There has been considerable talk recently regarding the master plan draft on Winnipeg's future.
Originally launched as Speak Up Winnipeg, this was a comprehensive, exhaustive and inclusive process that sought the input of all of this city's citizens regarding future directions for the next 25 years. There were dozens of workshops involving thousands of people. The results are now available.
Our Winnipeg is a 110-page blueprint aimed at guiding the physical, social, economic and environmental development of our city. It delivers an introductory overview to the ensuing, more topic-direct documents while providing food for thought in areas such as safety, recreation and other qualities of life.
A Sustainable Winnipeg is 50 pages long and provides a directional strategy aimed at defining sustainability and then achieving it. It admits that significant change to our current way of thinking will need to be introduced, while stating that the basic principles of sustainability must be part of every decision going forward. It lays out some of these considerations while conceding that the tools will continue to evolve over time.
Sustainable Water and Waste is a 68-page document that deals with water, wastewater, stormwater and the Capital Region. Given the new water-treatment proceedings, concerns about what we are doing to our water systems and the amount of water that has fallen from the sky over the past three weeks, this is an extremely relevant subject. After all, the River City has a large reputation to maintain.
Sustainable Transportation is a 58-page document that addresses an extremely hot topic in Winnipeg. Last week, informational workshops were conducted on Transit Oriented Development. The need for efficient transportation systems being developed as the city grows and changes is critical if we are to thrive over the next 25 years and beyond.
Finally, Complete Communities is a 162-page document that concentrates on housing, commercial development, parks and open areas, rural and agricultural lands, aboriginal economic development areas, airport, heritage conservation and the urban and capital regions. This is about where we live and how we live.
Future Saturday columns will deal with these documents in greater depth.
Mike Moore is president of the Manitoba Home Builders' Association.
