PN2008 WINNIPEG
Planning in Challenging Climates
Planners Network Conference
July 17-20, 2008

SESSIONS and ABSTRACTS

NOTE: CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE - THE PRELIMIARY INFORMATION LISTED BELOW IS NO LONGER CORRECT. PLEASE REFER TO THE FINAL CONFERENCE PROGRAM FOR ACCURATE INFOMRATION ABOUT TIMES AND LOCATIONS OF SESSIONS

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Concurrent Sessions: panels, presentations and workshops
Presentations by author
Session abstracts by title

Concurent Sessions: panels, presentations and workshops
Saturday July 19th, 2008

SESSION I
08:30-10:00

A Little Bit of Information Goes a Long Way:
Using Individualized Marketing to Change Travel Behaviour
Beth McKechnie, Resource Conservation Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB.
Courtney Kulyk, UrbanTrans Consultants, Washington, DC..
Todd Litman, Victoria Transport Policy Institute, Victoria, BC.
session abstract

Storytelling: Critical Reflection and Creative Performance
Sang Lee, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign
Billie Turner, East Saint Louis Action Research Project
Martha Watts, The Eagles Nest, East St Louis, Il
Abby Harmon, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign
Elizabeth Andrejasich, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign
session abstract

Aboriginal Land Rights and Notions of Property
Heather Dorries, University of Toronto, Toronto ON. “Creation Stories: Challenging the Liberal Foundations of Property Regimes in Canada.” abstract
Jason Locke, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg MB. “Introducing Land Market in First Nations: Transgressive Tendencies, Post-Colonial Possibilities” abstract

Addressing Climate Change: Policy and Pedagogy
Peter Phibbs, University of Western Sydney, Australia, "Educating Planners about Climate Change." abstract
Others TBA

Strategies for Change: Co-op Development, Challenges and Opportunities in Winnipeg
Terri Proulx, Community Worker Ownership Program, Winnipeg, MB.
Kerniel Aasland, Manitoba Co-op Housing Development Group, Winnipeg, MB.
session abstract

Linking Theory and Practice in Planning: What's the Use? Does Marxism Help?
Tom Angotti, Hunter College, NY.
Peter Marcuse, Columbia University, NY.
session abstract

Shifting Discourse Opportunities & Constraints in Sustainable Community Development
Sean Connelly, Centre for Sustainable Community Development, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC.
Cameron Owen, Centre for Sustainable Community Development, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC.
session abstract

SESSION II
10:30-12:00

Bike Path: Advocating for Active Transportation
Film: Bike Path by Kalim Armstrong, Rafael Blanco, Kate Ervin, and Bree Kessler, Hunter College CUNY, NY.
Panel:
Jackie Avent, Bike to the Future, Winnipeg, MB
Heidi Koole, Mennonite Central Committee, Winnipeg, MB
Andres Swanson, One Green City, Winnipeg, MB
Will Toor, Board of Commissioners, Boulder County, CO

Elevating Community Participation:
Creating a City-based Families, Children & Youth Board
Kathy Tiernan, University of Texas, Medial Branch, Galveston TX.
BJ Hertz, Community Activist, Galveston, TX.
Ben Raimer, University of Texas, Medial Branch, Galveston TX.
session abstract

Exchanging Ideas about Indigenous Planning: Canada, Mexico, USA
Jessica Herrera, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB.
Octavio Ixtacuy López, Universidad Autónoma de Chiapas, San Cristóbal de las Casas, México
Ted Jojola, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM.
Francisco Lara-Valencia, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ.
Ian Skelton, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB.
Ryan Walker, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK.
session abstract

Creative Practices & Urban Know How 1
Moderator:
Barbara Rahder, Faculty of Environmental Studies, York University, Toronto ON.
Presenters:
Heather McLean, York University, Toronto ON. “Performance, the Politics of Creativity and Critical Geography: Toronto Case Studies.” abstract
Michael Dudley, Institute for Urban Studies, University of Winnipeg, MB. “Cinema and the ‘City of the Mind’: Using Motion Pictures to Explore Human-Environment Transactions in Planning Education.” abstract
Karen Jones, West Broadway Horticultural Society, Winnipeg, MB. “Sherbrook Street Community Garden; Towards Greener Practices of Hope.” abstract
session abstract

Planning for Food and Food Security
Kathy Crewe, Arizona State University, Tempe AZ. “Indigenous Agriculture.”abstract
Shirley Thompson, Natural Resources Institute, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB. “Placing Farmers Markets and Other Community Food Programs in Winnipeg and Saskatoon’s Development Plan.” abstract
Kreesta Doucette, Manitoba Food Charter, Winnipeg MB. “Putting Municipalities on the Menu: Food and Municipal Planning.”

Infrastructure and Uneven Development: Reconnecting the Disconnected
Organizer and Moderator:
Douglas Young, York University, Toronto, ON
Panellists:
Abbe Edelson, York University, Toronto. “Beyond Parkettes and Baseball Shirts: Labour Community Coalitions Negotiating Community Benefit Agreements.” abstract
Renia Ehrenfeucht and Marla Nelson, University of New Orleans. “Targeting Redevelopment: Equity and the Effects of Infrastructure Provision.” abstract
Peter Marcuse, Columbia University, New York. “Doing Infrastructure without Planning: New York City’s New PlanNYC 2030.” abstract
session abstract

SESSION III
13:30-15:00

Overcoming Car Culture: Advocating for Rapid Transit
Paul Hesse, Winnipeg Rapid Transit Coalition, Winnipeg, MB.
Will Toor, Board of Commissioners, Boulder County CO.
Paul Larson, University of Manitoba Transportation Institute, Winnipeg, MB.
Arne Elias, Centre for Sustainable Transportation, University of Winnipeg, MB

Buffalo are Really Bison: Revealing Reflection in Planning Practice
Beth Sanders, POPULUS Community Planning Inc., Fort McMurray, AB.
Laurene Viarobo, Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo Planning, Fort McMurray, AB.
session abstract

Participatory Planning
Heather Ternoway, Cities and Environment Unit, Dalhousie University, Halifax NS, and Judy
Bear, Flying Dust First Nation. "Comprehensive Community-Based Planning (CCBP) in First Nation Communities." abstract
Corrine Thatcher, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, "Balancing Participation and Reality: The Challenge of Technology Transfer on the North Cheyenne Reservation." abstract
Patsi Peatie, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, "Community Matters - A Service Learning Experiment." abstract

Creative Practices and Urban Know How 2
Moderator:
Heather McLean, Faculty of Environmental Studies, York University, Toronto ON.
Presenters:
Tom Pearce, Department of City Planning, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg MB. “The Story … Underfoot.” abstract
Shelagh Graham, Department of City Planning, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg MB. “Generating Design Excitement: Urban Design Awards for Winnipeg.” abstract
Melissa McAllister, Prairie Architects Inc, Winnipeg MB, and Laine Veness, Peter Sampson Architect, Winnipeg, MB. “The Winnipeg Fiction.” abstract
session abstract

Cities and Suburbs: Growth or Development?
Lingwen Zheng, Department of City and Regional Planning, Cornell University, Ithaca NY. “Growth Coalition vs. Collaboration: Governments’ Strategies in Promoting Economic Development.” abstract
Frank Akpadock, Youngstown State University, Youngstown OH. “Central Cities and the Suburban Interdependence Hypothesis: An Empirical Examination of the Debate.” abstract
Chris Leo, University of Winnipeg. “Discontents of the Straggling City: Slow Growth and Rapid Development in Winnipeg.” abstract

You CAN Fight City Hall: Action to Change Political Culture
Shauna MacKinnon, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB.
Chris Leo, University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, MB.
Others TBA
session abstract

Development Pressures on Small Towns: From Mississippi USA to Tones UK
Cari Varner and Michael Zebrowski, Carl Small Town Center, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS. “The Detached Single Family Home and Contemporary Suburbia in Mississippi - Social Impacts of Sprawl.” abstract
Rachel Bland, South Hams District Council, Totnes, Devon, UK.

