March Break Shorts
Given the amount of feedback recently I think that there are a lot of people out there with ideas about our downtown. Remember, March 22 you will have a chance to participate in the forum Windsor: Planning for the Future. I am hoping for a wide range of participants and ideas, keep in mind, downtown needs to be many things to many people and my goal for that day is positive and creative ideas to make the downtown better. I’m getting e-mails confirming attendance, I’m looking forward to hearing from everyone.
Local food…again. I’ll just let you read this.
Over on International Metropolis I had a suggestion and it was poo-pooed. My idea was based on Christian Aldo’s success in using vacant store fronts as art galleries. I think it should be tried on a wider scale. For all the vacant store-fronts in downtown why can’t they all (or at least more of them) be made available to local artists, not just as galleries, but as studio/galleries? The artists could come and work and display their art and meet other artists and potential customers/patrons would be able to view them as well. It would create an energy downtown and a presence of people. I don’t think a property owner would want to provide space over a long period, maybe just the summer months. Could the owner write off the rent as a charitable donation if this idea was run by artcite or some other entity? Insurance is why someone told me it wouldn’t work but, the building owners have to keep their property insured anyway. I can’t accept that it can’t be done because someone (Christian Aldo) has already done it.
Probably went to my last Spits game at the barn. There really is no place like it. The halls are crowded, the seats are cramped, the ice surface is small, the place has a funky smell but, man, I love to watch hockey there. Where else can you go down to the hall between periods and watch the traning staff work on the visiting players? Had dinner at TBQ’s before the game, good stuff. We parked over on Pelissier, near my wife’s work, the walk back to the car was pretty depressing. There is little in the way of store fronts to look in on and the sidewalks seem kinda narrow along Wyandotte. Of course when we go see a game next year at the new Palace it will be an all new experience 
Late news - I got this e-mail and I want to share it and encourage everyone to go.
Hello again from Graphic Design!
The Grad Show at the St. Clair Centre for the Arts was a resounding success
with a record turnout from the Graphic Design industry and the public.
Thank you to all who attended!To make it even sweeter, the posters created for the show are hanging in the
main lobby of the Art Gallery of Windsor from March 12 until April 6 - you
can’t miss us. This is an historic moment for the Graphic Design program as
for the first time our students’ work goes on public exhibit at the AGW.If you were unable to make the Grad Show at the SCCA, please take the
opportunity to see our graduates’ work at the AGW, 401 Riverside Dr. West -
Wed 11A to 8P, Thurs and Fri 11A to 9P, Sat and Sun 11A to 5P. Mon and Tues
closed.See you there!
Thanks,
Dan Watts
Professor, Graphic Design
I gotta support my St. Clair College students.
Tags: arena, Art Gallery, arts, arts incubator, Downtown, relocalization, revitalization, scaledown
Post Feedback
An excellent idea, James. There would have to be some guarantee to the property owner protecting him against any liabilities (that always seems to be the lowest common denominator these days, doesn’t it?) but I can’t see why this couldn’t work.
People just have to get it into their minds that it is the responsibility of everyone - business owners and residents alike - to take possession and responsibility of the success of their community. Real estate owners - if you want to raise the value of your investments, you’re going to have to start thinking “outside the box”. Tenants and business owners - take responsibility of the area outside of your front door and pitch in to make the entire community as neat and tidy as the inside of your business. Residents - start patronizing your local establishments and pick up a piece of trash or two on your walks.
We all need to get involved for this to succeed. I like James’ idea and think it has legs. Anyone else?
James and Chris,
you’ll be happy to know that WindsorEats has something in the works with exactly that idea (artists in empty storefronts). i’ll keep you updated as to how the planis coming along.
I like the idea of store front artist/artisans, it can be called “Art of the city in the city, say from eleven in the morning to about eight at night in the warm months. How about free mini concerts on Saturday night/shows at Charles Clark Square featuring any solo musician, amateur groups, dance troupes, drama clubs etc. at no cost to them and no cost to the public and even an open mic night. These performers should be able to past the hat after as a token of appreciation but not really enough for a income.
We do have well established annual art shows, Art in the Park and Art by the River, there use to be or was attempted for several years, Art in the Alley, which I participated in back in the 70’s.
I have an idea, can this website put in place a permanent Junk Drawer, where someone can post interesting websites, news stories etc that they find relevant to this website and the users and contributors interests, that the websites are not commercial advertising nature,
Like this below.
