AECOM’s Post

MY CITY- the VIBRANT CITY OF SURREY! In Surrey, BC, preserving heritage and cultural identity is vital amidst rapid urbanization. The city's rich cultural tapestry faces challenges due to fast-paced growth, potentially impacting local heritage and community cohesion. As one of Canada's most diverse cities, Surrey's vibrancy stems from its multitude of cultures. However, maintaining cultural practices in the face of development pressures requires active community engagement. Local initiatives celebrating diversity, preserving cultural sites, and promoting community involvement play a crucial role in addressing these challenges. Organizations and community groups in Surrey work diligently to foster cultural identity, ensuring the city's unique character thrives alongside urban growth. More signages recognizing heritage buildings, could connect residents with history of the city. Balancing development with cultural preservation is essential for safeguarding Surrey's heritage and maintaining its cultural vibrancy. Dr. Rishi Singh #SurreyBC #CulturalPreservation #CommunityEngagement #HeritageMatters #UrbanizationJourney #cityofSurrey #destinationSurreybc #NDP #Liberals #Conservativeparty

As designers we must consult the users and community when shaping an environment. Those early decisions can have a big impact on a project's turnout - not only in a communal sense but also the environmental sense. Often, we are the only link between decision makers and other key stakeholders. With great power comes great responsibility - use it wisely.

We often work within regeneration contexts in our consultancy work. Frequently people are focusing on buildings and infrastructure in regeneration plans, but we think it's important to talk about cultural regeneration too. People and activity need to be a part of regeneration if it's going to have the impact it should. So it's great to see this article from Arts Council England on cultural regeneration in the West Country. #LetsCreate #CulturalRegeneration #CulturalDevelopment #CulturalConsultancy https://lnkd.in/euvTuDu9

produced by Evergreen Canada and #FutureCities #Canada, with a focus on #partnerships in #urban #placekeeping - '#Municipalities and #civic #organizations are increasingly being called to #commit to the #Truth and #Reconciliation #Actions and to #engage with the #leadership of #Indigenous #partners through #reflexive, #equitable and #reciprocal #relationships. The #history and #future of #cities in Canada are #interwoven with #Indigenouspeoples, #lands, #rights, #systems, #identities and futures. Civic #leaders and #municipalities can commit to #investing in and supporting opportunities directed at: - The #restoration of #landrights  - The strengthening of #cultural #identities and #capacity-#building  - Building robust #communities that are #selfdetermined by Indigenous peoples. Intended Audience The #Toolkit is intended for all those who are interested in Indigenous worldviews and truth and reconciliation. It will be especially useful for community leaders, practitioners’and staff from municipalities, civic and cultural organizations #working in the #spaces of #placekeeping, #citybuilding and reconciliation and who want to strengthen their relationships with Indigenous partners. Although the focus is on urban placekeeping and #civicIndigenousengagement, the Toolkit can also be used by organizations in other #sectors interested in Indigenous engagement, Indigenous #community, and organizations outside of urban centres, and #provincial and #territorial associations and organizations. #safe #inclusiveplanning #intergenerational #bioregional #placebased #AQ #sdgs #onehealth #wellbeing #education #resilient #regenerative #NbD #accessible #diversityequityinclusion #fairtransition #futureskilling #design https://lnkd.in/gtbmJejy

Successful downtowns have lots of people living in them. They are neighbourhoods unto themselves. Those who travel downtown for work or are visitors are just gravy. It's good to see Windsor investing in its downtown. There was a time when it was an attractive arts and cultural hub, until there were a few decades of bad planning and community investment decisions. It can be attractive again, however, its revitalization will not just come from increased policing, but from investing in and approving more housing so that more people can live and enjoy it. https://buff.ly/4b5uIjq

One of the greatest strengths of inclusionary housing is that is meets different local needs. There are successful examples of this happening in Queenstown where whānau and communities have homes that are affordable, accessible, have access to services, facilities, and infrastructure, that cater to cultural needs and diversity and offer security of tenure. Read more about the how and why of Inclusionary Housing https://lnkd.in/gpquh8BY

