How to Make an Attractive City

If you want to see what a society really believes in, look at what the biggest buildings on the horizon are dedicated to. 
The biggest, most prominent things tell us about the actual, rather than the admitted priorities of a city. We focus on who owns land, but we don't think about who owns space, who has 'air' rights.

-Joseph Campbell

Fixing our Broken Cities. Lessons from Medellin

In case you missed Brent Toderian and Charles Montgomery on CBC's The National last night, here's the full video.

What Makes a Great Place?

Downtown Newton  has the potential  to be more than just another suburban town centre.

We have the lovely Old Surrey Restaurant heritage building,  but the rest is a bit of a mish mash of architectural styles. Some good, some not so much.
Downtown Newton needs its own brand; its own distintive feel. Luckily that slightly shabby, old bricks and weathered wood look is easy to  replicate.

 We have the most amazing template to work with here: A mix of (potential) parks and public spaces plus the start of a vibrant colourful international  retail mix with a good dose of authentic grit.
The best is yet to come  here. You can feel the desire in the residents and business communities. The place has great 'bones'. Let's get working and  turn this place around. Who's with us?

One Step toward Retrofitting Suburbia

 Think of the places in Metro Vancouver that attract people and commerce. Commercial Drive in Vancouver is one very successful area. People feel good about living, working and visiting this neighbourhood.

 Maybe it's time for Surrey to return to the "old school" main streets that encourage walking and a sense of community. We need to get away from our car-centric culture. In order to do that, Surrey needs to change its  commercial parking requirements.

Sprawling suburban parking acreages are so 70s. Time  for change.   

Full Blog Post by Matt Taylor here

Downtown Newton's Time to Shine...

Downtown Newton is a great place to be. 

There are lots of fun shops, cafes and places to explore here. We're  even working on a self-guided walking tour! 

  However, one thing that is mentioned in conversation is that after dark, we're not getting as much bustling family oriented activity on the streets as we'd like.  We want to encourage more families to use the downtown area at different times of the day. Right now that's not happening as much as it could be.

Downtown Newton has a lot of city owned vacant land and it's not being utilized in any capacity. Sooo.... here's an idea that could make use of the area to the south of the existing  community centre. How much fun would this be?  Hot chocolate and popcorn anyone?  Evening skating with the little ones? Remember  how well used the artificial ice rink  was at Holland Park during the 2010 Olympics? And in the summer why not switch it up and bazinga! It's a roller-skating rink.  

Our downtown centre has great 'bones' and so much potential as a  little urban village. Let's get moving and capitalize on that.

Let's encourage family friendly activities in our downtown core.
 This is just one idea. Can you think of a few of your own?

Just look at what can be done with a vacant commercial lot, some lights and a little community spirit.  Don't forget the  paint! Paint is the fastest, cheapest, easiest way to transform a space.

ReImagine    ReCreate    ReNew

Still reading?  Here's something to make you smile.

ReNewton's Best of #PLACEmaking video hitlist

A  video collection of the Best of placemaking, urban planning  and how we retrofit suburbia, an idea whose time has come.
Enjoy! A wealth of knowledge and experience right here.

Update on Nix the Pay Parking in Downtown Newton!

Last night at the Surrey city council meeting, long time councillor  Judy Villeneuve  announced that metered pay parking along the 7300 block of 137th Street in downtown Newton will  soon be removed. 

 This is good news for business owners and those who frequent the shops, restaurants and services on the street between Newton Wave Pool  to the south, and the Superstore shopping centre to the north. 

 Thank you to Cllr. Villeneuve  who brought this issue forward and facilitated the change.

Kudos as well  to those in the community who supported this initiative by signing the petition. 
                     
                        We collected nearly 1000 signatures. 

Every one of these names helped make the case that revitalization of the downtown Newton shopping district starts here.

     

 In the coming days we look forward to the end of pay parking and the beginning of a new invigorated retail hub in the neighbourhood. 
  
   

Just a taste...

In summer mode but will be working on a post about how multi suite homes have changed the quality of life in many areas of Surrey. Here's a  quick sneak peek.

We need proactive bylaw officers out there doing their jobs and we need more of them.
 The public shouldn't have to be responsible for calling in every bylaw infraction.
Our tax dollars should be paying for this.

Placemaking Guru Fred Kent. What Does it Take to Create Great Public Spaces?

