CentreCity

High-Fives for Being Fifth Most Livable City!

(photo by Stephenccwu)

We've always heard talk from folks all over who think Calgary is a pretty amazing city in which to live...and now it's being confirmed: turns out we're the fifth greatest city in the world to live and we're proud of it!

The Economist Intelligence Unit says we ranked fifth out of 140 cities in their livability survey this year. We're in good company with Toronto (4th) and Vancouver (3rd) just ahead of us; Vienna takes 2nd place and Melbourne takes first. 

Great news for us all. Let's pat each other on the back because after all, it takes great people to make a great city. What do you think is our secret to being such a livable city? We'd love to hear your thoughts so leave a comment when you have a moment. 

To read the full breakdown of the livability rankings, click here. For GlobalTV's news report, click here. 

New Poet Laureate Program In Calgary

We live in a city that thrives on progress, motion, design and limitless opportunities to express ourselves. It's a great thing we have here in Calgary and sometimes those feelings of gratitude and inspiration need a universal outlet - something like poetry - to tell the world what what we're thinking. 

Thanks to Calgary City Council's approval of a motion to establish a Poet Laureate, now we'll be able to share this perspective of ours in a creative manner that can reach all walks of life. 

This new Poet Laureate will compose and present poetry for official occasions and also work to raise awareness of local issues through select commissioned works. This individual will be an ambassador for the arts in Calgary. It's a two year position and funding for it comes through a grant from The Calgary Foundation along with five Calgary-based corporate sponsors. The Poet Laureate program will be developed and administered through Calgary Arts Development in conjunction with The City of Calgary. 

(Poetry books photo by chillihead) 

So The City's first poet Laureate will be appointed in January 2012 and will receive an honorarium to carry out their duties. 

For more information about this exciting new program, click here. 

And here's a map of some of Canada's Poet Laureates through the years. 

Who do you have in mind for our inaugural Poet Laureate? Leave us a comment if you can think of a Calgary writer you'd like to see take this position. 

Centre City's Holiday Book Wish List

Planetizen (check out their site if you haven't already - it's required reading around these Centre City parts!) has released its Top 10 Urban Planning Books of the Year for 2011 list. And we know some may think it's early to be prepping for holidays but seriously, a book or two from this list would do anyone on your shopping list some good, we're sure of it. 

One of the books that caught the eye of our own Lorna Wallace was - Toilet:  Public Restrooms and the Politics of Sharing. Wallace was just recently featured in a blog post on World Toilet Day about the importance of public facilities in our Centre City. You can read back on that post here. 

You can bet we'll be investigating most of the titles on this list offered by the folks at Planetizen. If you come across any of them, let us know what you think. We'd like to get into offering up a Centre City-focussed book review/profile once a month in the new year so please do share when you have a moment. 

Happy reading! 

PechaKucha Night - One

 
 

Wanna be part of the conversation? Check this out in the Centre City. Devised in Tokyo in 2003, PechaKucha Nights are now taking place in over 360 cities around the world. Drawing their name from the Japanese term for the sound of "chit chat," PechaKucha Nights are based on a simple presentation format: speakers present 20 slides each, for only 20 seconds per slide. It's a format that makes presentations concise and keeps things moving at a rapid pace.

 

Part of the Calgary Public Library’s One Book, One Calgary initiative, the theme for PechaKucha Night Calgary #6 is “One.”

 

Speakers include:

• Bee Kingdom, glass-blowing collective
• Gregg Ferguson, Principal, PlaceWorks Design
• Brooklyn Fink, artist
• Patrick Finn, Adjunct Associate Professor, University of Calgary Department of Drama
• Rosemary Griebel, Special Projects Librarian, Calgary Public Library
• Irena Karshenbaum, President, The Little Synagogue on the Prairie Project Society
• Wil Knoll, geek/artist
• Cory Mack, comedian
• Chima Nkemdirim, Nenshi Campaign Director
• RICHard SMOLinski, artist
• Aritha van Herk, author
• Bob van Wegen, Urban Planner, Federation of Calgary Communities

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Doors at 6:30pm, 7:00pm start.

 

Tickets are free - reserve a spot at PKN6.Eventbrite.com.

For more details See the Facebook event page.

 

Wordfest 2010 has begun...

 

...will you be there? There's a great lineup this year - something truly for everyone - and many of the events are planned for right here in the Centre City (Art Gallery of Calgary, Memorial Park Library, Glenbow Museum, Calgary Public Library - John Dutton Theatre, The Auburn Saloon).

 So what's your flavour? Are you into Mavericks and Rebels, Industry Insider information, the growing popularity of the E-Book, food and books, music and books, Alberta voices, poetry, hearing about the life of the writer, a celebration of Paul Quarrington, Robert Bateman, Romeo Dallaire...we mean it - there really is enough on the roster to satisfy any and all book lovers in town. Make sure you set aside time to check out a few of these events and get your tickets quickly! They're available through the EPCOR Centre.  

(Yann Martel - one of the 70 writers scheduled to speak at Wordfest this year.Photo from Calgary Herald Archives)

 

 

You May Tell Yourself, This is Not My Beautiful Life...

