Open Streets Burlington. What's it going to take?......

to move from talking about it, to getting in done in Burlington?

Regardless of who reads Hamilton's document or Peñalosa's 125 page Ciclovia implementation & advocacy manual, without champions to implement & drive the event, it will languish.  

The mayor & city managers will endorse the project but that's a far cry from implementation.  In any organization, when you're high up the hierarchy, your salary & pension is based keeping things the same, what incentive do you have for advocating change, rocking the boat?

It will take a champion(s) to overcome the "insurmountable" (difficult but not impossible) obstacles.  Someone who cares & is willing to put the effort & time navigating through the obstacle course or through the mediocrity that will water down the event (eg 1 event instead of 3).  Someone who can overcome the status quo, the negative comments ("There are too many closures down town.  Not enough time to plan.  It will tie up traffic." etc.),  the inertia to change at city hall.  They've got to work within the organization to get things done following the rules (bending them if necessary) & make it happen.  

Portland got it done because they had champions like Mia Birk & her team of champions, who persisted in the face of all obstacles.  I suspect the Sound of Music & Ribfest succeeded because they had these champions who over came the insurmountable obstacles.

Alex Bilodeau, gold
& family 

I believe there are a number of individuals from various departments at city hall that would come together.  A team that wants to see it done, believes it can be done & is willing to do whatever it takes to make it happen.  It remains to be seen if the mayor's & council's willingness to promote & go forward with this project is compelling & forceful - enough to get this group to coalesce into the team of champions we need.

Happy Canada Day everyone!  Wouldn't it be a rush if one lane on Brant where closed from Costco, allowing people in north Burlington to use the paved hydro corridor path to cycle to the festivities at Spenser Smith - all day!

"Don't tell me the sky's the limit, there's footprints on the moon" -  Paul Brandt

Be inspired. Wed. June 15, 2011. Guaranteed!

If you didn't make it to Seville, Spain in March  to hear Gil Penalosa you have another opportunity.  


Burlington Mayor Rick Goldring has invited visionary speaker, Gil Penalosa to outline an ambitious plan to transform Burlington into a vibrant, healthy, happy community.  
  
Its not about cycling!  Its about vibrant cities, healthy communities, great places and happy people.  
 Gil has walked the talk, he is a "doer."  Gil is a man who makes change happen and gets difficult things done.   He has spread his dynamic brand of gospel around the world from South America to Europe, from Melbourne to New York.  People are listening and taking action.  Here's what others have said about Gil.  Please don't miss this opportunity to hear Gil.  Change won't happen without you.


Discover what an 8-80 city means.  Be there.  It's Free!  Register here. You'll leave inspired!

June 15, 2011 at 7 p.m.
Auditorium, DeGroote School of Business, Ron Joyce Centre Admission is Free and Open to All


You can see some of Gil's great videos at www.8-80cities.org 

Healthier cities, see & learn how others are doing it!

This year the World Health Organization has recognized the significant contribution Car Free Sundays/Ciclovias can make to building healthy cities worldwide. For World Health Day 2010 it has called on one thousand cities around the world to open their streets to people and close them to cars in a campaign called 1000 Cities 1000 Lives.  8-80 Cities is pleased to partner with the World Health Organization on this campaign and is excited to introduce this wonderful and important endeavour on Tuesday February 2^nd, 2010.

Great Streets, Healthy Cities: Car Free Sundays Best Practices will highlight the best practices of planning and implementing Car Free Sundays from the foremost international program examples.  Three leading Car Free Sundays/Ciclovias experts will speak from their experiences in New York, San Francisco, Bogota and Guadalajara. Each will provide a unique perspective and a diversity of implementation tools and models. Following the presentations by each of the speakers, you will also have the opportunity to ask questions and share ideas.  

8-80 Cities will be holding an event open to the public in the evening of February 2^nd from 6:30-8:30pm at The George Ignatieff Theatre located at 15 Devonshire Pl., which you are most welcome to attend as well.   The Public Meeting – Great Streets, Healthy Cities information is included on the flyer.