It's time to come together as one community. Where differences are celebrated, embraced, and learned from. Where people matter and our differences don't. https://lnkd.in/eFVCFnV #charlestonsc #atlanta #realtor #realestate #multifamily #multifamilyinvesting #propertymanagementconsultant #propertymanagementservices #propertymanagement

At Toronto and East York Community Council I got to illustrate the interconnected relationship between public transportation and biking by deputing in support of prioritizing the curb lane for public and active transportation while commuting on Metrolinx GO train service. Toronto's multi-modal present and future hinges on prioritizing active modes of transportation over single car use occupancy - and the important role of Cycle Toronto for travelling distances of 5km or less. #activetransportation #publicpolicy #advocacy https://lnkd.in/dZUwu5DX

How is City Allies drawing inspiration from the City's vibrant history of the 1880s? The other day, I visited Postman’s Park. Of course, I found out about this amazing place near St. Paul's Cathedral from Keith, our first City storyteller. Keith's incredible knowledge and passion for the City are super inspiring. So what's so special about this park in the heart of the City? The highlight is the Watts Memorial to Heroic Self-Sacrifice. I had never seen a similar memorial, and I was truly touched to read dozens of stories about City men, women, and children who lost their lives trying to save others—strangers, friends, family, or patients. There are 54 stories that testify to the City's extraordinary spirit of community. These stories showcase the bravery and compassion that have long been part of the City’s heritage. This is a reminder of the City of London’s long history of supporting each other, thriving on belonging and a sense of community. I am grateful to Keith for encouraging me to explore this memorial. I feel incredibly honoured to make a small contribution to the City's chronicles by uncovering today's extraordinary City people through City Allies, this ethnographic project I am deeply enthusiastic about. However, I cannot do this without your help! If you live and/or work in the City of London, join me on this journey of discovery. www.cityallies.london cityallies@gmail.com #UrbanResearch #CityofLondon #UrbanLife #CityAllies #CityPeopleStories #Storytelling #CityCommunity #UrbanCommunity #Belonging #Inclusivity #celebration #Citypeople #Citystories Nickie, tell Keith I followed his recommendation and I am sooo glad I did:).

Some musings on CULTURAL PLACEMAKING: Thank you to @The Better Places Partnership for inviting me to its DCMS London Area Towns Group meeting in Newham to speak about placemaking, regeneration, social justice, and about the place that Rosetta Arts holds within that. (And for once, this wasn’t yet another conference or panel meeting where we were placed as a mere passive listener to the big players…) My plea to all involved in 'cultural placemaking' is simple: Just ask yourself 1) whose culture? and 2) who does the 'making' It is people and communities that make places. Places are thoughts and feelings. Places are made by people and their deeply felt and experienced emotions and connections Newham is a wonderfully diverse place with boundless talent and some fantastic ingredients. Yet Newham compares worse than all other London boroughs on key poverty and inequality factors. Poverty is linked to loneliness and loneliness is linked to poor health and wellbeing. Thinking particularly about those old pre Olympic communities that are still marginalised from the opportunities of regeneration, how do we ensure they are able to participate and benefit from the arts and cultural offer? This is the glue that a trusted 31 year old grassroots community arts organisation like Rosetta Arts can bring: we create pipelines of opportunity; we remove barriers to empower people; our programmes result in increased confidence, skills, wellbeing and connection We also support the change makers of the future - this in turn will have a ripple effect resulting in local hubs or movements And therefore, these people, these skills and connections create communities. And communities create places. Let's please start focusing on people, communities and connections to shape our places. Julie Hawksworth FRSA The National Lottery Heritage Fund Arts Council England Historic England Greater London Authority The National Lottery Community Fund VisitEngland London Borough of Newham London & Partners London Sport Sport England Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government - Cities and Local Growth Unit #betterplacespartnership #culturalplacemaking #regeneration #placeshaping #communityempowerment #culturaldemocracy #buildingnewhamscreativefuture