SESSION IV
15:30-17:00

Accessibility, Physical Activity and Health
Olga Krassioukova-Enns and Laura Remple, Canadian Centre on Disability Studies, Winnipeg, MB. “Centre on Disability Studies: Participatory action Research, Sustainable and Livable Communities.” abstract
Hilda Garcia and Francisco Lara-Valencia, Arizona State University, Tempe AZ “ Urban Parks, Physical Activity and Health Disparities in a Desert City: an exploratory analysis of Herosillio, Mexico” abstract

Urban Reserves: Developments in Manitoba
Chief Dennis Meeches, Long Plains First Nation.
Gordon Kern, Brokenhead First Nation.
Valdie Seymour, Affiliation, Winnipeg, MB.
Ted Jojola, University of New Mexico, APA Indigenous Planning Division.

Writing for Progressive Planners
Tom Angotti, Hunter College, New York.
Louise Dunlap, Boston.
session abstract

Spaces for Alternative Economics
Carla Klassen, Concordia University, Montreal QC. “Inter-institutional Linkages and Autonomy: The People’s Potato Case Study.” abstract
Ryan Craven and Norma Rantisi, Concordia University, Montreal QC. “Is Ethical Fashion an Alternative Economic Space.” abstract

Housing Activism and Urban Citizenship
Sheryl Ann Simpson, Clark University, Worcester, MA.
Kabir Joshi-Vajan, Affiliation, Toronto, ON.
Martine August, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON. "Neoliberal Public Housing Restructuring: Social Mix in Toronto’s Regent Park." abstract

Communities in the Shadows: Tensions between Neighbourhoods and Universities
Jackie Leavitt, University of California Los Angeles, CA; Strategic Action for a Just Economy (SAJE).
Kate Sjoberg, Spence Neighbourhood Association, Winnipeg, MB.

Presentations by Author

Akpadock, Frank (Youngstown State University)
Central Cities and the Suburban Interdependence Hypothesis--An Empirical Examination of the Debate

In light of the competitive global economy in the New Era, communities all over the U.S. have left no stone unturned in their quest for a magic wand to spur economic developments in their communities. One of the issues hotly debated issues is regionalism, a process of shared prosperity between the central cities and their suburban counterparts, based on the understanding that the two geographical entities are socially and economically intertwined through both the supply of human capital and the consumption of goods and services. Yet, in spite of this apparently symbiotic relationship, leaders of some suburban communities argue that the suburbs are a political and economic powerhouse in their own right, and that central cities have little or no socio-economic impacts on them. This paper will use economic base theory and case study analysis to examine the myths of the debate in order to shed some lights onto the conundrum overshadowing this complex regional issue.

August, Martine (University of Toronto).
Neoliberal Public Housing Restructuring: Social Mix in Toronto’s Regent Park.

Public housing redevelopment in developed Western nations in increasingly guided by a desire to achieve “social mix” in areas of formerly concentrated urban poverty. Critics argue that these strategies are employed to enhance urban tax bases and enable gentrification in potentially valuable land markets. While these and other agendas may drive “socially mixed” redevelopment in reality, it is promoted as a way to achieve social inclusion for low-income people, improve the lives of public housing residents, and increase social capital. My presentation will evaluate how well these goals are being met in the redevelopment of Canada’s Regent Park public housing community, which is currently underway. In particular, this research looks at the political impacts of social mix and redevelopment on tenant and tenant organizations, to see if social capital and community networks are damaged by demolition, relocation, and the introduction of new, wealthier neighbours. Research on American HOPE VI sites suggests that social capital in low-income communities suffers as a result of redevelopment, and my research explores whether the Canadian approach to ‘socially mixed’ social housing offers any improvement. This research is based on in-depth key informant interviews.

Craven, Ryan and Norma Rantisi (Concordia University, Montréal)
Is Ethical Fashion an Alternative Economic Space?

The increasing popularity of alternative and ethical trade organizations is a result of decreasing consumer trust in large scale, profit driven, corporate controlled commodity chains. Alternative forms of trade are most commonly found in agro-food production, research is therefore generally focused on small scale, rural, locally-oriented food economies. The focus of this research is Montreal's small scale, locally-oriented ethical fashion industry. The goal is to map out the organization of the industry and to highlight the opportunities and constraints to supporting the viability of an ethical fashion industry. Semi-structured interviews are currently being conducted with key industry members, retailers and producers, as well as non-profit organizations that support the industry. As the research is ongoing, the presentation will provide an introduction to the topic and some preliminary findings for research and policy.

Crewe, Kathy (Arizona State University)
Indigenous Agriculture

For indigenous communities with economices traditionally based on agriculture, the protection, and often the revival, of traditional farming practices has value beyond the economic benefits. Crops can provide a clue to former lifestyles, medicinal healing and celebrations, and sustainable solutions to adverse climatic conditions. The move to rediscover traditional crops has also linked communities previously separated by state or national borders. Questions arise as to how indigenous farming can encourage not only cultural revival, but sustainable economies within reservation land.

Dorries, Heather. University of Toronto.
Creation Stories: Challenging the Liberal Foundations of Property Regimes in Canada.

Conflict over land use and ownership is common in urbanizing regions. In Ontario, Aboriginal land claims and urban development have intersected to create new forms of conflict. The current situations in Caledonia and Tyendinaga are only two examples of the kinds of conflict that can arise over land and development, and which both planners and politicians seems incapable or unwilling to address.

Aboriginal land claims invoke a discourse of property ownership and challenge Western approaches to determining who has access to land, what constitutes acceptable land use, and the kinds of actions that justify and prove land ownership. Exploring land claims through an interrogation of the idea of property ownership provides an opportunity to question the assumptions upon which property ownership is based. Furthermore, re-thinking how property ownership is established may present new opportunities for the recognition of Aboriginal land rights in the planning process.

This paper is intended to provide a critical analysis of the notion of property. Understanding and critiquing the philosophical foundations of planning is an important aspect of identifying opportunities for planners to challenge dominant understandings of property. In particular, I will discuss the ways in which the land-use planning system mobilizes a particular vision of property in a manner that negatively affects Aboriginal claims to land. Finally, I will discuss the opportunities that exploring Aboriginal approaches to property provide when it comes to re-imagining the importance of property in contemporary land use planning activities. I will discuss how Aboriginal creation stories can be understood as theories of property and land management, and may form the basis for an approach to planning that respects Aboriginal environmental relationships and land rights.

Dudley, Michael. Institute of Urban Studies, University of Winnipeg.
Cinema and the ‘City of the Mind’: Using Motion Pictures to Explore Human-Environment Transactions in Planning Education

This paper examines the use of motion pictures in planning education, specifically as it relates to the teaching of environmental psychology. The intersections between film, environmental psychology theory and planning pedagogy are explored for their potential to interpret -- and challenge -- our understandings of human-environment transactions. Since the literature shows that environmental psychology approaches are rarely taken into account in planning practice and also neglected in planning education, it is proposed that the use of film would be one way to bridge this gap. The paper reports on the author's experience with using popular film to teach environmental psychology in an environmental design context. It sets out the rationale for this approach, focusing on hermeneutic analysis as a pedagogic technique. Then it will illustrate these potentialities through selected hermeneutic film readings incorporating analyses of both the author and his students. These readings highlight how selected motion pictures in the classroom can both enrich understanding of theory and uncover radical priorities.

Edelson, Abbe (York University) Panel.
Beyond Parkettes and Baseball Shirts: Labour Community Coalitions Negotiating Community Benefit Agreements...Adressing Equity, Unevenness and Social Infrastructure to Promote Responsible and Accountable Development

Responses to both the threat of globalization and its impact on cities and communities in North America have taken many forms, ranging from more radical responses of the anti-globalization movement which mobilizes public demonstrations such as the demonstration at the World Trade Talks in Seattle, to meetings of the World Social Forum, as well as a resurgence in reformist community economic development organizations which are seeking ways to mitigate the impacts of transnational corporations upon local communities. This paper will explore the emerging community benefits movement which originated in the U.S. in the late 1990’s as one such community-based reformist approach, and discuss whether such a model serves as an effective vehicle for “community” groups in the City of Toronto to negotiate community benefit agreements with developers and the City of Toronto to ensure that development projects benefit not only the social and economic elite ? but those citizens which are traditionally marginalized from the economic and social mainstream of the dominant community. With the emergence of labour-related community coalitions within the City of Toronto which are working to influence economic development; how does this movement influence the role of municipal planners?

