Guelph Civic League
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Better Ways
March 06, 2006
Seattle: A City That Listens To Its Neighbourhoods
Consulting the public is an obligation of every city government and its planning staff. It shouldn’t just happen during an election. Too few voters actually turn up on election day to give politicians the sweeping mandate many assume is theirs. The better way – and a best practice all great cities follow – is to actively and purposefully involve citizens in major change.
An outstanding example is Seattle, Washington. Seattle has a Department of Neighbourhoods. Neighbourhoods design their own city-funded improvement projects. Historic preservation is a priority. City hall wants to be consulted by citizens. Says Yvonne Sanchez, director the Department of Neighbourhoods: “By valuing resident participation and decision-making, offering opportunity for people to come together to create networks of cooperation and collective response… [we are] bringing government closer to the people.”
In Guelph, public consultation is at an all-time low. The voting majority on city council is about to approve a commercial development policy (known as the “CPR”) that will drastically change the face of our city. But the public was barely consulted. Neighbourhoods were not clearly informed of the implications. Developers drove the agenda.
Questions to ask city councillors: 1) Why has public consultation in Guelph fallen to an all-time low under this city council?
2) Why don’t most people know anything about the CPR and other new policies that will drastically change Guelph?
3) Why are developers designing Guelph’s future?
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