Re-establishing Communities - Krista Crawford

I define the term “Social Change” in multiple ways, but for the purpose of this proposal I will narrow it for clarity. The word social implies societies which involve human interactions. Change is self-explanatory, but can be insipid. Throughout the city of Halifax there are many different social classes. In my opinion the struggles between the classes in Haligonian society are based mainly on geography, money, culture and religion. It is a constantly changing and wildly diverse area geographically. It contains people who interact based on these factors, and these interactions evolve over time. There is order and chaos; there is a dichotomy in all areas of the social order. This allows the changes to occur.

Charity       

I have always found most charity to be a futile response to social issues. The fact is that I have found most politicians and government in general have a tendency to respond to social problems with “solutions” that don’t actually address any underlying origins. It has stopped me from donating time or money to certain charitable organizations which I determine to have hidden agendas. When I pass someone wanting a hand out or hand up on the street, my knee-jerk reaction is often negative. It can be an emotional burden to stop and temporarily try and alleviate a strangers’ pain. What has caused this person to find themselves in this unfortunate position? I often feel incapable of taking on additional baggage and even though it is selfish, I know I am not alone when I pass by. It is much safer to be the one judging and not nearly as lonely.

What constitutes a community?  

Regardless of my paralyzing inaction, I continue to wonder if significant social changes are even possible in our society. What do we need people to do who have increasingly become more distant in their communities to enact change? What do I think about when I heard the word “community”? I grew up in a suburb of Calgary, AB. It was an excellent middle class neighborhood, and I considered it to have a distinct feeling of community. Almost all the people in my area were about the same economic level. Although there were different religions, we were all living in a very similar way. We had a central school location where all of the children attended. Across the large field from the school, there was a very well used community center. It had a large hall with a lunch program for children, an outdoor rink/lacrosse area, basketball and tennis courts, and a playground. My parents had no problem with us spending endless hours there. We were getting exercise and socializing with our peers in mostly constructive ways. Of course this was before parents put GPS trackers on kids for fear that they would be abducted if they went more than 10 feet from the back door. I am not trying to assert that this is what forms a community, just my feeling in retrospect.

Recreation

This got me to thinking about how recreation in a community can be a very positive force. When I was in grade 4, the city built a very large recreation center a few blocks from my house. It had 2 arenas, fitness facilities, rock climbing wall, gymnasiums, squash and racquetball courts, and a giant swimming area with wave pool and slides. It made a huge impact on all of the communities that surrounded it. All of a sudden my little world changed. We never went to the little community center anymore. We went to the bright and shiny new one. As a child, I never saw much of a problem. Years later, I would see my once beloved community center in such a state of disrepair, that many wanted it torn down. The sense of community I loved fizzled away, and it seemed it might not return.

                It was not a sad ending however, people that had lived in my community for many years started organizing events and recreation classes again at the center. There was no room for them in the heavily used new facility. Martial arts and yoga classes started, and walking groups made the hall their home. The cost of using our little hall was less prohibitive and it was already in an excellent central location within our community. The girl scouts and beavers started to use the facility instead of the school gym. Minor hockey teams in the area used the facility for fundraising. They started having stampede breakfasts every year which drew hundreds of people. It was in fact a good thing to have competition open down the street. Where else can you go on a Sunday to have a free skate under blue skies around a freshly flooded rink?

How my location has informed my decision

The issue of social change in Halifax is more complicated. Obviously, as an adult I have a better understanding of the huge amount of factors that affect our society. It made me think of the factors that helped me choose the area of Halifax Regional Municipality I wanted to live in. Before I came across Canada with my family, I did many hours of research on HRM, the school system, crime statistics, property taxes, infrastructure, and geography. You don’t really know a place until you live there, but I had a notion of where I wanted to be. I immediately eliminated many areas; Dartmouth, most areas of Halifax, and some areas in Sackville. The areas I would like to live in Halifax or Bedford were not financially feasible. These decisions were based on a combination of the previously mentioned factors, personal preferences, and commuting times. I had always lived in a city or town, so we decided to try something more rural. We thought we had made a good choice with our limited knowledge.

We have enjoyed our location however there is not a sense of community like the one I knew as a child. Because of the geography of the area and the general sprawl of the properties, it is difficult to get to know neighbors. Thankfully, there is a small recreation facility close to us. Unfortunately, it is almost exclusively dedicated to hockey, which my children do not play. We do enjoy our Tae Kwon Do classes there, but the parking is pitiful. We are close to highway 103 and grocery stores and there are many reasons for us to be thankful. I don’t think we would have enjoyed living in the downtown core, even if we had the monetary means to do so. I don’t think there is enough green space. I always get the impression that a great deal is needed regarding infrastructure improvements to make it more inhabitable and desirable.

