Canadian cities' mayors & municipal councillors should be learning from cities like Seville: https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/seville-spain-climate-change-extreme-heat-1.7602428

@ottawa-cbcnews
@cbcnews

#HeatWave
#ClimateChange

@HyL

I have no doubt that #Edmonton could significantly reduce the urban #HeatIsland effect by remediating all communities presently without treed #boulevards between the concrete #sidewalks and the #asphalt streets to having such features.

I don't know if new neighbourhoods are still developed this way, but it is clear from observing where frontyard fencelines are set that there IS sufficient setback along many (all?) such neighbourhoods ro accomplish this without disturbing private property in the least.

Even prior to experiencing a #HeatDome and sustained #HeatWaves my neighbourhood was a nightmare of no-#shade heat when throughout the summers for any #pedestrian.

Sure, some homeowners plant trees but vanishingly few have a broad enough canopy to shade even the sidewalk. None cover the black asphalt.

😡

#yeg
#heat
#ExtremeHeat
#mitigation
#ClimateChange
#yyc
#abwx
#yegwx
#yycwx

@likelyjanlukas Re new neighbourhoods in Edmonton & the urban canopy: it's not great.

A friend bought a house in a greenfield development in the far southwest of the city. Every house is required to plant a tree in the front yard, but most of the ones chosen are small decorative trees, like flowering crabapples. A full sized tree would completely overpower the small yards. And there's no verge / boulevard with city trees between the sidewalk & street.

The lampposts were a decorative design that arched over the streets, as if a designer was trying to recall the shape of the elm trees that arch across the street in my mid-20th-century central neighbourhood — but not at all the same in effect.

@HyL

@AmeliasBrain @HyL

Thank you for the #intel!

The decorative lampposts sound lovely, but yeah, not helpful for the problems of heat and #asphalt.

The thing is, that even in advance of #HeatDomes and serial #heatwaves neighbourhoods like mine are unwalkable in the summer from heat alone.

In the winter, the sloped sidewalk concrete that almost-seamlessly joins the asphalt roadway AND lack of routine snow clearance means that street parkers are often parked somewhat on the sidewalk itself.

This is particularly easy to do when the #snowpack on the road is higher than the sidewalk, which is most winters, even ones with relatively little snow.

This narrows the sidewalks to the point that even if cleared, they are not necessarily wide enough to use with #AssistiveDevices such as #rollators and #wheelchairs.

I really want #yegAccessible, year-round!

#yeg
#accessibility
#ClimateChange
#heat
#HeatIsland
#liveability
#survivability

@EllenInEdmonton @AmeliasBrain @HyL

Sounds excellent! ❤️

But beware … prior to the beginning of this pandemic I had easy access to two highly-reliable bus routes, one local and one regional, both linking to the #LRT.

Post-system change the single route now available is extraordinarily difficult to get to (not terribly far just a LOT of barriers from heavy traffic and insufficient crossing time for #disabled pedestrians), zero shelter from any elements, and also a bus that is so wildly NOT on time I've given up entirely and gone back to driving.

Previously, I'd been doing everything except grocery shopping and a small portion of my medical appointments via #transit.

Now? Zero. And zero it will remain without significant #accessibility re-tooling for route access.

Pretty sure hell will freeze over before the city cares about *that* 🙄😡

#yeg
#yegTransit

@megmac @EllenInEdmonton @AmeliasBrain @HyL

Agreed. And that's about the nicest possible way I would ever manage to say it.

😂

@AmeliasBrain @megmac @EllenInEdmonton @HyL

I keep hearing them claim ridership is significantly *up* and I'm deeply curious about how they're supporting that claim. 🤔

Sure, a lot of buses seem fuller (when I drive past wastefully in an individual vehicle due to the now-crappy service in my neighbourhood) but surely that's only due to a lack of buses overall compared to prior availability across many neighbourhoods?

And I'm also curious as to how many people on board are #disabled as not only are stops a longer distance apart but (at least in my area) benches are not assured.

Indeed, removing our neighbourhood route also removed 100% of public benches, so you'd better hope your bring your own chair if you tend to get tired when out for a walk. 🙄