Photo from CHAT News

By Jayson Taylor

Strong Towns gives locals insight into revitalized city

Jun 15, 2023 | 8:35 AM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – City residents made their way to the Medicine Hat Public Library on Wednesday for a presentation on Strong Towns. Norm Van Eeden Petersman gave a presentation explaining the project’s goals and strategies to those who attended Wednesday’s presentation. Mayor Linnsie Clark was among those in attendance.

Topics discussed at the presentation included maximizing the amount of space that is able to be used, promoting living spaces that use up less land, and finally the promotion of local businesses and keeping money in the community.

Norm Van Eeden Petersman is a member advocate for Strong Towns. He has spoken across Canada and the United States on the strategies that can make a community stronger and better. He says one key strategy is focusing on rethinking the way we want to develop the city and what our roles are in building a better Medicine Hat.

“The community engages in this process, that tangible change that happens not only in the way that neighbourhoods are being shaped, but the types of buildings that are being constructed, the types of openings that are being created for especially small businesses and small developers, people that want to invest their money and have it stay within the community in contrast to what we see in a broad continual spreading in suburban development planning that is consuming a lot of scarce resources,” Van Eeden Petersman said on Wednesday.

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A third session from Strong Towns will be held on Nov. 28 at the Esplanade where progress on the project will be reviewed. The project is expected to take place over the course of two years in which community engagement and support for local leaders and community groups will be provided.

Those who want to learn more about the initiative can find information on the Strong Towns website. The City of Medicine Hat also has information on its Shape Your City page.