It’s time to balance our priorities in Langford and become more community focused. I commend our mayor and council for building Langford into what it is today, but being the fastest growing city in B.C. comes with responsibilities to current and future residents.
With many developments underway, and many more proposals going through council approval processes, we have new opportunities but also new challenges. We need to balance our population growth with green space, amenities, health-care services, transportation improvements to promote cycling and walking and more. The taller buildings come with more housing in a single area but will shadow the neighbourhood and endanger community cohesiveness if meaningful public green space is not included at the ground level of every new development.
I attended the Vision for Downtown Langford presentation on March 5 by Dr. Avi Friedman, an amazing urban planner. He laid out a specific plan for Langford to be a beautiful, thriving community based on moderate height increases, that increase density without sacrificing our skyline and neighbourhood feel, with an emphasis on walking and cycling, and adequate green space for fostering community relationships. I support this vision.
Public engagement and consultation build a strong sense of community that can be partnered with a thriving business and development community. I believe we can have it all, if we balance density growth with the inclusion of more natural amenities, improved pedestrian and cycling routes, and social infrastructure that will make Langford an even better place to live, work and play.
Mary Wagner
Langford