Fortunately for us, we have the opportunity to live in an area which is safe and comfortable. My children have never gone hungry or been without any necessities. There are so many social problems and injustices I would not be able to focus on just one. Often one problem begets another. I have often wondered what kind of democracy we live in. The governments I elect never seem to represent any of the values I have. It is very disheartening. What would it take to actually get action? Would it be action I would support?

Thoughts on how I focused

This inevitably turns into a futile continuous circular discussion without conclusion. What change is needed? What is the reason we need this change? What is the cause for inaction? Is the government accountable? What is the cause of homelessness? What is the solution to poverty? What do my taxes actually pay for? Are we doomed as a race to overpopulate the earth? What is the inherent human nature that allows us to turn away from others’ pain? Should I eat GMO’s? What is happening to all the excess food being produced? How can we ensure a better education for all? How can I really be “greener” when I can’t afford it? How important are arts and recreation to human development? How can I prevent domestic violence, drunk driving, pollution, over-fishing, cruelty to animals, health care crises etc. etc. etc. So overwhelming, who wouldn’t give up? So I thought large at first. I thought about the city of Halifax and some of the issues I perceive.

The initiative of this project is inspired by filling a perceived community issue with a built architectural response. I have thought about how people use buildings, how the space available can influence activities and attitudes, how design allows interaction, why aesthetics are important to functionality and longevity. Other things I considered were location, size, accessibility and the ability for multi-usage. It is my initial thought that these considerations could easily be included in a new design for almost any existing facility. Of course, it is never that simple and I have glossed over potential friction that would inevitably be encountered. 

Impressions of the city, and problems not addressed

I would like to make some comments on the city of Halifax and my impressions over the last 3 ½ years we have lived or worked here. I will be stating some gross generalizations, so if they don’t happen to apply to your area, please disregard. I found it extremely difficult to get around. The roads are not only poorly laid out, they change names indiscriminately, they are confusing to navigate, and have poor or non-existent signage. The parking situation downtown is rather sad. If you don’t want to park in a parking garage (there are only a few), which are usually full of daily commuters, you resign yourself to one of the pot-hole filled gravel demolition zones. You could take the bus; that can be a challenge in itself. Or you can brave the traffic on a bike. I have never seen a more bike unfriendly city. The lanes can barely accommodate the vehicles, let alone a poor biker. There is usually nowhere to park a bike when you get to your destination. There is a reason that so many people drive onto the peninsula daily. There has to be a better, safer, environmentally friendly and convenient way to move people. Has anyone ever considered light rail transit?

Halifax is so large geographically; could the revitalization of the downtown core also allow a new business district not located on the peninsula? It could alleviate some of the pressure on the roads. I recently drove down Barrington and it looks like a ghost town. Sean refers to it as 1940’s Warsaw because of the dismal state of that street. Isn’t it in the heart of the downtown? Obviously there are many reasons why businesses have trouble opening of maintaining themselves in this area. I know I never go downtown, unless what I am looking for can only be found there. The parking alone is a pain, and I don’t find it very safe walking myself or with my kids down there. I have often thought it would be nice to have a pedestrian only street which could change to road traffic in the evenings.

Recreation facilities in general are depressing, in need of repair and too few. We have visited many pools, and found that they are often the worst offenders. I know this seems contradictory to what I should be thinking, having a job in an office that designs new recreation facilities. I am forming my opinion having lived in a city and small town, both with excellent recreation centers. They were more than a hockey rink or pool. They often had more to offer to the communities they served. They were gathering places for all walks of life. They were built for the pursuit of athleticism, education and art. I have yet to visit a building in HRM that embodies anything like this.

There are also so many interest groups asserting pressure to keep dilapidated buildings around and not allow anything over 10 inches to be built that might interfere with their precious views of the sewage filled harbor. It is disappointing that long term thinking here always seems to be quashed under the thumb of some loud mouth with their own agenda. If democracy works, then a greater good should always win that fight, but it rarely does. A neglected building with lipstick is still going to be underutilized and a waste of resources.  These resources could be used for many social issues, like affordable housing solutions in the downtown core.

When I think about urban renewal I wonder what draws people to a city. Why do people live in cities? Obviously they are centers of commerce and in the case of Halifax a central location for the transfer of goods. That is why people work here, but why do they live here? The city of Halifax is not something I wish to address because I am not an expert in this area. I do think the best way for an area to be served is to ask the inhabitants and also make suggestions. As Angela mentioned it is important to have community involvement in the design process. Open discussion or forum may be helpful to start but it is also necessary to suggest things which non-expert contributors would not consider. How will the facility serve the current and future communities? How can it be made to be as environmentally responsible as possible?

So what is my point anyhow?