Yesterday I read a story on the BBC page of growing your own wheat, considering that wheat prices are climbing as fast as oil these days.
Growing your own wheat:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/7284011.stm
Which ties into local food production attempts/ideas here. We should all try to become Locavores.
Interesting link UR - I have been toying with the idea of converting my backyard into an small urban farm this year. I figure it’s worth a shot.
———-
As for James’ idea, it was blown off fairly quickly, but it’s an interesting idea. There would be tons of logistical issues to accounf for, but I don’t think it’s impossible to overcome. It could be a great thing, and help to generate foot traffic downtown. Increased foot traffic should lead to increased retail, etc…
As for Christian Aldo’s gallery on Pelissier. I have only looked at the one in the former American Apparel building. Everytime I’ve walked by it’s closed with a sign in the window saying basically if you want to look inside call this phone number and someone cn come open it for you… That’s great and all, but to be sucessful it needs to actually be OPEN. Having to call and wait around for someone, even if it’s only 5 minutes, kind of kills the spur of the moment impulsviness of visiting these places.
To have it set up this way, to me, is almost the same as not having it at all. Locked doors will only lead to failure.
To have 3 or 4 or more small storefront exhibition galleries is a great idea, and should generate a buzz of some sort. Even if the organizing group had to get a small insurance rider for the show, maybe some or all of that money could be recouped through small reasonable artist exhibtion fees.
I would be more than happy to rent one of those type of spaces for a week or two for another photography exhibition. Could be a great sucess. I think James might be on to something.
One idea that I have had for a few years, is to bring all the small gardens in this city together, which at times seem to have an over abundance of produce, into a block, ward co-ops, where the extra produce can be sold. Or even speciality gardens growing for local restaurants. We can ask these gardeners to be organic. Cut flowers is another area our gardeners can contribute to, considering that most of our cut flowers come from overseas or the greenhouses of Leamington.
That would be excellent.
Check out the Urban Farming group in Detroit’s site:
http://www.detroitagriculture.org/
They have a program where for really cheap you get seed, plants, etc…
I wish there was something like that here.
The upside to the idea of store-front gallery/studios is that is does so much. It promotes local artists and gives them a venue. It would occupy otherwise vacant space. It is cost effective - it shouldn’t require tens of thousands of dollars or a consultant’s study. And, everyone keeps saying that art and artists will trigger interest and traffic and investment.
I hope that Windsoreats is successful.
I also remember an art show on the roof of the Pelissier Street Garage.
Maybe, the city would let us build a garden on the top floor of that garage?
How about a city initiative to garden the greenroofs of this city, we get greenroofs and vegetables/flowers plus the benefit of cooling and greening our city.
Here’s a food story I just got from Bloomberg.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=axGaGV2QF_BM&refer=home
The price of feed stock has gone up so much that the giant food processing co.’s are closing up shop. Yikes!
So perhaps we should add some chicken coops to our urban / rooftop farms.
Thanks for the article James! I don’t think that Ethanol is the answer and have thought that right form the start. I made the connection about increase Ethanol production and the rise of food prices a while back and it is happening faster than I expected it. Not so far into the near distant future we are going to have the dilemna of either driving or eating but we won’t be able to have both. This article is just the beginning.
Expect food riots in Canada and the United States to come soon!
James, chickens in the city is an emerging idea here are a couple of websites:
The City Chicken
http://home.centurytel.net/thecitychicken/
The City Farmer, Canadian government website: Tonnes of links and programs!
http://www.cityfarmer.org/
From Madison Wisconsin: http://www.madcitychickens.com/
Urbanrat, the greenroofs is a great idea and doable. Chicago has already done that apparently to all their municipal -public - gov’t buildings. Look at what Windsor has just put up recently, yet no green roofs—400 city hall- bus-quonset hut, arena!!, others? ….so behind the times…
James. doesn’t look like Windsor is helping matters either, but, further compounding food price problems…—
am800——–
The Windsor-Essex Development Commission is hoping to get an unnamed bio-diesel company to set up in the area. The plant would create hundreds of jobs in operations and construction and would initially process five-million gallons of bio-diesel made from things like soybeans. The commission’s director of Business Retention and Expansion Tracey Pringle hopes the new plant can be up and running in the next 12 to 18 months.
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah….
That’s just great. O.K. here are the conditions that I could live with such a stupid development.
1. The owner/operator is on the hook for every penny. No tax breaks, no subsidies.
2. Transit Windsor buys all of its fuel from this outfit. The city and county buys all their deisel fuel from this outfit.