Ehrenfeucht, Renia and Marla Nelson (University of New Orleans) Panel.
Targeting Redevelopment: Equity and the Effects of Infrastructure Provision

This paper uses New Orleans as a window to discuss the complex tradeoffs cities face when considering how to rebuild the urban fabric for a declining population and uncertain future, decisions that invariably have uneven outcomes. In 2005, hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit New Orleans and damaged neighborhoods citywide, and the city has had to prioritize infrastructure repairs. Like many cities globally, New Orleans was in population decline prior to the hurricanes, and has had to decide if to plan for a smaller population. To reduce expenditures, shrinking cities reduce infrastructure maintenance or even remove streets and stop services. Popper and Popper (2002) and Rybczynski (1995) have argued that shrinking strategically can ultimately create a more livable city for remaining residents, but others however contend that cities do not benefit from planning for their decline (Shiffman 2005/2006). Drawing on a framework that outlines tensions among three public purposes—equity, efficiency and environmental improvement—we examine intended outcomes and unspoken assumptions behind New Orleans infrastructure priorities, and how these decisions affect various residents and neighborhoods. Equity can be conceived differently, and we explore geographic equity, demographics, place attachment, and historic development patterns to ask what fair policies might look like.

Krassioukova-Enns, Olga and Laura Remple (Canadian Centre on Disability Studies, Winnipeg, MB).
Canadian Centre on Disability Studies: participatory action research, sustainable and livable communities.

The Canadian Centre on Disability Studies is a consumer-directed, university-affiliated centre involved in research and education on disability issues. Through past and current development of projects and research, CCDS has committed itself to look at community design in the promotion of equality, participation and social inclusion to create livable and sustainable communities.

Related Projects include:
1. Visitability in Canada 2006- 2007- funded by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
2. ‘How Livable and Visitable Are Our Communities’ 2007-2008 funded by Winnipeg Foundation. We have a working group who are key stakeholders in the community to move visitable housing forward locally.
3. “Development of a Comprehensive Knowledge-based Framework to Address the Needs of Canadians with Long-Term Disabilities who are Aging” Phase 1 2007-2008- Office for Disability Issues- Social Development Canada
4. From Research and Knowledge to better Practice: Building Strategies and Partnerships for livable Communities that are inclusive of Seniors with Disabilities Phase II, 2008-2009 Office for Disability Issues- Social Development Canada

Content:

Key Topics will include:
• Livable Communities
• Visitable Housing and Accessibility
• Transportation and Care Supports in Rural and Urban Areas
• Aging Population- People with disabilities who are aging as well as those who are aging into disability
• Participatory Action Research moving towards Local and National policy change
• Cross-Sector Collaboration

A more unified approach to the design of communities is needed in Canada to make them more “livable” for all generations and cultures. A universally designed built environment addresses a diversity of needs and abilities and ensures community growth, sustainability and participation. There are many key building blocks to create a livable community: such as transportation, housing, infrastructure, design of streetscapes, greenspace, recreation and cultural areas, as well as inclusive practices and policies that accompany the built environment. In many cases we have done well with making changes to our public spaces, however, some areas are sadly lacking in Canada. One of the key areas is housing. Most people desire to remain in their own homes and communities as they age, however current housing stock and community design often prohibit this. Stairs, bathrooms that are difficult to use, lack of sidewalks and community design features that connect to stores, restaurants, and other amenities make full participation very difficult not only for those with disabilities but for all ages and abilities. Not only do we need to address new housing and new community design, we need to also address current housing and current neighbourhoods and how to deal with modifications to these. Transportation is another major issue as many Canadian communities lack adequate services to meet the growing demand of seniors with disabilities. Home support is another key issue.

We are at a critical point to develop more livable communities with the growing aging demographic. In many cases, current programs, and services are stretched and inadequate to meet the growing and changing needs. Housing, transportation and home supports are critical components to creating livable communities but there are critical gaps in these services, programs, policy and practices for older persons with disabilities in Canada. Change involves the cohesive working together of all relevant sectors: community participation for change.

There is a worldwide interest and emerging collaboration in aging and disability issues and building inclusive and livable communities. Canada recently participated in the World Health Organizations Age-Friendly Cities initiative (WHO 2007). Canada is recognizing a growing aging population with increased demand for livable environments where all citizens can fully participate. Canadian living (urban and rural) is characterized by diverse communities with diverse needs, all of which influence one’s overall quality of life on a daily basis and participation in daily living activities.

The reality is that everyone benefits when communities become accessible and inclusive, meaningful, well planed, designed and built with a healthy unpolluted environment. When communities are accessible and inclusive to residents, it increases their participation in local economy and contributes to its sustainable development; and in its future.

Livable and sustainable communities are places where people want to live and work, now and in the future. They meet the diverse needs of existing and future residents, are sensitive to their environment, culture and traditions, and contribute to learning and growth of all generations. They are safe and inclusive, well planned, built and run, and offer equal opportunity for all to be involved, employed, served and carried about. For communities to be Livable and Sustainable, they must offer:

• Decent Housing that is visitable or accessible, at prices people can afford (build, buy and live in);
• Available and Accessible Education for all generations;
• Opportunities for adult learning (adult continuing education, professional and vocational training);
• Accessible and Affordable Health Services (hospitals, prevention programs, healthy living, medication programs etc)
• Social, recreation and cultural programs, that are culture and tradition based and sensitive;
• Opportunities for employment and entrepreneurship;
• Safe and clean environment.

Achieving sustainable livelihoods requires the integration of local knowledge and community strengths with appropriate technology, current knowledge and research, enabling and inclusive policies, effective and transparent governance structures, education and training, credit and investment. It involves an assessment of community assets, adaptive strategies and technologies contributing to livelihood systems, and the analysis of cross-sectoral policies and investment requirements to enhance livelihood.

Garcia, Hilda and Francisco Lara-Valencia (Arizona State University)
Urban Parks, Physical Activity and Health Disparities in a Desert City: An Exploratory Analysis of Hermosillo, Mexico

Neighborhood parks are fundamental to the livability of cities and are often key to quality of life and public health. This study explores the distribution of neighborhood parks in the city of Hermosillo, Mexico to identify patterns of inequity that might be affecting physical activity opportunities and the health status of city dwellers. Preliminary results indicate a strong association between income, health indicators, and park accessibility. These results also support the need to focus on improving accessibility to park in poorly served areas and population as a way to reduce health disparities.

Graham, Shelagh (University of Manitoba)
Generating Design Excitement: Urban Design Awards for Winnipeg

What is good urban design anyway? Consensus on this issue may be difficult to achieve, but there are ways to open the discussion and to recognize work that strengthens the urban fabric and makes the city a better place to live. Urban design awards offer designers and planners an opportunity to be acknowledged for their work. They also provide a venue for public dialogue about design issues in cities. Many organizations sponsor awards to honour excellence in their fields, but while opportunities for the recognition of stellar urban design exist at the national level, there is no local urban design award program in Manitoba.
Design award programs in Montréal, Toronto, and the United Kingdom are investigated in order to cull best practices from successful existing programs. This case study highlights the potential opportunities and barriers faced by the city of Winnipeg in implementing similar design recognition strategies.
Through this exploration, an urban design award package is developed for the city of Winnipeg, illustrating how local projects can be celebrated and discussed by citizens, politicians, planners, and designers.

Harwood, Stacey Anne (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagn)
Immigrants and Planning

Cities are part of a new world order where diversity and difference has become a threat in many communities. This presentation centers on applying the concept, “insurgent planning practices” to community responses to anti-immigrant land-use decision-making. I focus on how activists and others resist and assert power over dominant group claims in the struggle over space. To answer these questions, I explore a number of land-use controversies in Orange County, California. The analysis draws upon published media sources about these land-use decisions; structured open-ended interviews with planners, city council members, community leaders, and/or others close to the specific land-use issue; visual examination and comparison of controversial land uses and physical spaces; and public records, particularly staff reports, ordinances, and city council and planning commission meeting minutes. Local public planning’s love affair with rules and procedures creates both a barrier and an opportunity for nonprofit organizations, the courts and media to put difference on the municipal agenda.

