Raise the Hammer

I have a hard time feeling any sympathy for Brantford. I mean, even Hamilton has been completely ignorant by not learning from US cities that already showed us what NOT to do several decades ago. But Brantford hasn't had to look very far - 25 minutes up the 403 - to see a present day, Canadian model of what NOT to do. Like you said Mahesh, we wrote the manual on this (and sadly continue to add many more chapters each year). Hey Brantford, take a loooooooong look at the google image Mahesh posed looking down at urban nothingness and weedy, gross, unsafe multi-block parking lots.
Welcome to your future. You deserve it.

People are, by nature, resistant to learning from the mistakes of others. (If they weren't, there would be more successful, more thriving relationships.)

Some of this can be chalked up to ignorance. Some to arrogance.

No matter the cause, it's all so sad.

What's fascinating is that athletics has more of a learning community tradition than civic planning and politics in general do.

I really wish people would also contact our local newspapers, and our councillors, etc. There are so many people uninformed, and others misinformed for so long. They need to read this locally also.

BrantNews (editor) jzronik@brantnews.com Brantford Expositor; http://www.brantfordexpositor.ca/Article... BrantConnection

Contact your city councillor about this issue: dmccreary@brantford.ca, MCeschi-Smith@brantford.ca, jcalnan@brantford.ca, jkinneman@brantford.ca, jsless@brantford.ca, vbucci@brantford.ca, MLittell@brantford.ca, jbradford@brantford.ca, gmartin@brantford.ca, rcarpenter@brantford.ca, mhancock@brantford.ca

Or give them a call: http://www.brantford.ca/content/publishi...

Our MP, Phil McColeman: McColeman.P@parl.gc.ca

Our MPP, Dave Levac: dlevac.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org

Funding agency: FedDev Ontario Key players: B.A. Archibald, President The Hon. Gary Goodyear, Minister of State, FedDev Ontario (in charge of funding) goodyg@parl.gc.ca

We do NOT deserve it. That statement angers me.

No one deserves this.

Brantford has a variety of residents. I have no sympathy for the goons who want to tear down this street. For all the rest I have great sympathy. I get the feeling that some are heartbroken over this.

MarieJ. My comment was directed to the decision-makers, not folks like you.

Good article. I can’t understand why in this day and age we still think demolishing heritage buildings is a sign of progress. Aside from the value they bring to creating a sense of place, there is mounting evidence about the economic value of heritage (e.g. http://www.communitystudy.ca/pdfs/Heritage_Value.pdf). Maybe it’s something to do with the whole disposable culture we have created because it can’t be just a matter of taste – I have yet to meet anyone who sees beauty in a new Wal-Mart. It seems to boil down to “new is better” period – even if that “new” is a freshly paved parking lot.

there is mounting evidence about the economic value of heritage

Also mounting evidence of the economic value of the physical assets of existing buildings themselves, whether or not they are designated. Not to mention the economic and environmental costs of tossing these assets into landfill.

schmadrian>> "...No matter the cause, it's all so sad. What's fascinating is that athletics has more of a learning community tradition than civic planning and politics in general do."

In Ontario, while much good has come from the actions of Architectural Conservancy of Ontario and the Ontario Heritage Trust – a phenomenal amount of heritage has been lost in the last fifty years on account of our inability to look at the whole picture.

Back in the eighties even in a developing country like India, people got together to fight the destruction of heritage. The result was INTACH

Much heritage has been saved in India since then by: "Sensitizing the public about the pluralistic cultural legacy; instilling a sense of social responsibility towards preserving its common heritage; and protecting and conserving its living, built, and natural heritage by undertaking necessary actions and measures."

We can clearly see in many examples from across the world that economic development and heritage preservation are not mutually exclusive – Buildings and structures that have been saved from neglect and willful destruction, are now some of the most vibrant and financially lucrative cultural and tourism destinations.

"The Facelift and the Wrecking Ball: Urban Renewal and Hamilton’s King Street West, 1957–1971" by Margaret T. Rockwell is one paper that Ontario's politician, councils and now sadly even university presidents must be made to read - before being elected to office.

Mahesh:

Yes, I've got a copy of 'Facelift and Wrecking Ball'. I've read it a half-dozen times and I've sent a copy to my mom to refresh her memory about what Hamilton 'used to be like'. (She came over in '57.)

