August 25, 1998.
Plan Edmonton — A Plan With No Future.
At 4:30 today (Tuesday, August 25) in front of Council Chambers at City Hall, Tooker Gomberg, candidate for mayor, will denounce the City’s new Municipal Development Plan.
” I have been sitting through council’s discussions, and there seems to be little sense of vision. This is one of the most important documents of this whole term of council. Yet Mayor Smith and council aren’t prepared to seize the opportunity for the future. They claim that this is a farsighted plan to lead us into the 21st century. I see more sprawling, unfinished neighbourhoods as myopic,” says Gomberg.
Gomberg will highlight key flaws in the document, and suggest more innovative approaches.
A few flaws:
– there are no targets and timelines
– LRT and public transit are not properly addressed
– It’s full of platitudes, but little substance
– Public participation was restricted
“Why allow sprawl beyond the transportation and utilities corridor?” says Gomberg. “It doesn’t look like a plan for our children and grandchildren; it’s more like a plan to help developers reap further profits.”