Jones, Karen (West Broadway Horticultural Society, Winnieg MB)
Sherbrook Street Community Garden; Towards Greener Practices of Hope

'Remember that one of your aims must be to lift people, if only for a moment, above their daily preoccupations. Even a glimpse of beauty outside will enable them to make healing contact with their own inner world. Nor must you ascribe such an idea to sentimentality. It is one most valid reason and justification of gardens and for gardeners.'
Russel Page 'The Education of a Gardener'

Gardens are archetypes of human activity and the garden as an archetype is embedded deeply in the human psyche. The noted Harvard Biologist E.O. Wilson said that 'green spaces are not just 'nice' they are a vital ingredient in healthy human functioning'.Because we co-evolved in a living world our neurophysiological pathways are hardwired to like green, to feel comfortable and relaxed around green. To be less stressed in green environments. At the
very least, out primal brain recognizes food, when in a garden.

There has been a great rise in the number of Community Gardens in North America during the last twenty years. This is reflected in a tremendous out put of documentation justifying the benefits of community gardens. At the same time, community gardens face what may be their greatest challenge. Land use tenure. Community gardens are not considered a valid and legitimate use of land in many urban areas. Winnipeg is one of these.

The Sherbrook Street Community Garden is one such garden. Established by the community in 1991 the garden is an instance of the inadequacy of present land use planning and policy tools in Winnipeg. Lack of a holistic conception of what a community really is, and confusion of the role of community in planning has made the future of this garden uncertain. Community gardening has been referred to as a 'blood-sport in West Broadway' and not for the faint of heart.

Gloom-and-doom environmental catastrophism has taken the upper hand in the media and in general there does not seem to be much hope for the future. The silver underlying of this dark cloud is that it has brought with it a increased environmental awareness. Canada is one of the fastest urbanizing countries in the world with over 80% of the population now living in urban areas, and urban environments are taking the place of importance that they should always have had. It is important that they be healthy and on a human scale. Community gardeners say 'It is not too late to prevent further damage.' In order for sustainable urban environments to exist, planning focus must be brought to bear on a non-renewable urban resource, land. The story of the Sherbrook Street Community garden is one of people taking the matter into their own hands, getting their hands dirty by doing what has come to be, in the beginning of the 21st century, a political act. Gardening. An act of hope.

Klassen, Carla (Concordia University, Montréal).
Inter-institutional linkages and autonomy: The People's Potato case study.

When 'alternative' economic organizations develop, how do mainstream institutions with which they interact enable and constrain them? What conflicts arise from interactions between institutions with different goals? A case study of a university-based, worker-collective-run vegan soup kitchen – the People's Potato at Concordia University in Montréal - and its relations with the Concordia Student Union (CSU) and university administration, offers an entry point into these questions. Thirteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with current and past collective members, former CSU councillors, and university administrators, seeking examples of how the CSU and university support and limit the People's Potato's activities. A timeline of the organization's evolution is presented, highlighting key moments in the institutionalization of the organization, as well as changing inter-institutional relationships. The study concludes that the acquisition of space and other resources, as well as support from a student fee levy has provided significant organizational autonomy, but important challenges remain, including student and worker transience, and the administration's legal ownership of the space.

Lara-Valencia, Francisco (Arizona State University)
Reinventing the Mexico-United States Borderlands: What Role for Planners?

The post 9/11 policies have had the effect of reducing the space for cross-border collaboration and transboundary planning along the Mexico-United States borderlands. After 9/11 the context for cross-border collaboration has changed radically as the new national discourses toward the border are those of identity, homeland protection, and enforcement. National security imperatives have gained primacy over local livelihoods and the environment, disrupting life, ecosystems and the economy of communities on both sides of the international boundary. This paper aims at examining the perceptions of local planners about the opportunities and possibilities of transboundary planning under the post-9/11 border regime. It also explores the role that planners can play to promote a more civilized and sustainable border region.

Leo, Christopher (University of Winnipeg)
Discontents of the Straggling City: Slow Growth and Rapid Development in Winnipeg

This presentation looks critically at how Winnipeg's costs for the development of horizontal infrastructure (roads, sewers and the like) is swallowing up everything else, undermining the city's infrastructure, its network of services, and ultimately the viability of the city itself. It makes the point that this is a plight common to many slow-growth cities, and suggests the need for serious reconsideration of how the growth of cities is planned and managed.

Locke, Jason (University of Manitoba)
Introducing Land Market in First Nations: Transgressive Tendencies, Post-Colonial Possibilities

This paper examines attempts to transform access to land and housing in First Nations (‘Indian Reservations’) in Canada through the mechanism of market development. This initiative is a deliberate shift away from socially funded housing to owner occupied housing, and is put forward as a way to increase wealth and address social conditions in First Nations. The paper begins with a brief statement of how recent policy shifts in First Nation housing have been justified under the logic of neoliberalism, and then outlines policy and planning interventions pursuant to these ideas in the form of homeownership precedents. Next, the paper examines how the interventions have been discussed in recent policy documents leading up to the Kelowna Accord, and reports on critical discourse analysis of the documents that were authored by the signatories to support negotiations on the Accord. The purpose is not so much to evaluate the interventionist policies as it to highlight what they attempt to achieve, and to identify some of the challenges they present to planners. Specifically, the paper addresses the question: what underlying meanings have been embedded in the documentation supporting negotiations on the land questions between Ottawa and Aboriginal organizations? To this end, the paper extends the analysis by Skelton and Ribeiro (2006), which raises concerns in relation to social rights, Indigenous governance and social relations that may accompany the introduction of land markets.

Reference: Skelton, I. and Ribeiro, V. 2006. Markets Reforms and Marginalized Population: Analyzing Experiences in Brazil and Canada. Unpublished paper presented at the World Planning Schools Congress, July 2006.

Marcuse, Peter(Columbia University)
Doing Infrastructure without Planning: New York City's New PlanNYC 2030

This paper explores the role of infrastructure planning in New York City, making specific reference to the new Plan NYC2030, and a parallel if inverse case in developing countries. In New York City, the new infrastructure plan takes the place of overall and democratic planning for the city and its needs, and is aimed at meeting the needs of its globalized FIRE component; in the less developed countries, infrastructure is in fact a primary need of the poor, and is denied those that need it most. In both planning situations issues of justice and exploitation are evaded.

McAliister, Melissa (Prairie Architects Inc.) and Liane Vaness (Peter Sampson Architect, Winnipeg. MB). The Winnipeg Fiction

The Winnipeg Fiction is a collaborative study and vision for Winnipeg’s Exchange District. As an integral part of our city’s history and character, The Exchange District can be seen more often as a tourist destination on a map rather than a ‘livable’ district. It lacks the infrastructure needed to encourage vibrant and social activity that allow its inhabitants to interact and participate, not only with each other but also with the city itself. The intent of this study is to present a fictitious trajectory within the Exchange, situating architecture and design as the catalyst for interaction and dialogue, bringing a sense of place and identity to one of our cities most historic districts. Through a participatory process, overlapping fictional characters with existing opportunities, we can begin to investigate the prospect of transforming our Exchange District into a ‘livable’ and vibrant area of our city. It is our intent to exhibit this narrative investigation as our Winnipeg Fiction.

McLean, Heather (York University, Toronto, ON)
Performance, the Politics of Creativity and Critical Geography: Toronto Case Studies

Toronto is currently a hotbed of grassroots, participatory public art initiatives in public spaces. Attracting considerable attention from the media, including the alternative press and theatre journals, site specific performers, public space activists and networks of artists, musicians and
academics celebrate new ways of intervening in urban spaces to provide new insights into how we relate to the city. This paper investigates how these participatory grassroots performance interventions in Toronto are directly and indirectly linked to larger political debates about gentrification and the marketing of cities. Various theorists have illustrated how, in post-industrial cities, the arts have increasingly become instrumental in celebrating and
marketing cities in the competitive global hierarchy to develop distinctive, marketable neighbourhoods. My research analyzes participatory site specific performances in various geographical sites in Toronto, to critically explore the complexities of performance interventions and the politics of gentrification, public space and the commodification of space. This paper connects geographical scholarly research, critiqued for over-emphasizing
language with performance studies which, in contrast, explores embodied experiences that cannot be fully represented in speech or writing. My work strengthens these connections as I explore how these practices provide opportunities to challenge the relationship of the performers and participants to understand the multiple layers of particular urban sites. However, this paper also reveals how these grassroots initiatives shape peoples’ conceptions of consumption and public space. My paper demonstrates how, by providing creative opportunities to interact with different spaces, these performances are also linked to broader politics of urban consumption, the politics of the“creative class,” gentrification and citizenship.