...so how would you like to change it?  According to David Byrne (of Talking Heads fame), having a bike and riding it everywhere is a pretty great start.  But there's more to his urban theorizing than spinning spokes and a cool breeze hitting your face on your daily commute to work.  

We came across a great article in the Wall Street Journal written by Byrne. In it, he imagines what might make a perfect city. Byrne, who is a so-called Urban Theorist, is also a big proponent of all things bike. He explores the idea of chaos and danger in our cities, how boulevards give us a necessary break and the importance of mixed use and public spaces. Give it a read and let us know what you think.  Do you agree with his values?  What would you add or take away from his list to make Calgary the ideal home?  Leave us a comment if you have a moment - we'd like to hear from you.    

   

If you've finished reading his WSJ article and you're looking for more Byrneology, you can find his Ted Talk on architecture and how it influences music here. And if you'd like to check out more of his writing, here's a link for you.

Central Memorial Park Springs Anew

A little wind, rain and snow isn't going to stop workers from putting finishing touches on the renovations at Calgary's oldest surviving park in the Centre City this week.  

Two years ago, a major rehabilitation and redevelopment project at the park kicked off and in less than two weeks, it'll be ready for its official unveiling. 

On Friday, May 14th, Central Memorial Park (1221 - 2nd Street S.W.) will host its grand reopening and you're invited!

If you work or live in the Centre City - or if you've had occasion to pass by Central Memorial Park, you'll likely have noticed the tarps, diggers and construction materials over the months. All that reworking of the area will translate into an even more inviting and useable park - a meeting place for everyone - a greenspace to inspire and amaze.  

 
 

Some of the park's highlights will include: 

• An amazing new year-round restaurant called Boxwood - where you can find everything from snacks to go to fine dining morning noon, night and weekends in this glorious park setting.  
• Outdoor reading rooms with wireless Internet
• Water features
• Modern lighting features to focus on monuments and the library as well as providing an improved safety element 
• Public restroom facilities
• A level performance stage where festival events will take place
• Edwardian garden design with plenty of spots to sit and truly soak it all in
• The Memorial Park Library - lovely as ever
• The Cenotaph Plaza, flagpole and commemorative monuments
• Statue of R.L. Boyle on his horse 

So make sure to stop by and help kick off a great season at Central Memorial Park on Friday May 14th at 5 pm. Mayor Dave Bronconnier and Deputy Premier Doug Horner will be in attendance. There will be cake and refreshments following opening remarks.  

If you'd like to read more about the park's rehabilitation and redevelopment before its big day, click here.  

We'll be posting photos of the park later this week and next. And do make sure to let us know what you think of all the changes - will you be using it more? What's your favourite feature of the park? Leave us a comment when you have some time. 

Dust Off Your Spock Ears

 

The Centre City is playing host to plenty of Hollywood stars and comic and fantasy celebrities this weekend at the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo. You may just have a chance to brush elbows with the likes of Leonard Nimoy, Malcolm McDowell and that guy from Twilight (okay not that guy or that guy - but this guy) - all set to make appearances during the event.  

There are even some locals who will be there showing off their talents (Laurie Breitkreuz is one of them - she's a freelance illustrator and animator - and she does a lot of pin-up style illustrations)  

To read more about the event, click here.  

The Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo runs Saturday and Sunday (this weekend) at the BMO Round Up Centre at the Centre City's Stampede Park.  

Centre City Book Shelf #2

 

  (photo by Horia Varlan)

What "must read" books are sitting on your bedside table? We decided to pose that rather nosy question to some of our colleagues on the Centre City Implementation and Urban Design teams. We figured that exchanging ideas about city planning-minded books is a great way to get us all talking about what makes a flourishing urban centre.   

This blog is primarily a place for you to come to get your Centre City news but every once in a while we like to discuss arts and culture - what inspires us in the Centre City. Books can often be a great way to instigate a change in approaches to how we think and how we live. Best of all, when you read a good book, it gets you talking - you share the ideas you liked (or didn't like) with others - with us(?)!  Books are great change agents, aren't they?  

Here's what Ben Barrington, of the Centre City Implementation team, said when we asked what book he was reading right  now: 

The book I am reading is called The Geography of Hope by Chris Turner. I have been a long time supporter of the environmental movement and believe we have a collective responsibility to be more mindful of how we effect the world's ecosystem(s). Somewhere along the line we as a species forgot how or thought is was not that important. The nice thing about this book is that it is generally about ground up initiatives throughout the world, demonstrating that if you want to do something it is more a case of a mindset than being difficult. Lots of good examples of people undertaking significant approaches that we can all learn from and glean hope from. Thus the title.”

Thanks for sharing that title with us, Ben. Have you read this book? Do you have any inspiring city-minded books you'd like to share with us?  Make sure you leave us a comment.  We'd love to hear about them.  

Jane's Talk - Sunday

Here's something to check out this week-end.

The Calgary Foundation is partnering with the Calgary Public Library and the Federation of Calgary Communities to host Jane’s Talk – a film and discussion exploring the legacy of urban writer and activist, Jane Jacobs. The feature film, Urban Goddess: Jane Jacobs Reconsidered considers the livable city; an issue that directly impacts the quality of life of Calgarians.

To read more about Jane Jacobs click here.