 Fred Kent is the founder of Project for Public Spaces. If you've ever walked through Bryant Park in Manhattan you've experienced his work.
 Here's a video lecture in which Fred discusses placemaking and the art of creating public spaces that people love.
 Enjoy.

Reflections on the Community Festival in Newton....

The weather was "Goldilocks" perfect.
Not too hot, not too cold. Just right! 

It's at festivals like this where we really see the rich diversity of our neighbourhood.
We aren't just South Asian & Caucasian, we are African, Filipino, Latino and more.

Loved the colourful lanterns everywhere at the venue, really added to the festive atmosphere!

Bench  at entrance to the Newton Seniors Centre 

Newton Wave Pool and Community Centre has some beautiful public art.
Take a minute to go on a little tour next time you visit. New murals up too! 

With Kamla from Vancity Newton.
Our go-to person in the neighbourhood!

 We played financial Jenga with
 Vancity's  Newton  branch folks!
Whew! That was touch & go for a moment!

Doug Elford from the Newton Community Association,
 Surrey city councillor Judy Villeneuve &  ReNewton Nation's Jude Hannah  

Thanks to so many business owners and  to the community for signing the petition at the Newton Community Association booth to  reinstate time limited free parking to 137th St.
Revitalization begins here. Pay parking has to go !

These kids were having lots of fun and the crowd loved them.

 Come visit downtown Newton. There's a lot to discover here. 

The best deli in town Greco's, celebrating 30 years in the neighbourhood.

The best art and craft store bar none DeSerres. 

And if you have a pet, well Pet Food 'n More  welcomes your four legged family members with a big smile and great prices.

 That's a good place to start.

A Walk through Sullivan Heights-Time to put People First.

Had a little walk through my neighbourhood the other day and stopped to admire these majestic trees on 140th St. near the former city hall in  Sullivan Heights/South Newton.

 Aren't they gorgeous? 

 I hope they will be spared when this site is developed. 

 Sullivan Heights is changing in many ways.  There are some great new condos at Latitude on 60th Ave.  and many new townhouse complexes under construction in the area. BUT...we worry about so many development proposals  for mega homes  some up to 4500 sq. ft. on super-small lots.

Wondering how application for 14 homes turned 

into the 16  shown below...... #SurreyMath

 How many suites do you think will be in these homes ? This was designated as a townhouse site, but the developer was allowed to change to this. With townhouses at least there's a strata council in place to monitor rentals etc.

We need to take a breath and rethink the  suite strategy in Surrey. I am          100 % in favour of multi- generational families living together. In fact I would like to see more of us adopt this way of living. For children it  provides a link to their past and culture. Whatever that culture might be. The situation we have in Surrey is that too many home owners are renting out more than one suite in their homes, and this is putting a strain on services, schools, and is not a sustainable way to  develop our city. We  cannot continue to put development dollars before  the needs of  the people who call this place home. It's not working. 

Let's make the kind of decisions we can be proud of  10, 20, 50 years from now.   You don't have to be a card carrying tree hugger  or be anti-development or anti-business to think this way.  God knows we're sure not. We are business people  first and foremost in this household. My husband runs his business in the city & is a member of the Surrey Board of Trade. I promote Surrey businesses every chance I get.  

But we have to face facts. The city is being developed too much too fast and that's having some fairly dire consequences. Over crowded schools, parking nightmares in many neighbourhoods, and a drug & crime problem that is placing a stress on our police force  to put it mildly.

We need to take our collective foot off the gas... 

We don't need to slam on the brakes. 

Repeat, we do NOT have to slam on the brakes! Just take it off full pedal to the metal mode, get out of the car, have a look around, and then carefully, thoughtfully get back in the driver's seat and go at a reasonable speed.

  Isn't that just common sense?

5500 block 140th St

140th St. development site

Creative developers need to find a way to incorporate these trees into their plans.  And the city's planners have to think more about the liveability of the region.

Most people prefer to purchase a home, and will pay more for a home with mature trees already in place. 

 Fun Fact: Sullivan Heights used to be home to wild pheasants who made the most unusual sounds. Really miss them!

Development sign on 140th St.

We want a mayor & council who put the interests of people above those of developers. Surrey didn't get this way by accident. Decisions were made that got us into this mess. Now's the time for some big, bold moves by city councillors and the planning department. Same old status quo? Or a new  smarter and liveable vision for our city. Who's going to step up for Surrey citizens and put people ahead of profit?