Nelson, Marla (University of New Orleans)

Tom Pearce (University of Manitoba)
The Story ...Underfoot

This paper suggests that city sidewalks be used more imaginatively, as an opportunity for public art and telling stories about the urban environment. Sidewalks are frequently replaced in cities, as adjacent sites redevelop, and a new sidewalk is an opportunity to create
something functional that could also incorporate elements that are artistic, educational, historical, or whimsical. With stories and images embedded in the pavement, sidewalks can relate local history, amuse, teach, provoke. Sure, there are examples of sidewalks with
some stamped-concrete images, but why not go a goes a step further, treating the sidewalk like an urban canvas.

Peatie, Patsi (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)
Community Matters - A Service Learning Experiment

In the fall of 2005, a collaborative agreement was developed between the University of Illinois extension and UIUC Department of Urban and Regional Planning. The purpose of the agreement was to use the strengths of both entities to work with rural Illinois communities on identified community planning issues during a three-year window of time. The communities would be chosen through an application process and a commitment to help fund some of the work to be done by students, extension, and faculty.

Basically, this is a "best practice" approach. Yet, this is not the result. The project was cancelled after two years. Why? What happened to the four communities that were chosen for the Community Matters project? What were the systems of evaluation both formative and summative? What did the students learn - was this really service learning?

Using as analytic tools - the Holland Matrix, Gelmon Assessment Approach, Four Dimensions of Quality Outreach, and Virginia Valiam's work on equity - this paper and presentation will be an analysis of the project, why it worked, why it did not work, what the students learned, resultant end products for each of the four communities, lessons learned, and suggestions to improve service learning.

References:
1. Barbara A. Holland, "Analyzing Institutional Commitment to Service," Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning, Vol. 4, Fall, 1997.
2. Sherril Gelmon et al, Health Professions Schools in Service to the Nation: 1996-1997 Evaluation Report. August 1997.
3. Four Dimensions of Quality Outreach, University Outreach and Engagement, Kellogg Center, Michigan State University, `1996, 2006.
4. Virginia Valian http://maxweber.hunter.cuny.edu/psych/faculty/valian/valian.htm

Phibbs, Peter (University of Western Sydney)
Educating Planners about Climate Change

Planners have a key role to play in mitigating climate change impacts and helping communities adapt to climate change. Providing public sector planners with strategic information about climate change and a range of possible planning approaches might be an important tool. This session reports on a recent educational program for State Goverrnment Planners in NSW Australia. It suggests possible ways to engage planners on the issue and what planners views are about their likely roles in combating climate change.

Rantisi, Norma (Concordia University, Montréal)

There is a compelling need for increased awareness, discussion and new ideas to provide direction for the future of our communities. As planners, it is critical that we make planning accessible to all citizens in order to foster invested interest, meaningful citizen engagement and increased community participation. These notions are embodied in the Planning & Design Centre project (for the Halifax Regional Municipality) that the Cities & Environment is presently persuing. We propose to present on the Planning & Design Centre project and initiate a group discussion on the project and the larger issue of citizen engagement and accesses to information in the planning field.

The Planning & Design Centre is a store-front operation that makes planning and design visible, open to discussion and sources of innovation. It is seen as a collaborative enterprise, common ground and think tank that brings together the public, the business community, the development industry, and different levels of government for a tangible purpose. The goal is to make the Halifax Regional Municipality a better place to live, grow up, do business, and visit. There are three primary functions of the Planning & Design Centre: 1. Outlet for Information: Promote basic principles of good design and showcase successful (local and other) examples of good planning. Related uses: library, current development proposal exhibit, physical model, bookstore, website. 2. Forum for Discussion: Foster regular discussions about better planning practice and design. Related uses: public lecture and discussion forums, educational programs for children, 3. Centre for Innovation: provide opportunities to improve current forms and patterns of development as well as opportunities to research innovative alternatives. Related uses: design competitions, project specific research, development of design alternatives, demonstration projects and awards programs.

Ternoway, Heather (Cities and Environments Unit, Dalhousie University, Halifax) and Judy Bear (Flying Dust First Nation, Saskatchewan)
Comprehensive Community-Based Planning (CCBP) in First Nation Communities.

Relevance - First Nation communities face many challenges: social, economic, environmental and governmental. As First Nation communities struggle with high unemployment rates, settle land claim issues, negotiate resource rights and prepare for self-government, it is becoming more apparent that planning and community development play a critical role in how these issues are resolved. Planning sets the stage; it guides individual decisions; it indicates how and where the community should grow; it establishes how community resources should be managed; it serves as the basis for negotiating agreements; it is transparent and holds everyone accountable. Planning can therefore help avoid disasters before they occur and lead First Nations communities to spend more time planning for the long-term rather than spending all their time and resources reacting to immediate crisis and needs.

CCBP Project Background - Over the past year and a half, Cities & Environment Unit (CEU) has been working with four First Nations communities in Saskatchewan to develop, implement and monitor comprehensive community-based Plans. As part of phase II of this pilot project, the CEU is now working with four other Saskatchewan First Nations communities to develop comprehensive-community based plans. This project represents a bold commitment to re-thinking community development in First Nations and responding to urgent issues and needs in the communities. In short, it is about making a tangible difference on the ground. In addition to the current CCBP project, the CEU has worked with over twenty First Nations in Atlantic Canada on similar projects and was instrumental in the development of the award winning First Nations Community Planning Model.

Presentation Content & Format - The presentation will focus on our approach to and experience with First Nations planning in Saskatchewan and across Canada. Heather Ternoway and Judy Bear (Flying Dust First Nation Plan Champion) will outline the goals of the project, share experiences, expand upon the successes and discuss the many barriers to community planning that First Nation communities face.

Through a presentation, with the aid of visual media, the session will be designed to:
• Introduce/provide an update on the Comprehensive Community-Based Planning (CCBP) pilot project currently underway in Saskatchewan in 8 First Nations communities.
• Share successes and barriers experienced through this pilot project regarding community- based planning in First Nations communities.
• Discuss the need for and ideas regarding how to achieve a coherent national strategy regarding community planning in First Nations.

Thatcher, Corinne (The University of Massachusetts-Amherst)
Balancing Participation and Reality: The Challenge of Technology Transfer on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation

For eight years, faculty members and students of the Pennsylvania State University have been traveling to the Northern Cheyenne Reservation to construct strawbale buildings for the tribe as part of a partnership called the American Indian Housing Initiative (AIHI). In addition to the educational goals of AIHI - facilitating cross-cultural understanding and engagement with green building technology among graduate and undergraduate students at Penn State - AIHI strives to transfer the capacity to construct energy-efficient buildings to the tribe in a manner that addresses the housing shortage while stimulating job creation.

This presentation will raise and discuss important questions that AIHI has grappled with during its eight years of work with the Northern Cheyenne Tribe. Among those questions: How does one balance the goals of educating students and educating the tribe? How does one promote technology transfer when significant time and energy must be devoted simply to completing annual projects? How does one know when the tribe is ready to take on greater responsibility for annual projects? How does one go about shifting roles from being a provider in a provider-recipient relationship to being a supporter in a supporter-leader relationship?

Possible answers to these questions will be offered by sharing the experience of AIHI with respect to the challenges presented above. The presenter will also engage the audience in a general discussion about how planners can/should deal with such questions and will solicit critical feedback on AIHI's approach.

Thompson, Shirley (University of Manitoba)
Placing Farmers Markets and Other Community Food Programs in Winnipeg and Saskatoon’s Development Plan

Community based food programs are one of three policy responses to tackling food insecurity with the other two being: food and health policy and social policy. Food related enterprises are intended to increase access to nutritious foods, particularly among low-income groups and local employment, and include farmers markets, buying clubs, school meal programs, food banks and community shared agriculture. Several food-related social enterprises are compared in Winnipeg, Manitoba to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan for their 1) community empowerment; 2) promoting sustainable agriculture; and 3) food justice. Interviews and qualitative research allow a comparison of their scale, history and impact.

Walker, Ryan (University of Saskatchewan).
Improving the Interface between Urban Municipalities and Aboriginal Communities.