3. The refiners buy local soy beans first.
4. Someone requires the local farmers to maintain a certain percentage of their crop for feed stock and people.
5. Someone from the company tells the people that producing fuel from food is foolish, is a net energy loser, and a total waste of agricultural production but, thanks for your money anyway.
Since I’m pretty comfortable that none of these things will happen I hope they find some other place to put it.
Also, how would they bring in the soybeans? on tracks that they’re planning on eleiminating because of the inconvenience to the almighty car? or by truck? everybody likes trucks!! …this is a reall winner isnt it… Somebosdy should put in a wake-up call toTracey’ office.. –hello!! this is 2008 calling it’s no longer business as usual!!
There is no cheap magical way to decrease the cost of driving any vehicle! Regardless of what process it is. If it uses a product that humans can eat i.e. wheat, corn or soyabeans then it is the wrong process. A U.S. gov organization has already reduced wheat delivery to poor states in Africa or is rationing wheat because it doesn’t have a surplus anymore and also the cost of producing it and shipping it.
Hurry up Tracey Pringle!!! Maybe you can get the deal done sooner before anyone figures out what a dumbass idea you got there!!!!!
Greenroofs lead to water harvesting, water harvesting leads to grey water use in the home which all leads to water conversation and maybe a water consumption bill from WantUrCash.
Urbanrat, I can see greenroofs and rainbarrels as a tough sell in windsor. Our water and sewage infrustructure is more than capable of handling all that run-off!!!! I’m sure the WUC is on top of it!! ..
Toronto has already completed a study on green roofs. They basically do nothing but benefit the area in which they are located. Some of the results of the study (based on some assumptions) were as follows:
- Reduction in stormwater runoff that affects quality of local water resources which supply drinking water, are used for swimming, and serve as fish and wildlife habitat
- Reduction in energy consumption
- Reduction in the urban heat island effect and associated cooling costs
- Beautification of the City
- Creation of more natural green spaces
- Opportunities for local food production
Those are just the environmental benefits. Sadly, many people only care about money and only money. The only way to make them adapt these measures is if you can prove to them the amount of dollars they will be able to keep in their pockets by changing, instead of keeping the staus quo. If you want benefits that business men/women and the building owners want:
- Citywide savings from reduced energy for cooling is $21 million, equivalent to 4.15KWh/m2 per year
- Cost avoided due to reduced demand at peak times is $68 million
- Green roofs last up to twice as long as regular roofs
- Energy savings from better solar reflectivity, evapotranspiration and insulation
This is so cool!!!! 19 20 21
http://www.192021.org/
The library has Richard Saul Wurnam’s book: Information Anxiety, published 1989 and great read.
From Brooklyn New York;
The arts making a community, what we talked about above:
The Lords of Dumbo Make Room for the Arts, at Least for the Moment
“Some 1,000 artists and arts organizations are now working in the Dumbo section of Brooklyn, courtesy of the developers David Walentas and his son, Jed, partners in Two Trees Management. Operating on the principle that cultural ferment makes a neighborhood hot, Two Trees has offered creative people rents that they cannot refuse.
“It adds value to any neighborhood,†David Walentas said in an interview at a conference table in his unflashy Dumbo office. “It’s like good architecture. Good architecture is cheap and adds value. People will pay a premium for it.â€
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/06/arts/design/06dumb.html?ex=1362546000&en=974dd690f5adf31a&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink
From Ottawa. If only our mayor had vision like this but his lawyers advise against it!
http://dcnonl.com/article/id26752
Also with regards to soybeans and the ethanol scam. we are going to do the same thing with soy-based products. Just drive up the cost another 15+%!
Also please look at Chris’ website. Those hundreds of jobs The mayor is pretending to get is waaaay off base according to the person who is involved. So why is Eddie Francis lying?
http://chrisschnurr.wordpress.com/2008/03/12/is-biodiesel-announcement-a-load-of-biomass/
The cost of food:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/7284196.stm
In Austrailia;
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7289194.stm
And Egypt;
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7288196.stm
I’m looking forward to the Mayors state of the city address!
What does SD recomend for those in attendance and throwing-tomatoes — locally grown, or, the trucked in kind?
I don’t advocate food for fuel or vandalism.
Go to the Mayor’s speach, listen, take notes and spend some time digesting the message.
You will be the better person for acting in a mature and responsible manner.