What's in a Name? Meet Me in Midtown.

 Over the past few weeks some of us have been brainstorming around creative ways to revitalize our downtown Newton  centre. As one person so eloquently put it, 'the neighbourhood has some scars, but we're resilient and the will to see positive things happen here has never been greater". So, it got us thinking about the name Newton.  Has the time come to rebrand the Newton Town Centre , (whose boundaries are now set with the newly formed  Newton BIA ) in much the  same way  Downtown Whalley has been renamed City Centre? We think there's a very strong case to do so. Like Whalley,to some people the name Newton doesn't conjure feelings of excitement and respect and it's not doing our  business community any favours.  

Since Newton is the geographic centre i.e. middle of the city of Surrey why not call it that?

Midtown. 

Anyone who has spent time in Manhattan has no doubt wandered the busy Midtown area. It's vibrant but retains its grittiness, keeping it real and authentic. 

 I've maintained that Newton can take that same feel and make its edginess  work to  advantage.

So let's talk about 137th St, also known as Festival Street in the City of Surrey's plans for the town centre. 

Newton Town Centre Plans for Festival Street  (137th St.) during an event.
City of Surrey
 Everyone's asking....When will the plans be implemented?

The  commercial space above is perfect for an artsy edgy gallery/live space

Business owners and the community  all agree- the Pay Parking HAS to go!
*Update Oct. , thanks to  efforts of Cllr. Judy Villeneuve, we now have 2 hr. free parking :)

Festival Street-  Plans for Everyday Use, but when will the city get moving and make this happen? 

There are many office and retail spaces currently for lease in the vicinity.
Let's fill them with creativity and connection.

How awesome would it be to create a  unique to Surrey  funky art, music &  cafe scene here?    You know what I'm talking about.  Old or at least old-looking brick walls, great coffee, and a place to meet up with friends. 

Your ' third place" 

What about a global crafts marketplace in these vacant spaces?   Think: studios, coffee houses, music venues. Somewhere our young Surrey musicians and creative types can get together and showcase their talents?

  

 And let's not forget   about  FOOD!

  

As Retrofitting Suburbia author Ellen Dunham-Jones says

"Never Underestimate the Power of Food to Turn a Place around and make it a destination"

  Here's what one city is doing   Midtown Global Market

 So, think about the many possibilities for the  Newton Town Centre.
We have so much untapped potential in this area. Let's take the vision and make it happen. We have many strengths  and a growing  number of  citizens taking charge of their own community. 
Are you going to be one of them?

   Still reading?
 Leave your comments or if you prefer, send me a message.
 hey-jude@telus.net

Police Week in Surrey!

Meet Your Local RCMP !

Wednesday, May 14

11-8PM

District Office Open Houses

May 14, 2014 – 11:00am-8:00pm
District 1 City Centre - 10720 King George Boulevard
District 2 Guildford/Fleetwood - 10395 148 Street
District 3 Newton - 7235 137 Street
District 4 Cloverdale/Port Kells - 5732 - 176A Street
District 5 South Surrey - 100 - 1815 152 Street

As we celebrate Police Week, join us for cake and coffee and meet your District RCMP officers and staff. RCMP displays, entertainment, fun for kids, and community safety information will be on hand.

 Keeping us safe in the 'hood

Time for the Suburbs to Grow Up!

Last Spring I  had the privilege of meeting architect, urban designer and professor  Ellen Dunham-Jones at Simon Fraser University in Surrey. We talked about our city's challenges and she encouraged us to keep  up the 'fight' to Retrofit Newton and the King George corridor.

 This  TED video truly mirrors what ReNewton is all about.  

Do you have 19 minutes? Watch the whole thing. It's worth it!

More from Friends of the Grove's Love-in for Newton

 CTV and other networks were on hand Saturday as 

Friends of the Grove held the first "Love-in for Newton" 

 Check it out!

Newton neighbours take back “The Grove” | CTV Vancouver News

We had bagpipes, lots of guitars, a banjo, acoustic bass
 and even a shofar. Gotta be a first!

Two Dudes Chillin' Park?

One of the Community Safety Officers that stopped by during one of the weekly planning sessions

This chess game went on for hours.

This event was just the kick-off to all sorts of quirky creative happenings planned for this pretty under utilized park .
We're taking it back, paying it forward and having lots of fun in the process. 

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