Ryan will discuss work for the Federation of Canadian Municipalities to improve the municipal – Aboriginal urban interface. Municipal officials and Aboriginal community stakeholders were consulted from Vancouver, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Prince Albert, Yellowknife, Winnipeg and Toronto. Opportunities, challenges & insights for improving the municipal-Aboriginal interface will be presented, under five themes: 1) citizen participation & engagement; 2) governance interface – municipal & Aboriginal; 3) Aboriginal culture as municipal asset; 4) economic & social development; and 5) urban reserves, service agreements & regional relationships.

Van Vliet, David (University of Manitoba)
Green(map) Space and Cyber Space

Advances in geolocation technologies--and what individuals and communities have built on those technologies--present new means for visioning, consultation and planning. How does the Web help to combine science and technology with community education, outreach and input to describe, communicate, and achieve a shared vision for a more sustainable city.

This panel considers the promotion and awareness of urban green spaces through means of internet based and creative mapping tools. We will examine the emergence of new methods that cultivate the evolving mixed functions of greenspace. Green spaces stimulate and provide sites for a wide range of creative interventions that help us to critically engage with cities. Green space provides essential recreation, inspiration and understanding of how natural systems work but is often in comparatively short supply in many core neighbourhoods.

For example the Winnipeg and Region GreenMap has been an ongoing project of mine in the Department of City Planning and more recently in collaboration with the Manitoba Eco-Network in working with a core neighbourhood community association. GreenMaps provide a means for community residents to highlight the ecologically and socially significant sites within their city and neighbourhood. A GreenMap should enhance residents awareness of their interconnectivity with the environment, and offer residents, as well as visitors, the ability to tour their hometown, either in person or virtually. Mapping can help citizens promote greening and sustainable efforts, develop inclusive networks, build community capacity, using technology to highlight the diversity of nature and develop a healthier urban environment. This becomes an evolving map that communicates a shared vision.

There are many projects and a plethora of internet based mapping and community development tools that could be part of this panel and discussion.

Varner, Cari and Michael Zebrowski (Mississippi State University)
The Detached Single Family Home and Contemporary Suburbia in Mississippi - Social Impacts of Sprawl

The Carl Small Town Center has been helping Mississippi communities preserve and protect their small-town rural heritage through design and planning assistance since 1978. However, in the past five to ten years, Mississippi is rapidly transforming from a state of small towns to one of sprawling suburbia, as evidenced by recent development on the outskirts of Jackson, Memphis and Meridian, leaving struggling downtowns behind. To facilitate the rapid suburbanization of the United States, building methodologies have left behind the traditional craft of construction and quality of labor and materials, while simultaneously replacing these with priorities of speed and the value engineered budget. These excessively large homes consume copious amounts of energy through construction, operating costs and maintenance at both the household level and through inhabitation in a sprawling landscape, challenging the assumption that the suburban home is an affordable long-term investment in the "American Dream". This trend has already taken place throughout the United States, giving us the advantage of understanding where this type of development leads and how it impacts quality of life and the built environment. Mississippians have the unique opportunity to preserve their sense of place and unique landscape, if only the dialogue is initiated. We propose to critically analyze this trend in Mississippi, against the backdrop of contemporary suburban development in the rest of the United States and post-suburban models abroad, and hopefully receive feedback from PN2008 attendees, who have experience with the effects of sprawl and methodologies to effectively disseminate information, create dialogue and change behavior in a creative way.

Zheng, Lingwen (Cornell University, Ithaca NY).
Growth Coalition vs. Collaboration: Governments’ Strategies in Promoting Economic Development

Academia has been advocating for a shift from supply-side economic development policies towards more citizen-oriented demand-side economic development policies. Therefore promoting economic development through building clusters and regional networks, boosting entrepreneurship, and enhancing quality of life is highly valued against the old strategies focusing on attracting business through giving out costly tax exemptions and free lands. These old strategies, also known as business attraction strategies, ultimately create unsustainable rush-to-bottom competitions among communities and deteriorate citizens’ well beings. To facilitate the citizen-oriented and relatively sustainable economic development policies a new governance paradigm featured by collaboration and citizen participation is needed. I use data from the Economic Development Survey conducted by International City/County Management Association (ICMA) in 1994, 1999, and 2004 to examine government strategies regarding their local economic development policies. Surprisingly, although there was a decline on business attraction within local municipalities between 1994 and 1999, a huge re-bounce occurred from 1999 to 2004. Meanwhile, municipalities with citizen groups and ad hoc citizen groups participating in the process of developing local economic development packages have been constantly declining, on the contrary public private partnership and government involvements have increased over the years. These findings suggest that instead of moving towards a more collaborative and cooperative economic development approach as academia has been pushing for, governments still view their localities as growth machines and build growth coalition with private sectors to promote unsustainable economic development.

Zebrowski, Michael (Mississippi State University)

Sessions by Title

Buffalo are Really Bison: Revealing Reflection in Planning Practice
Workshop facilitators: Beth Sanders (POPULUS Community Planning Inc. ) and Viarobo Laurence Viarobo (Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo Planning, AB).

In 2005, two leaders in Brandon, Manitoba's planning and neighbourhood revitalization world shifted their focus to the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo - the home of Fort McMurray and the Athabasca Oil Sands. Three years later, Beth Sanders and Laurene Viarobo reflect on the differences between practicing in stable Manitoba to the crazy development surge in Fort McMurray,Alberta. In reflecting on their practice, they have teased out the lessons they have learned. A few lessons emerge as ridiculously simple, yet profound:
1. Nothing can be done well by you alone
2. Take the time for conversations
3. What appears to be the case, usually isn't
4. Knitting and weaving are key skills - for women and men
5. Most skills you need in a stable community are needed in a high growth community - you just didn't know you needed them (or had them).

The session will take place in a fishbowl format. Beth and Laurene will have a conversation with each other in the middle of the room, with the audience surrounding them and observing a real, live, conversation. Following the conversation, the audience will become participants in the discussion. Topics that will be addressed:
1. Community development
2. Downtown redevelopment
3. Housing and homelessness
4. Planning and Aboriginal communities
5. Growth challenges
6. Strategies to approach all of the above.

Participants will gain:
In observing a reflective conversation in action, participants will hear the story of what it was like for two people to move from a challenging job to an extremely challenging job. In essence, with the fishbowl format, participants catch a glimpse of personal struggles and challenges and how they were tackled, which of course they can relate to their own stories. Particularly when the conversation shifts to involve all participants, participants will gain an understanding of:
1. Personal and professional strategies to cope with intense change
2. Differences and similarities between stable and high-growth communities
3. Differences and similarities between stable and high-transition organizations
4. Changing workforce qualities and how to embrace them
5. Supporting communities in meaningful ways as they face challenges.

Creative Practices and Urban Know How (1 & 2)
Panelists Session 1: Heather McLean (York University, Toronto, ON); Michael Dudley (Institute for Urban Studies, University of Winnipeg, MB); Karen Jones (West Broadway Horticultural Society, Winnipeg, MB); Waleed Albakry (University of Manitoba).
Panelists Session 2: Tom Pearce (University of Manitoba, Winnipeg MB); Shelagh Graham (University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB); Melissa McAllister (Prairie Architects Inc, Winnipeg MB) and Laine Vaness (Peter Sampson Architect, Winnipeg, MB).

These panels will provide discussions about urban activism and creative interventions in the form of community gardens, guided tours, film, performance and photography. How these interventions provide opportunities to explore the politics of cultural practises, community development, activism and everyday urban life and how they help us to critically engage with cities will be examined. This discussion aims to address what geographer David Pinder refers to as “the politics and the poetics” of these interventions that provide cultural workers, activists and academics pedagogical tools to document, perform and protest aspects of cities. Questions regarding the political tensions of urban regeneration, community arts and the "creative class" are encouraged.

Elevating Community Participation: Creating a city-based families, children & youth board
Panelists: Kathy Tiernan, MS, CHES Outcomes Specialist (University of Texas Medial Branch, Galveston, TX); BJ Herz Community activist (to be confirmed) Charter Board Chairperson, (Galveston, TX); Ben Raimer, MD, FAAP Board Chairperson (to be confimed) Senior Vice-President for Health Policy and Legislative Affairs (University of Texas Medial Branch, Galveston, TX).