Everything we buy, do, say, and think contributes to the social structures we live in, as we all know. If we can change en mass then it is possible to make an overall societal impact. I have been examining how I would like to interpret my role in this larger picture. I would like to think I have an altruistic approach, but that is really not realistic. I am a product of my environment and the society I live in, and I need to look out for my own interests as much as anyone else. You would not do well to ask me for sympathy, but I have infinite empathy. It seems like a cliché, but when I consider what I would like the world to be, I consider my children before anyone else. That is a major consideration in how I live and decisions I make. Everyone has their own interests to protect, and it shapes their decisions as well.

So how would I like to implement social change? Locally is the answer that I have come up with. I would like to inspire areas like my own to become communities again (if they ever were). I believe there are many ways to accomplish this. People like to have a common interest or purpose. That is why religions have thrived. They offer community in a different way than I am proposing. However, you can use these types of organizations as a model to understand how to affect human behavior in a positive way. If you give people a purpose, whether real or imagined, it inspires them. If you allow a place for them to meet, people can gather for that intended purpose. If you reinforce that these like-minded people have similar interests and values, you can get those individuals to acts as a group. If you can consistently reinforce that your ideals are correct, you can keep people in the group and acting on its behalf. It has worked for centuries.

Re-establishing communities

I believe we need more facilities in each community with the ability to serve a greater number of people in each area, including my own. I look through the recreation guide and see that some of the activities I would be interested in doing are very far from me, or in some crappy old building that should have been torn down 20 years ago. To be precise about my proposal, I would like to expand and upgrade my local recreation facilities. The local center is St. Margaret’s Center located at 12 Westwood Blvd in Upper Tantallon. Our sad little outdoor pool and inadequate parking need a major overhaul to really serve the deserving people who live in my area and nearby. I would like to provide some statistical data regarding my assertion. After loading a map from Statistics Canada, I discovered that my areas density is >25-99 people/square kilometer. The area is also in the 2^nd highest income earning bracket, suggesting disposable income is available. It shows that it is an educated area, with the majority having completed some post-secondary schooling. The median age is 37-39.4.

The list of what is available at the current facility and then what I propose to add value is:

·         2 arenas

·         1 gymnasium

·         small fitness center with limited hours and membership

·         small outdoor pool (open in summer)

·         1 multi-purpose room (where we have Tae Kwon Do)

·         1 meeting room that can be divided, small community room, board room (room with table above the ice in one arena)

·         Tiny canteen that is rarely open.

Although the photos on the website look lovely, it is apparent when you actually visit the facility, it is in need of some TLC.

What I would like to see is:

·         An enclosed and enlarged pool available for use year round. The closest place to swim is the Sackville Sports Stadium which is about a 30 minute drive

·         I would like to see a daycare space open. Child care in my area is a very big problem. The majority of people are double income earners, and rely on child care

·         I believe an expanded fitness facility would be used heavily. There is a NuBody’s in the Sobeys mall that is very expensive. Not to mention painfully annoying if you get on their mailing or phone list

·         It would be excellent to see some racquet courts. The closest ones are in Bayers Lake

·         Possibly another gymnasium would be useful. If there were better places to house the classes or groups, more of them would come out here

·         It would be excellent to have a bike or walking path that connects the people in all of the subdivisions surrounding the center. It is unsafe to walk on the shoulder of Hammonds Plains Road unless you have a death wish. It is a secondary highway, and although the posted limit is now 80kph, it is rarely adhered to

·         Finally, the parking is abysmal and must be revamped to accommodate even the current vehicle load

·         I would like the meeting room to be updated to include wireless internet and other technology to allow for more advanced meetings to occur

·         I would like to see the existing library expanded and attached to the recreation center. The library is in a different location currently, but could move less than the kilometer necessary to join the recreation center.  It could offer a location for more artistic and educational pursuits

·         A larger canteen would be necessary to serve the larger establishment

As a side note: I created a detailed business model for a proposed retail business as part of a school project. It was a large indoor play space designed for children 5-12 years old. It contained a very large play structure, party rooms, and canteen. It could also house a rock climbing wall and other interactive equipment for active play. I believe healthier kids, lead to healthier adults, which in my simplified view means less stress on health care and other infrastructure in the long term.

That’s it

                So that is what I would like to see locally. I have many suggestions for the city, but I have decided to allow the individuals who live there and know the area much better than myself, pitch their own ideas. In general, I believe if people everywhere felt they were part of their community, they would be happier, healthier and kinder. I would never have destroyed property, stolen or drawn graffiti as a child. Not because of the fear of corporal punishment doled out, but because I respected the people in my community. I didn’t want those things to happen to my family or in my community, so I inherently regarded them as prohibited. You cannot have respect for other individuals if you do not have some relationship with them. You must meet your peers to judge your peers. You must have respect to have tolerance. Obviously, I elected not to tackle some of the harder social issues, but I believe my proposal is a valid and achievable goal.

                If we consider what is inherently valuable to most individuals when designing a building, I believe we can achieve a balance between beauty and function.