A Catalyst for climate action and sustainable communities

Alberta's glacier-crowned Mt. Athabasca, in Jasper Park - a symbol of connectedness. Water runs west to the Pacific, north to the Arctic, and east to Hudson's Bay. The nearby town of Jasper was recently destroyed by climate wildfires
- photo courtesy Florian Fuchs, CC BY 3.0 Wiki Commons

by Anna Brassard

We have often stated that SafeGrowth is less of a crime prevention strategy and more of a neighborhood planning method. True, we usually begin by tackling crime and using tactics like 1st and 2nd-generation CPTED. But from the beginning, we have built many of our ideas on the urban planning Smart Growth movement, which has at its core a sustainable environment and a response to climate change. 

CPTED, of course, is none of those things. That we are able to have such a potent impact on reducing crime and building cohesion convinces us that climate change programs are a powerful magnifying force with benefits far and wide.

 

Climate change fire near Los Angeles. Our neighbourhoods need to
learn resilience strategies - Photo Eddiem360, CC BY-SA 4.0 

EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS

Some of our earliest SafeGrowth programs began due to extreme weather events, such as our work in the Hollygrove neighborhood following Hurricane Katrina in 2005. We are increasingly seeing extreme weather events with increased flooding and wildfires. Our cities are getting hotter and hotter with few places for reprieve from the heat. Concrete jungles, indeed! Forest fires burn around the world, displacing many. 

Jasper National Park, in Alberta’s Rocky Mountains, was recently evacuated due to out-of-control wildfires that consumed 30% of the historic town of Jasper.  Alongside extreme weather, aging infrastructure is beginning to fail. The need to address climate change is becoming increasingly evident. 

A recent study measuring the effectiveness of worldwide climate policies that significantly reduced emissions over the past twenty years provides guidance for meeting climate targets. It concluded that a mix of carrots and sticks is required. Policy is one piece of the puzzle. 

How do we approach sustainability at the community level?  This is where SafeGrowth arises. A pioneering initiative, SafeGrowth aims to empower communities to address climate change and build a more sustainable future. By focusing on a range of interconnected issues like transportation, housing, streetscapes, and land use in conjunction with crime prevention, SafeGrowth helps communities identify and implement solutions that address climate change and enhance the overall quality of life.

 

The Glenmore Reservoir supplies Calgary with water - until an outdated water feeder line failed in June leading to weeks of shortages  - photo Qyd, CC BY-SA 3.0

WATER DISASTER IN CALGARY 

Calgary recently suffered a catastrophic water main break of its main waterline that provides water to 40% of the city. Montreal also recently suffered a significant water main break with the subsequent flooding of homes and businesses. In Calgary, residents and businesses were placed under Stage 4 water restrictions to reduce water usage by 25% until repairs to the water main could be made. 

Fortunately, the community stepped up in this emergency and found ways to reduce water consumption including flushing their toilets less often, installing rain barrels to water their gardens, and taking shorter showers. Initially, residents worked together and there were few tickets for violations issues. After an extensive review of the entire water system, it was discovered that many segments of the waterlines needed immediate repair to prevent another imminent failure. The city returned to Stage 4 water restrictions so repairs could be made. 

Recent news headline about water feeder line failure in June, 2024

This time around, residents and businesses were less enthusiastic about reducing water consumption, and many tickets were issued for water usage violations. Apparently, social cohesion is not easy to sustain in climate emergencies, possibly since residents have only limited experience with intensive community collaboration. 

AN EARLY EXAMPLE OF COHESION

SafeGrowth offers a path forward for communities seeking to create a more resilient, equitable, and prosperous future. When we teach our classes, including a recent training in Vancouver, our team was taught 1st, and 2nd CPTED as tools to address the physical, and social aspects of the neighbourhood. This is the beginning of connecting with the natural and built environment. By working on long-term neighbourhood plans and crime reduction projects on a regular basis, different groups within the community learn the skills of project development. 

Our Livability Academy is the next step in furthering collaborative programming as we discovered in New Orleans and Philadelphia. That is a longer-term program of free, weekly public education classes in which dozens of community members learn the skills and power of collaboration. Now that 3rd Generation CPTED has been introduced, there are specific tactics for economic, public health, social, and environmental sustainability – the very core principle of environmental resilience. 

Collaborative teams using the SafeGrowth model create innovative visions and plans for a more resilient, safe, and sustainable neighbourhood future. The latest water crisis in Calgary reaffirmed the need to train neighbourhood residents across the city in collaborative action before the disaster shows up.