One of many ways the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston has made a significant contribution to the community of Galveston has been through the support of the City of Galveston Families, Children and Youth Board (FCYB). The board was co- founded in 2001 by city ordinance. The drive to establish this city board was under the leadership of community activist BJ Herz and UTMB Faculty Kathy Tiernan. Believing that children and families are a valuable human resource, the board decided to establish working task forces in the area of health and safety, education, youth leadership development, substance abuse reduction and city infrastructure. Secondly, rather than dilute efforts across a 32 mile long island, the board adopted a zone approach. Called a "renaissance zone," a Galveston Independent School District (GISD) elementary school served as the epicenter of a four block square or 81 blocks area for one year.

UTMB was not only present in the political process to establish the board but has remained involved as officers and volunteers. Dr. Ben Raimer, Senior Vice President for Health Policy and Legislative Affairs has just completed the term as Chair of the Board. Over the past five years, at least twenty-five percent of those honored with a Gold Mean or Outstanding Volunteer awards are UTMB faculty and staff. In the formative years, Tiernan set up a 'blueprint' for the Board to track programs, progress and outcomes. This valuable tool has helped the board summarized activities for their annual oral and print report to the
city council. UTMB faculty have helped by facilitating fifteen board retreats and three city planning retreats around affordable housing.

Health and Safety UTMB faculty, staff and students from the School of Nursing, Allied Health and Medicine have participated in five renaissance zone Health Fairs. The last two fairs were for the entire district. Several UTMB faculty and staff have been appointed to the GISD Wellness Committee. City Infrastructure For each zone there has been a Block by Block inventory of the neighborhood. The survey instrument, data entry and analysis were done by UTMB with help from hundreds of community volunteers. A written application noting needs was then submitted to city planning and Community Development Block Grant monies allocated to each zone. Nearly one million dollars of improvements have led to improved drainage, signage, street markings, curb cuts and sidewalks. This evaluation process is now sustained by the FCY board. This program has a companion trash removal program, run by the sheriff using "community service" volunteers, which has moved an average of 50 tons of debris from each zone. Education UTMB students have volunteered with the S.M.A.R.T. literacy campaign. Faculty were also in front of the school board last spring offering support for the adoption of a Character Counts program for the five zone schools in year one with school wide implementation next year. It was adopted. Faculty from Environmental Toxicology has worked in the last three zones with education programs in the elementary classes. Youth Leadership Development UTMB faculty secured a grant from the Council of Mayors to fund a Youth Summit five years ago. Five annual summits have been conducted with faculty support designed and run by youth. Almost five hundred youth have participated. Addiction prevention efforts largely by cooperation from an area philanthropic have been assisted by UTMB
faculty to open a safe haven and trade school on GISD campus.

The City of Galveston has recognized and congratulated UTMB's efforts in the City many times. This effort was recognized this year when a new FCY Division was established in the Parks and Recreation area with dedicated staff to promote sustainability to the Board.

Purpose: The purpose of this workshop will be to describe organizational steps to create a city board, discuss the establishment of a task force and renaissance zone approach, review the use of a blueprint to track outcomes, and discuss the economic and community impact to date.

• Describe organizational steps to create a city board;
  
• Discuss the establishment of a task force and renaissance zone approach;
  
• Review the use of a blueprint to track outcomes;
  
• Discuss the economic and community impact to date.
  

Exchanging Ideas about Indigenous Planning: Canada, Mexcio, USA
Panelists: Jessica Herrera (University of Manitoba), Ted Jojola (Arizona State University), Francisco Lara-Valencia (Arizona State University), Octovio Ixtacuy López, Ian Skelton (University of Manitoba), Ryan Walker (University of Saskatchewan).

The Indigenous Planning Exchange is a North American program funded by the governments of Mexico, Canada and the USA. Its purposes are to share experiences in indigenous planning among students and staff in the three countries, and to develop a university curriculum for students interested in developing this area of work. The proposed IPEX panel session at Planners Network will begin with brief introductions on the following aspects of indigenous planning: planning and community development; cross border issues; and urban indigenous issues.

Housing Activism and Urban Citizenship
Panelists: Sheryl-Ann Simpson (Clark University), Sarah Cooper (University of Manitoba)

In cities around the world housing is an ongoing challenge. As high-rises go up in cities such as Toronto and San Francisco homes for low income households, and in some cases even the middle classes, are being lost. At the same time there is a continued lack of willpower on the part of governments, and lack of interest from private developers to produce adequate below market-rate and affordable housing. Further there is a rise in the idea that urban revitalization, renewal, or regeneration—which often focuses on bringing new people into city centres rather than strengthening existing communities—are proposed as the necessary reposes to urban challenges. What is exciting is the growing number of tenant, resident, neighborhood, and community groups organizing around their homes and developing unique large scale solutions and actions to improve and protect their neighborhoods in these challenging climates. These groups are building connections within their communities and to the city-at-large to perform urban citizenship, tipping the hand of governments and developers, and impacting the housing landscapes of their cities. This session will be an opportunity to bring together some of these exciting initiatives, an opportunity for participants and researchers to tell the stories of these groups, discussing both the processes and outcomes of their projects. Ideally this workshop will be fairly interactive with opportunities for both audience members and participants to interact with and learn from each other. This session will give community members, planners and other practitioners with lessons and experiences they can take back with them to continue work in their own communities.

Infrastructure and Uneven Development: Reconnecting the Disconnected
Panelists: Abbe Edelson (York University), Renia Ehrenfeucht and Marla Nelson, (University of New Orleans), Peter Marcuse (Columbia University). Organizer/Discussant: Douglas Young (York University).

Many urban observers have described and analyzed the unevenness of neo-liberal urbanization and the widespread acceptance that urban unevenness is inevitable. Indeed it is naturalized by many as an inevitable part of the urban condition in a time of global economic competitiveness. Neil Brenner goes further, in his book New State Spaces (2004), in claiming the necessity of uneven development to neo-liberal and post-Fordist urbanization processes. Marvin and Graham describe unevenness in terms of the differential provision of and access to infrastructure. They describe the resulting condition as Splintered Urbanism (2001). This panel session seeks to explore the links between infrastructure (broadly defined) and uneven urbanism. In particular, it raises questions about the complicity of planning processes in the creation of unevenness, as well as the possibilities of different kinds of planning that might challenge unevenness.

Linking Theory and Practice in Planning -- What's the Use? Does Marxism Help?
Panelists: Tom Angotti (Hunter College, CUNY, NeW York), Peter Marcuse (Columbia University, New York).

Peter Marcuse and Tom Angotti lead a discussion about the ways that socialist theory and practice contribute to the development of progressive urban strategies. From advocacy planning to the Right to the City movement, progressive planning is advanced by using dialectical and historical materialism to place planning issues in the context of class struggle and the struggles against racism, gender and other social contradictions. The ability to deal with contradictions in a dynamic way and place planning issues in an historical context is critical to the advancement of progressive planning.

A Little Bit of Information Goes a Long Way:
Using individualized marketing to change travel behaviour
Panelists: Beth McKechnie (Resource Conservation Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB), Courtney Kulyk (UrbanTrans Consultants, Washington DC), Todd Litman (Victoria Transport Policy Institute).

Sometimes people need a bit of help to turn motivation into action. They may have started thinking about commuting by bus or cycling to work, but haven’t yet taken the time to track down the required information. Receiving assistance tailored to their situation and their specific needs can serve as the catalyst for that travel behavior change. It may be as simple as helping them learn how to use an online trip planner for transit or providing advice on what gear makes bike commuting more enjoyable or which route to cycle.

In this way, individualized marketing, as a form of social marketing, focuses on “likelihood to change” as opposed to demographic factors such as age, income, gender, etc. Used extensively in Australia and Europe, and more recently in North America, including Vancouver and Waterloo Region, individualized marketing has proved successful in converting “thinking about change” to actual behaviour change.

