Month: December 2013

In LFS350 this year, one defining notion rang throughout the course: addressing issues of food system security requires us to become food citizens. It is our right and our responsibility to do so in order to create the world we want to see.

I’ve always been goal oriented, I’ve always been fairly sure of who I am in a single moment (I say moment, because there are times when this feeling is altered completely). And in looking towards my own future and my own goals, I hope to find my own niche for change at the intersection between development, sustainability and business within urban spaces.

But in all this assuredness, I’ve also questioned every step that I’ve taken and asked myself “why?” How do I know I’m doing what’s right for me? Will I like it? Is it actually right? Am I being naive? What do I want to do? What do I believe in?

There is only one thing that’s stayed constant : I want to do something, to take and action, to create something that will serve the world; change the world. I want to become what I believe in and yet, how do I reach something I don’t know how to reach?

I watched Simon Sinek’s video “how great leaders inspire action”, a TedTalk that emphasized that great leaders, companies, et cetera incite others not by answering the question “what are we doing” but answering the question “why are we doing it?”

People don’t buy what you do they buy why you do it

-Simon Sinek

So what of this? What I take is that as long as I live my life by just being who I want to be, if I can believe in every step that I’m doing, if I have a reason – then I’m going to learn and discover something. And looking back, I think it’s rung true. By becoming a GRS student, taking on or not taking on extracurriculars, by taking the courses I’ve chosen to take this year – I can back up every single one of my decisions because it’s been driven by my passion and where I feel drawn to.

Strangely, it echoes Dr. Shafik Dharamsi’s empowering words in his GRS lecture on sustainable development.

“When we know better, we see the world differently. When we see the world differently, we must be in the world differently”

I think the most important thing when looking to my future is to just feel, and do what I feel empowers myself and my beliefs. Focus on fulfilling myself and what my heart feels to be its calling. Perhaps, drawing from that, I can create change by inspiring those who believe the same things I believe and maybe that, is truly how I can make a difference.

This term in FRE490 with Professor Christopher Bennett, we learned about Monitoring and Evaluation for Time Response. In short, it’s a process used to evaluate the effectiveness of a development project and create suggestions. In learning this process and completing a project for designing an M&E.

When we first began the class, Professor Bennett asked each of us what we wanted to do with our studies. To that end, I was still a little stumped on how my goals for sustainability and business would connect to development.

The further we continue into the term, I’ve discovered that the process of development projects is highly interchangeable with other sectors. Monitoring and Evaluation is a progress indicator, and having internal (and external) checks to a business, problem or project is crucial. However, I think the most valuable insight I’ve gained from this class is in addressing the design of projects.

Projects are meant to solve problems in a world of interconnectedness involving people, places, and the environment. However, in beginning planning development projects, there are some key lessons that seem to occur that have changed how I, myself, begin to solve problems:

1. Many projects and development ideas take place with more developed countries “sweeping in” to help less developed countries – taking over land, resources and time for solutions that may not be the best for the people. Problems are contextual and contingent on the environment around them – projects are imbedded in interconnected community of ecology, sociology and geography. Throughout the course, we’ve learned of many projects that have failed to involve the beneficiaries to design the project and create sustainable solutions.

This, I think, is mind blowing! Projects have a less chance of succeeding in practice if development projects do not consult the citizens of the area. The very people that they are benefitting. It’s like giving someone flu medicine without actually knowing if they’re symptoms are from the flu.

2. Many development projects neglect the resources, systems and knowledge that is already available. By design, a project may set out to create a solution that already exists. For example, when evaluating a project on Jakarta’s Waste Management System, my group discovered that the system neglected the scavengers who would sort trash and look for reusable and recyclable material. The system created from the project wasn’t very effective at sorting through waste materials, but it further impeded on the livelihoods of the scavengers who would a) gain a small income from sorting these materials and b) provide a service that was needed (waste diversion).

Some questions I’ve learned to ask: What if recommended infrastructures and practices impede on cultural traditions? What if the community practices methods that are best for the region? What does the community think is important to develop and create? What do they already know? What is missing when we take this into account? What exists that can fill this gap but doesn’t right now?

In designing projects, we should look at every avenue – not just in creating a solution. Rather, we are outside, looking in. We are puzzle solvers. We need to see what the shapes look like before we try to put them together or create a piece that may not fit at all.

I think that as future problem solvers of the world, we must keep this in mind. Whether in less developed countries or more developed countries, solving problems and designing projects should address the most important and relevant concerns for those benefitting – and in addressing them, should also respect that they are assets. Local community and people are not stationary beings that problems solvers act upon. They, no, we are assets in creating our future. Involve us and we’ll learn to create positive changes.

