Re: “Victoria looks to more car-free spaces to ‘increase safety, build community’” Jan 25.
More pocket parks and plazas are a great way to create safer neighbourhoods with more social interaction. However, Coun. Matt Dell asserts that this initiative will “align with our climate goals.” That requires real ambition.
Victoria’s climate goals include substantially reducing “average vehicle kilometres travelled per household.” B.C.’s ‘CleanBC’ target of reducing car traffic 25 per cent by 2030 is even more ambitious, and municipalities have an ethical obligation to align with provincial climate policy.
One or two pocket parks a year won’t do much for meeting Victoria’s climate and traffic safety targets. Instead, we need to create multiple low-traffic neighbourboods to significantly reduce greenhouse gas pollution from transportation, as well as greatly improve livability, safety, and health.
Decades ago, road space reallocation at Fernwood Square, Gower Park, Haegert Park and Queens Park (George Jay School) created a very pleasant low-traffic neighbourhood in Fernwood. With low-cost temporary materials, many low-traffic neighbourhoods can be quickly trialed – and they are usually very popular.
In 2019 Victoria declared a climate emergency, recognizing that previous climate action efforts were insufficient. We are deeper in that emergency now and need to quickly create delightful low-traffic neighbourhoods across the city and region.
Eric Doherty & Jane Welton,
climate justice team co-leads
Greater Victoria Acting Together