In Canada, delivery of this type of travel behaviour change program has been completed, to date, by a municipal government department, typically through the transit service or another department responsible for transportation. In Winnipeg, it is being delivered as the “Community- Based Travel Marketing Project” by Resource Conservation Manitoba (RCM), a nongovernmental organization. The project is one of a package of WinSmart initiatives that fall under Transport Canada’s Urban Transportation Showcase Program, with funding provided by Transport Canada and the Province of Manitoba. RCM is recognized locally for its role in promoting and supporting sustainable transportation through the annual Commuter Challenge, Active and Safe Routes to School program, Car Free Day, Manitoba Student Transportation Network activities, and workplace TDM program.

This presentation will briefly describe the Community-Based Travel Marketing Project
methodology, provide an overview of the results and lessons learned, and address the following three questions that are unique to the Winnipeg project:
1) What advantages, or disadvantages, resulted from having an NGO deliver the
individualized marketing project?
2) What role did winter play in household receptiveness to travel behaviour change?
3) How will the households continue to be engaged beyond the project?

The WinSmart individualized marketing project represents the first time that this type of travel behaviour change program has been implemented in Canada in a truly winter city. (The average temperature in Winnipeg is -18 C in January, a month that also boasts on average 26 days when the wind chill registers below -20 C. Snow typically starts to fall in November and stays around from December until late March/April.) To a limited extent, the Community-Based Travel Marketing Project will provide an opportunity to gauge receptiveness to active transportation in winter by individuals who have self-identified as ready to change their travel behaviour.

The WinSmart Community-Based Travel Marketing Project was launched in August 2007 and is currently in Phase II with the third and final phase – a follow-up survey to determine changes in travel behaviour – taking place in October 2008.

Shifting Discourse Opportunities and Constraints in Sustainable Community Development
Presenters: Sean Connelly and Cameron Owens (Simon Fraser University, British Columbia)

Sustainability, a term with more meanings than syllables, has captured (finally?) the attention of the public. But putting it into practice – that is changing the balance between ecological, social and economic priorities and thus contesting the status quo – is a major challenge of our times. In this session we are interested in exploring the contention that this challenge is more about shifting discourse than it is about overcoming technical barriers. But how do we shift discourse and expand the boundaries for change? What opportunities and constraints do we recognize when we try? Researchers from the Centre for Sustainable Community Development at Simon Fraser University, Sean Connelly and Cameron Owens invite participants to engage in a fruitful dialogue around these questions.

Sean’s research looks to capitalize on the opening afforded by media attention to Canada’s infrastructure deficit. We have an historic opportunity to replace existing infrastructure and to reshape communities in more sustainable ways. His research findings from Craik (SK), Rolling River (MB), Toronto and Surrey (BC) suggest that addressing the infrastructure deficit in a sustainable way is not so much a technical issue or awareness about viable solutions, it is more a challenge about our capacities as planners and decision-makers to make strategic choices and then act.

Cameron’s research explores successes and shortcomings in regional planning in Metro Vancouver. Following a remarkable planning director, Harry Lash, Vancouver has developed an ambitious vision of a "livable region" through an innovative collaborative planning approach. How this vision has translated onto the ground is open to interpretation. Pressing economic, social and ecological concerns call into question the region’s sustainability. Cameron’s presentation will explore the opportunities and constraints in moving from vision to action in regional planning.

Strategies for Change: Co-op development, challenges and opportunities in Winnipeg
Panleists: Kerniel Aasland (Winnipeg MB); Terri Proulx (Community Worker Ownership Program, Winnipeg MB).

Winnipeg has seen a resurgence of co-op activity in the last ten years. Many new worker co-ops have developed in several sectors and are influencing the economy. The looming end of federal housing supports has spurred the co-op housing sector into renewed advocacy and to look at new co-op models. Terri Proulx from the Community Worker Ownership Program will talk about recent developments from worker co-ops as different communities struggle with the workplace and economic challenges that they face. Kerniel Aasland is a board member of Bluestem Housing co-op and an executive with the Manitoba Co-op Housing Development group, and will talk about the challenges and opportunities facing the co-op housing sector in Winnipeg.

Storytelling: Critical Reflection and Creative Performance
Workshop Leaders: Sang Lee, Elizabeth Andrejasich, Abbilyn Harmon, Whiters Crystal (University of Illinois at Urban-Champagn), Billie Turner (East St. Louis Action Research Project), Martha Watts (The Eagles Nest, East St. Louis),

This workshop focuses on the practice of storytelling and its uses within community-university partnerships and other partnerships between ‘outside’ practitioners and community members, particularly those that embrace the tenets and values of participatory action research (PAR). While some urban planning literature exists on the practice of storytelling, the aim of this workshop is to raise questions about how practices of storytelling can be performed within community-university partnerships, and what the practice of sharing stories has the potential to create within those partnerships.

Reflection and storytelling allow practitioners and community members to create knowledge together; historical and contextual information allows participants to have a deeper understanding of how their present hypotheses, observations, and conclusions relate to previous work – this allows a continuous stream of knowledge to be maintained. Storytelling is also a way to create agency and share power among participants. Individual stories become weaved into the fabric of the organization’s history and mission, and the stories of the community balance out the theoretical expectations of the organization. In essence, the “story” infuses life into what could be a static, one-sided endeavor. Just as important as it is to reflect on the history of the community it is important for the organization to reflect on its past, both immediate and distant. True awareness of current conditions is critical in order to be of service to others. Prioritizing this awareness and reflection in all regards is important for effective change and growth. For these reasons, the practice of storytelling can be more than methodology; it can become part of the pedagogy of a successful organization.

Interest in this topic developed out of the presenters’ mutual involvement with the East St. Louis Action Research Project (ESLARP), a program of the University of Illinois that works with community-based organizations in the city of East St. Louis. A total of four ESLARP graduate students and two East St. Louis community members will be presenting, all of whom have been involved in ESLARP for varied amounts of time ranging from one to eleven years. The four graduate students come from the diverse fields of Urban and Regional Planning, Architecture, Landscape Architecture, and Library and Information Science. Billie Turner is a lifelong East St. Louis resident and ESLARP staff member. Martha Watts is the founder and director of The Eagle’s Nest, an organization that provides support to homeless veterans in the East St. Louis area.

The workshop is organized into two segments of teaching and practice. In the first segment, presenters will work with video media to present clips of storytelling sessions that included the graduate students and community members at the conference, as well as community members not able to attend. The presenters will then take some time to discuss the knowledge that was discovered and created through these storytelling sessions as a demonstration of the “how” and “what” of sharing stories. The second segment of the workshop will focus on practicing storytelling among the participants in the workshop. Participants and presenters will work in smaller groups sharing stories as 1) a way to cross-pollinate ideas between organizations and experiences, and 2) a way to hone the rhetorical process of storytelling. This second segment is geared toward familiarizing participants with storytelling as a form of reflection and creative performance so that they might use it within their own organizations and partnerships.

Writing for Progressive Planners
Panelists: Tom Angotti (Hunter College, CUNY, New York), Louise Dunlap (Boston).

Louise Dunlap, author of Undoing the Silence, and Tom Angotti, Co-editor of Progressive Planning Magazine, lead a discussion about how to write for radical social change. The interactive workshop will focus on how to do op-ed pieces and write for progressive and community-based publications.

You CAN Fight City Hall: Action to Change Political Culture
Session leaders: MacKinnon, Shauna (Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives MB); Chris Leo (University of Winnipeg).

The Winnipeg Citizen’s Coalition is currently exploring different models of political organizing in it efforts to change the business mind set that dominates City Hall. The WCC is is a broad-based, progressive, democratic, socially and environmentally conscious collection of individuals whose goal is to improve quality of life in Winnipeg by acting together for positive social and economic change. We are dedicated to working towards an alternative vision for our City by fostering more citizen participation in civic government, promoting social justice, improving our city’s natural environment, ensuring more open and accountable civic government, protecting the public services that we all depend on, developing safe and vibrant communities, and facilitating fair economic development opportunities for all Winnipeggers. Members in the WCC come from a variety of cultural, ethnic, economic, and professional backgrounds but share a fundamental belief in ensuring all Winnipeggers benefit from our city’s success. We believe strongly in putting people ahead of partisan politics, and view ourselves as citizens not simply as taxpayers. Members in the WCC recognize that we are more likely to effect change in our city when we work together. We would like to have dialogue with individuals similarly engaged in other cities to learn about what has worked, what hasn’t and what me might do here in Winnipeg. What are other cities doing? How we can effectively organize to create awareness and influence policy at the municipal level?

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