Sure, James, take the high road!… thats no fun!
Remeber Sporto…
From the high ground you have a strategic advantage. You can look down and watch what is going on, pick a moment that is to your tactical advantage and dive out of the sun with your target all sighted up!
Just got the new route map for Transit Windsor, Feb. 2008 and as I figured would happen or didn’t happen. There is no bus stop at the new WFCUC! There is no route that even comes close and if I remember there are no sidewalks along Lauzon on either side. So I guess getting to and using the new arena is only for the rich with cars.
So you will have to get off at Tecumseh Mall, fight traffic, walk on the shoulder of the road, not to bad in daylight but coming out at night could get doggy! A kid wanting to play hockey and parents with no car living in the far west end is sh*t out of luck!
Only this city would do that!
^ Can’t we change that? Let’s demand a bus stop at the new WFCUC
Come on Urbanrat. People in Windsor don’t use transit or walk or bike. We all drive. Everywhere.
I’m sure once the facility actually opens there will be a token transit stop.
Yep! You’re right Andrew, I keep forgetting that and that is why we have an obesity problem in this city, that out number smokers! And when there is a REALLLLY BIGGGGGGG SHOOOOW at the golden temple, there won’t be enough parking, Windsorites will start parking on peoples lawns, blocking driveways, creating traffic backups to Tecumseh and beyond and still have to walk five blocks to get there.
Sorry for thinking to hard, I was wrong!~
Of course theres always those handy dandy rail tracks nearby the golden temple, but then again, theres no city in the world that runs transit on tracks now is there..thats just crazy talk!
That’s it! The city is going to partner with EssexTerminal railway and move people in and out of the golden temple in box cars, blocking Tecumseh road for hours, keeping those sub-urbanites from soiling the floors of the golden temple! By Jove you’re brilliant!
I have heard the sliver of a rumor that Francis is consdiering building a new oppulent city hall adjacent to the golden temple, with a corner office view of maybe his ownly achievement! Since the east end of town is newer and not as derelict as Sandwich, or time worn like the core and not as historical as Walkerville, he has a chance to design his empire there in the east end, which will then be annexed by the “City” of Tecumseh.
Urbanrat it sounds like you must’ve slipped on the ice downtown and bumped your head on one of those new concrete planters. The king already has his new quarters wainting for him - the best skybox in the golden temple there is!
I wish it was a slip and bump! Think of the lawyers I could have hired to go after Eddie and the city! Do think that Eddie will let the councilors into his private box? Does Dave Estrin do slip and falls?
You know what would be really cool, urbanrat! Plan yer next slip and fall in the western super urban lands, you know, what the king traded some off to that shady guy from london for the arena lands ( i doubt he’s been out there shovelin the walks!)
This way i bet you could work a deal to get yer very own skybox right next to eddie!! you could even both visit the shawarma concession stands together between periods!!
Chris Turner, Richard Florida and parking-lot rage!
Your weekend reading from the Globe and Mail:
Chris Turner on Adam Werbach, Wal-Mart, sustainability, sprawl and toilet paper:
“In lieu of consciousness raising., he (Werbach) argues, the key to sustainability is changing how people think about everyday products they buy - toilet paper for instance. After all, most of us usually feel more like consumers than ciitzens. “People have a much closer relationship to their toilet paper than they do to city councilors,” he cheekily asserts.”
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20080315.TURNER15/TPStory/?query=chris+turner
Richard Florida, 1 article and one book review: Article: Charting the future through a ‘geography of personality’ Book excerpt: Saturdday, March 15, 2008, page F8, NOT available on-line.
In the article Florida states that personality is a key component of a city that attracts the creative class, then it can be assumed that Ken Lewenza senior and junior, along with all of city council and especially our mayor, are the key personalities driving investment and the creative class away.
Who’s Your City (book review): Bright Lights, Big Cities: book excerpt: Globe and Mail ’s Books, section D, page 1.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20080315.BKCITY15/TPStory/National
“Florida maps the uneven distribution of education (Windsor is a prime example of this with a 27% literacy rate, my note) in the United States. Cities with high percentages of university graduates are prosperous cities. since without postsecondary education. it is increasingly impossible to earn a living wage. Well-educated people marry well-educated people, doubling both their good fortune and that of their chosen city.”
And this article, we aren’t necessarily experiencing this, but a symptom of urban sprawl:
Parking-lot Rage: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20080315.GO15/TPStory/?query=parking+lot+rage