UTTRI associated faculty Professor Richard Florida coauthored the opinion piece “Canada’s new normal begins in our cities,” with Jennifer Keesmaat (CEO, Keesmaat Group) and Kwame McKenzie (CEO, Wellesley Institute), published in The Globe and Mail, May 23, 2020.
The article examines current impacts of COVID-19 and explores the many opportunities for positive change in Canadian cities in several areas – including transportation – to improve equity, quality of life and sustainability.
Canadian municipalities have it in their power, today, to improve their transportation networks.
A few of the transportation-related recommendations are:
… accelerating the decarbonization of our transportation systems by transforming existing roadways for safe, active transportation such as walking and biking; and embracing sustainability in our built and natural environments …
Canadian cities will need new, sustainable sources of revenue to fund transit networks that meet the transportation needs of our communities and support vibrant businesses on main streets …
Referenced in the article is the “2020 Declaration for Resilience in Canadian Cities,” which according to authors,
… provides a road map for how Canadian cities can immediately chart a future that is more affordable, sustainable and equitable, building on the thought leadership that has been produced around envisioning the world we’ll have when lockdowns are lifted and economic activity returns, and putting forward a specific,detailed course for immediate action in our cities.