city’s suburban growth is not sustainable, Edmonton experts say that is not true.
Some have pointed out what they claim are crucial flaws in the report, skewing the results.
“They have lumped the Capital Region together,” Ward 12 councillor Amarjeet Sohi explained.
“If you study about Edmonton alone then it will be a different story.”
Sohi said the city has higher density development compared to other municipalities in the area.
“Almost double the density that you see in mature neighbourhoods.”
However, the author of the report, David Gordon, said the trouble lies in transportation.
“All of these auto-dependant suburbs and ex-urban areas have a lot of automobile use because that is your only way to get around, which leads to greenhouse gas emissions and trouble,” he explained.
Gordon, the director of the School of Urban and Regional Planning at Queen’s University, spent five years pouring over census, commute and population data for his study.
“Growing at the edges rapidly is very expensive. You got to run the pipes out, got to build new roads. We're growing at densities too low to support good public transit service in most parts of Canada,” he explained.
Sohi said the City was very conscious of the transportation issues.
“When you look at some of the communities that we have designed they're very walkable and transit oriented,” he explained.
Chair of the Edmonton Chapter of the Urban Development Institute also said he believed growth in the city was indeed sustainable.
Jordan Davis questioned the report’s methods.
“You can’t just look at a single family neighbourhood.
“You have to look at a larger area where it incorporates many land uses,” he explained.
Development has also changed over the years, Davis said.
“Our lot sizes are a lot smaller. We’re incorporating townhouses, duplexes.
“You need the single family homes, the townhouses, the duplexes, the multi-families, the infill in the downtown core.”
“You need it all for a city to flourish,” he said, adding Edmonton had it all.
Sohi also disputed the idea that suburban development took away from growth in mature neighbourhoods.
“We have a very good, effective neighbourhood renewal program,” he said, adding the City was still improving older infrastructure and amenities.
“We are investing a lot of money into making mature neighbourhoods more attractive for people to stay and move into.”
With files from Amanda Anderson
