Greening cities: An idea whose time has come

Dan Hoddinott, Managing Editor

The greening of Vaughan is more than just a political idea, and more than a subset of a political movement. And though it swells from the ranks of politicos — as do all developments that bring about societal shifts — the underlying values that drive it are as much yours and mine as they are of the politicians who have championed the cause.

It is an idea whose time has come.

In this issue, writer Sandie Benitah looks behind the scenes at how greening is unfolding in Vaughan, talking with people who were behind the political thrust to get it happening here, and environmental practitioners who understand the fundamentals of its reality.

While Benitah’s story follows more of a pragmatic line than an exclamatory one — she traces the timeline of what event begat what realization — this glimpse into where Vaughan is headed as a city is exciting.

On our cover gleams an artist’s rendering of the inside of our new City Hall — one of only a handful of LEED gold-certified buildings in Ontario, and a testament to the direction political will is taking here. We also get a look at photos of the new municipal building in Maple, as well as the Earth Rangers campus in Woodbridge.

Caught in the gears of usual political machinations, the concept of greening has had its share of detractors. But the reality is much wider than the reductionist view the public often gets: that of dollars being spent in an abstract pursuit of reclaiming  lost green space.

Greening Vaughan, as a concept, also refers to city planning — in theory and in practice — particularly in terms of curbing urban sprawl. It refers to how densities are addressed, and how traffic can be diverted so as to avoid clogged arteries in and out of the city.

All of these things take political will because, along with feats of engineering that give rise to buildings designed to co-exist harmoniously in the environment they’re placed, comes the requirement to socially engineer minds that hold prejudices against such urban necessities as condominium development.

On that point, transitioning from a collective of small towns into a 21st century city of significance requires densities that, in turn, justify such developments as advanced transit systems, which include subway service into Toronto.

And the subway is coming! As Tristan Carter reports on page 7, there may be a little pain along Jane Street this summer, due to construction for the Highway 407 subway station, but those are growing pains that will have a payoff.

Another story to look for in this issue is the latest twist in the saga of the defection of one-time Liberal candidate Tony Genco to the Conservative camp.

The intrigue this time is that he has expressed interest in being the Progressive Conservative candidate in Vaughan for the Oct. 6 provincial election. As you will read on page 6, that would pit him against his former ally, longtime MPP Greg Sorbara.

We also have a special four-page  section, called 50Plus, which focuses on today’s seniors. You’ll find, as we did, that the modern senior is more focused on plans for tomorrow than accepting the label and the societal assignment that has traditionally gone along with aging.

And if you’re looking for something worthwhile to do as a family in your leisure time this month, check out our community calendar on page 23. In particular, consider Rachel’s Rainbow.