Small Communities in British Columbia Working to Create Vibrant Downtowns

“If Prince George City planners have their way, Prince George's downtown could be teeming with life as it joins a trend sweeping midsized cities across British Columbia. They want to wake up their downtowns,” writes Christine McLaren, a reporter for The Tyee, a daily online magazine .

In an article published on June 29, 2009, Christine McLaren describes how the community's own residents and organizations created a new 25-year plan for Prince George's downtown, with the help of designers, researchers, and planners, all facilitated by the Smart Growth team. It addresses a number of issues with the city's core, including alternative transportation modes, residential density, and environmental impact.

Prince George's project began in 2008 when the city teamed up with Smart Growth on the Ground (SGOG), an offshoot program of Smart Growth BC that seeks to help B.C. communities prepare more sustainable neighborhood plans. It looks at land use, transportation, urban design, and building design plans in small to mid-sized B.C. communities and develops new concept plans that encourage smarter development socially, environmentally, and economically.

“Having already successfully completed projects in Maple Ridge, Squamish, and Oliver, Smart Growth was looking for a fourth candidate. Prince George was an excellent candidate,” reports Christine McLaren.To read the complete story, click on Small Communities Working to Create Vibrant Downtowns.

About The Tyee

The Tyee is an independent publication that went online in November 2003. According to David Beers, Editor, “We're dedicated to publishing lively, informative news and views, not dumbed down fluff. We, like the tyee salmon for which we are named, roam free and go where we wish.” Over the years, The Tyee has attracted some of the best journalists in B.C. who have broken many important stories.

Posted June 2009