A few decades ago, Halifax City Council made a smart decision. They decided that an important element of Halifax’s historic character...views from the Citadel, would be preserved. So today we have 11 view planes, 9 which affect the downtown core. At the same time, that group of civic leaders knew they also had a duty to preserve opportunities for growth in the downtown...so implicit in this decision was the preservation of 3 “growth corridors”… areas where new construction could occur consistent with the demands of a growing city and its increased need for downtown office space, hotels and residential options.
Most people in Halifax see the need for this kind of balance. They get the need for balance between
preservation and allowing room for growth. They get it that new development like the proposed new convention centre, the new library and other public and private investments bring the energy and density that downtowns need. And we do need this energy boost.
We need some new energy…not just to secure our economic future but to secure our past...our heritage. 20% of the land in the heart of our city is now empty….more vacant lots than we had a hundred years ago as older buildings fall into decay and are demolished. The chain link fence is the fastest growing structure in the core of our community.
A healthy city needs a healthy heart. More people on the street, both day and night, will create the foot traffic and density that will preserve heritage buildings.
Problem is, there are a few people out there who are saying “I don’t get it.” That small group just don’t see the need for vibrancy and prosperity. They don’t get it, despite all the evidence of the last 20 years, that stopping growth doesn’t preserve heritage.. it threatens it. Perhaps it’s like that optical illusion, that picture of the old lady that can also be seen as a vibrant young woman. A small minority of people, no matter how hard they look, just see the old lady. They don’t see both, no matter how hard they try.
So how big is the group that only sees old lady Halifax? A couple of years ago, the Greater Halifax Partnership undertook
a significant public opinion research piece focused on growth attitudes. That research showed that only 4 percent of the people in HRM thought growth was a bad idea. Only 4% didn’t want change. Only 4% saw all new development as a fundamentally bad idea. Only 4% can’t see the young lady Halifax with a vibrant and prosperous future.
Most people understand that the downtown needs view planes to help preserve our heritage and our character, those things that make us unique in the world. They also understand that we need at least some growth corridors to secure our economic future. The proposal for a new Convention Centre lies well within one of our few growth corridors. It represents the best chance we have seen in quite a while to re-energize the down town while leveraging private capital and funding from three levels of government. Right now, it’s our best opportunity to stop the hollowing out of our core, a problem faced by so many older cities in North America.
Not every city accepts this decline as inevitable. Successful cities seem to understand and embrace change. They tap into that change, using it to drive prosperity. Smart cities don’t resist growth, they use it to preserve and protect heritage. Most people in Halifax see both visions....one the grand old lady, the other… the vibrant young woman with a prosperous future.
Walt Disney once said “change is inevitable, but growth is optional”. It’s time to stop listening to the 4 percent who want an impossible freeze dried future. It’s time to realize they don’t want a prosperous future because they just can’t see it.
Can you see both?
Fred Morley is the Executive Vice President and Chief Economist for the Greater Halifax Partnership.
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The Greater Halifax Partnership is a catalyst for economic growth and
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