At the individual's level, North America is an insular and self-referential place. Even the notion of 'family' has lost some of its value, never mind the concept of 'neighbourhood', or 'community' or 'city'. I know I'll catch flack for this...and I'm not saying there's a causal relationship going on...but the propensity to shut one's self off from the surrounding environment by way of devices such as iPods is a simple example of the barriers we now construct. (Naturally, the most visible barrier is the car.)

I see a direct line between creating a culture of respect for our architectural heritage, our living spaces, and the notion of community itself. The more 'human' our interaction is, the more 'humane' our habits become.

Thanks again for an invaluable commentary.

Thank you schmadrian, WRCU2 and all for your kind comments! And it was my pleasure meeting up with you too, WRCU2!

Did anyone have the opportunity to watch the video on the INTACH home web page referred to in my earlier post? – It is titled: Play Intach Film, and is at the bottom of the page.

This is a must see to understand how phenomenal progress can be achieved in heritage conservation, at the grassroots level – in one of the most complex cultural and economic environments.

What comes through in this video is what schmadrian so well points out above: "The more 'human' our interaction is, the more 'humane' our habits become."

There is indeed a direct line – as schmadrian sees: "between creating a culture of respect for our architectural heritage, our living spaces, and the notion of community itself."

Our biggest challenge in Hamilton, is creating the 'conditions' (environment) for socially relevant developments to occur pervasively.

Our sciences tell us that among the most powerful human instincts are: parental care and social instincts.

We all are already hardwired for it. We just have to figure out a way to create the right conditions for Morphogenesis.

Maybe by replacing confrontation with inquiry and open discussions; and by making the unconditional acceptance of the other, the new cool thing to do – the 'conditions' (environment) needed for socially relevant developments to occur could just evolve naturally.

Thank you WRCU2:-) Much appreciated!!

Awright guys, go rent a hotel room.

Are there any left in Hamilton? (they might have to go to Toronto...;) )

Mahesh P. Butani, I wish that your voice could be heard at our city council meeting.

Unfortunately, the fact they rejected a wealthy heritage developer who proved he could save "some" of our 41 historic buildings... and insulted him in order to raise the pedastal of a local developer who has done NOTHING for heritage in our city (but keeps being used as the example of us preserving and saving heritage), well, that makes it seem like nobody will be listened to.

It's capital, plain and simple. If you have lots of power, influence and capital (either landholdings or the means to acquire them), it makes a hell of a lot of sense to push for whatever option uses the most capital, takes the least work and provides the most reliable returns. The providers and consumers of the goods and services, as well as community members, though, require something far different: a large variety of small, affordable spaces in which to experiment - studios, stores, workshops galleries, appartments, cafes etc.

Guess which one is represented by a block of shop-fronted heritage buildings, and which one is represented by a Taco Bell.

Want to empower the people of Hamilton to create a better city? Try empowering the people themselves. We have more un-or-under-employed skilled workers than we know what to do with, and more idle factories and storefronts idle than we can handle, and the few places (ie: the Imperial Cotton Centre etc) which have been given over to less profitable but more productive groups like artists and artisans have been a tremendous success.

How about free rent in a few of the many empty shops in Jackson Square to whoever can create the most comfortable spaces for people to simply chill, rest and gather? Somewhere that patrons could drink their coffees, read their newspapers and scratch their lotto tickets that's more pleasant than the food courts or hallway benches? A few discarded furnishings from swanky offices in the towers, some volunteers, and perhaps even some musicians and local art. A few dedicated people could do this without spending a single dollar, and anyone familiar with any neighbourhood in the lower city could probably name 10 places where something like this off the top of their head.

Undustrail: I think your idea is a great one. It should be about empowering the people and there are few ways to do that.

If we created spaces where those who struggle and want to do somethng positive about changing things can come together, work together to participate in enacting change.

It is a given that the life experiences of those who struggle need to be heard. It could be possible to have people setting up opportunities to present in front labour groups, local businessess, even at community events.

Nigel Terpstra of Urban Toronto has written an article about this issue for Spacing Toronto:

http://spacing.ca/wire/2010/03/01/brantfords-downtown-destruction/