 

Geography has really taught me something crazy this semester – something that’s made me question what I want and the way I see the world. And I love that. So to Professor Elvin Wyly, if you ever read this, thank you for an eye-opening and redefining semester.

Urban Geography was by no means simple to define. This is something that I’ve learned quite well over the last semester. However, it seems like hardly anyone knows how to define it. And that’s okay. From what I’ve gathered, it’s the study of cities, how and why they came it be and how cities have developed societies and vise-versa (mind-city feedback) and what connects cities over time and over space. Sounds easy?

So here I am, taking this course because I thought cities were obviously a solution to becoming more sustainable. It had to be, right? People are closer together, there’s liveliness and density and community. We use less cars, we share ideas, we can consolidate our resources – it’s all great and sustainable, right? Turns out, as my final paper describes, things are not so simple.

I was looking for a solution to how cities can create sustainable changes. What I found, was something much more compelling, complex and real.

Cover Page for my final paper in GEOG350

 

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The old mantra “think globally, act locally,” is pretty silly.

-Edward Glaeser, author of Triumph of the City

This, I’ve learned to appreciate to be true. In GRS, we have to keep in mind that our local actions have global impacts. What we do affects someone, somewhere else. In writing my final term paper, this is also what I’ve discovered, is lacking when cities begin to plan for “sustainable development”.

For example, let’s take Vancouver. We live in this beautifully blessed city where nature is both our front yard and our back yard. As Vancouverites, we think we’re pretty sustainable, right? Our government is leading the way with the Greenest Action 2020 Plan, we want Zero-Waste and Climate Action and investing in sustainable food sources, Eco-Density, and the list goes on and on and on.

And I’m not denying that these efforts are making a difference. Especially when we take into account the social benefits that come with promoting these ideas, adopting it in everyday practice and educating current and future on their importance. However, cities are tied, almost always, with the ideas of economic prosperity and growth. And this discourse most definitely has not disappeared from the plans for sustainable city development. In fact, it becomes an integral part of the notion of being sustainable. I think, personally, it’s to counteract the olden day notion that sustainability isn’t profitable – that we must sacrifice economic growth for ecological prosperity. Sustainable development plans in many cities, Vancouver’s included, are compelled to sell the world on these plans.

One may ask: why? Why do they need to “sell” their development plans? And we go back to this relation of local and global. We live in a world where our economies are interconnected – we are globalized. Delving into some of the discourse in Vancouver’s Greenest City Action Plan, we begin to see a pattern emerging. It talks much of economic prosperity by creating green spaces, investing in high density, green buildings and green development, as well as becoming a “mecca for green enterprise.” And again, I am not denying that the initiatives planned are NOT sustainable. But we must look at some compelling facts:

When cities create green spaces and green buildings, they are inviting global investors to develop these projects. For example, Concord Pacific began as Chinese investment in Vancouver’s real estate market. Furthermore, “beautifying” the city with natural capital and increased housing is also a marketing tool to attract businesses, immigrants and tourists alike. For one, the city will become a beautiful place to do business. For others, it will be a beautiful place to visit or live in. In all cases, the Vancouver economy will benefit and the city becomes more sustainable in the process.

It’s all great, right?

Let’s look at the flipside. These actions are benefitting Vancouver and those who live here – there’s a carbon footprint that is not consumed by us. But we shouldn’t forget that nevertheless, there are carbon emissions being created by these actions. Increased flights from increased business and tourism will inevitably increase carbon emissions. This is a result of attracting people to the city.

When we build residences, however dense, we are not only inviting the investors to develop, but the global chain of resources connected with our city that is needed to build these homes.

Lastly, when we build more dense, greener homes, and create an urban environment that increases both the supply and the demand of homes within Vancouver – we will force those who can no longer afford these homes to the edges in the suburbs. All the while, we are focused on the locality of Vancouver; creating jobs and homes within the city and ignoring the effects of expanding suburbs, increased transportation and home maintenance costs, and the eventual carbon footprint that is incurred because of it.

The point of this post is to say that sustainability is not one sided. Sustainable development plans for cities are well-intentioned if not poorly measured. There isn’t one solution or even a simple solution. But in looking for an answer to sustainable cities, through Intro to Urban Geography, I’ve actually found a paradox.

Our actions to create sustainable cities, to sell people on the idea of sustainability, may be the very actions that are, indeed, creating less-sustainable effects and outcomes.

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Coming to this realization was rewarding, if not a bit saddening. Personally, I believe that focusing on optimistic and positive qualities of sustainability are those that bring about true changes on the general public. It’s about invoking a feeling of accomplishment and of goodness. I don’t know completely what I feel about this discovery. But I am hoping it won’t make me too critical or too cynical about the world around me.