Setting up for the b-ball tournament:

IMG_8522.jpeg
 
kcantor said:
^
i think the takeaway is indeed the “and taking actions for that” and that includes calling out the provincial and federal governments as well as the city but the city has to drive this bus and as citizens we need to continue to push them to do that.
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I remember when I was more active in various City engagement projects, Administration and Council were absolutely terrified of any introducing any policy initiatives that could "shock the housing market," even when prices kept rising and housing kept getting less and less attainable and less and less affordable for the average Edmontonian.

In other words, the de facto policy is to prioritize preserving market prices for existing owners and investors of housing over ensuring attainable and affordable housing for everyone else.

And who can blame them when the Venn diagram of those who:
  • Would feel the most immediate impacts of a price shock
  • Are the most vocal and have access to amplification platforms
  • Have the most time and resources for lobbying and advocacy
  • Who hold the most wealth, power, and influence
...is a near perfect circle.

(And Council members and senior City staff overwhelmingly exist within that circle themselves.)

We all say we want change, but only as long as it doesn't change anything for us directly.
 
^

i’m not sure your attribution of the reason for administrations and councils protecting property values for existing owners and investors is completely accurate.

until property taxes are based on “fee for service” the biggest beneficiary of rising property value under the current system is the city and their need for those increases is baked in to all of their budgeting and forecasting.
 
^ Perhaps, but I'm not sure it negates my point given how resident opposition to any kind of change often devolves into "this is bad because it may lower my property values."

I think it may even reinforce my point, which I realize came in at a bit of an oblique angle, though, so to clarify: Were the city and province to build the number of housing units required to house the currently houseless - last estimated at over 2,800 people in Edmonton[1] - and offer them at below-market rates, would likely create one of those "market shocks." Based on my experiences mentioned above, I imagine that is one of the factors holding them back from moving too fast or building too many units.

I admit that's conjecture, but it follows the larger point that we can demand and pressure and push our governments all we want, but as soon as any actions they would take might require a tax increase or result in a reduction in property values (or even just result in "those people" living too close) that often becomes the end of the story.

[1] https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmo...an-aims-to-speed-up-housing-process-1.6798470
 
IanO said:
Some folks saw other shapes, patterns, Freudian slips.
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and others saw - and still see - a much more animated and fine-grained edge to the north side of 104 avenue than the series of pylon signs every 22 metres in front of a blank building face with no access that we got instead.

don't get me wrong, i was and remain a supporter of the whole downtown arena and district but that doesn't mean it isn't full of lost opportunities.
 
kcantor said:
and others saw - and still see - a much more animated and fine-grained edge to the north side of 104 avenue than the series of pylon signs every 22 metres in front of a blank building face with no access that we got instead.

don't get me wrong, i was and remain a supporter of the whole downtown arena and district but that doesn't mean it isn't full of lost opportunities.
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Yeah. They inexplicably put the team training and medical facilities in the SW corner of the building at street level facing 104. This is the reason for the entire stretch of windows being covered in vinyl graphics. This would have been an incredible location for a bar or even the Oilers store. It also bugs that the digital wraparaound signage on that corner of the building is just a rectangle instead of filling in the originally planned and cutout section that would have made it significantly more architecturally interesting.
 
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