Palo Alto - Improving mobility for all

When I was doing this project I think I enjoyed researching about Palo Alto the most because this is where Tesla‘s headquarters are located. Not to mention, this city is a part of the Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Bay area where other famous technology companies like Google, SpaceX, and Apple operate. According to one of the articles I was reading, mobility is a challenge for this city. The city is trying to become a more digital, carbon-free, and environmentally sustainable place. With the utilization of Tesla vehicles and other electric methods of transportation, future generations will not have to face issues like global warming. Not only that, individuals who have a hard time parking or simply operating a vehicle can command the electric car to function autonomously. This is unbelievably beneficial for wheelchair users as their workload while driving is reduced greatly. In a regular vehicle, disabled users are consistently using their hands to alternate between the brake and acceleration throttle which can be exhausting. Calgary would have a reduction in traffic and casualty collision rates through this digital social innovation, making it a smart mobility city, along with a smart environmentally sustainable city. As a result, more people will be likely to purchase this product, adopt eco-friendly practices, and possibly look into Palo Alto’s other sustainable technology, some of which Musk is responsible for the creation.

~A.N

Connecting Traditional Knowledge and Technology in Grafton, Australia

In the exploration of five Smart Cities and the impact that they are having on civic innovation and urban resilience, an interesting method of community engagement captured my attention: makerspaces. Makerspaces have not only provided places for people to access technology, tools, knowledge, and community, but they have also been catalysts for change among vulnerable populations across the world.

In Grafton, Australia, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have faced a dramatic population decrease due to British colonization across the country in the late 1700s (Australians Together, n.d.). This has led to a loss of cultural identity among these communities and contributed to a culture of lost identity (Australians Together, n.d.). In an attempt to protect the traditional heritage of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples the National Centre of Indigenous Excellence launched the program IDX (Indigenous Digital Excellence) which promotes the use of technology in learning about the land and one's heritage (2017). Participants have access to robotics, 3D printing and drones and learn about their land and ancestors through this program (National Centre for Indigenous Excellence, 2017).

Grafton, while a seemingly unremarkable country city, stands out to me through their ability to embrace technology as a way to tell stories and learn about their culture. I found it particularly inspiring that they used drone technology to teach high school students about the river and to recognize its importance to the Aboriginal communities that rely on it (National Centre for Indigenous Excellence, 2017).

Sydney H

Amsterdam - A world leader of innovation

Amsterdam is the capital city of the Netherlands and is home to a wealth of historical knowledge, as well as a large artistic scene (Vincent, Wintle, & Werkman, n.d.). Relating to Amsterdam’s involvement in Digital Social Innovation (DSI), the history of the city of Amsterdam must be looked at. Since Amsterdam is a largely coastal port city, issues of flooding have caused the city problems since the 16th century (Digital Social Innovation Europe, Amsterdam’s Take On Digital Social Innovation, n.d.). This issue caused the citizens of Amsterdam to work together to find different ways to protect the city, thus giving rise to Amsterdam’s current large-scale involvement in social innovation (Digital Social Innovation Europe, Amsterdam’s Take On Digital Social Innovation, n.d.). As identified by Digital Social Innovation Europe (n.d.), Amsterdam’s holistic approach to innovation is one of its biggest success factors relating to why it is one of the world’s leaders for innovation (Digital Social Innovation Europe, Amsterdam’s Take On Digital Social Innovation, n.d.). By considering the opinions of all citizens and stakeholders, Amsterdam is able to bring “together multiple ‘forces’ in the city.” (Digital Social Innovation Europe, Amsterdam’s Take On Digital Social Innovation, n.d.).

Aiden M.

February 24, 2021 - Diving into user testing

What an action-packed session! This week we were joined by some of Canada’s user testing experts and learned about what bringing civic user testing to Calgary might look like. Scott Dillon started off by telling us about his story in finding his place with tech user-testing with PLATO (ProfessionaL Aboriginal Testing Organization Inc.), and how this organization has hired 1000 Indigenous user testers to gain insightful data and represent diverse communities. Next we heard from Mike Hrycyk from PLATO, who walked us through his experiences with user testing and a few tips on what we might consider when moving forward with civic user testing:

1. Be the expert on your application

2. Consider what you want out of the test

3. Consider issue management carefully

4. Have a feedback mechanism

5. Make people feel valued

After this insightful conversation about PLATO with Scott and Mike, Marisa joined us from GRIT (Gathering Residents to Improve Technology) to talk about how her team under Code for Canada is building tech capacity with civic user testing groups in Toronto. In her experience, she was engaged with design, recruitment, partnerships and data management to bring about effective user testing that emphasizes their core value of treating their participants with respect. In their civic-focussed approach, library and community centres replace lab settings, tests are held after working hours, diverse representative samples of residents are selected, and trust and empathy with participants is at the forefront of each test. Marisa gave us ten tips for creating civic-user testing groups in Calgary:

1. Understand the local context

2. Have a plan for everything

3. Don’t wait for the perfect test

4. Don’t wait for the perfect client

5. Build a go/no go framework

6. Validate, iterate, validate, iterate, continued…

7. Put a “Pilot” on it

8. Always go back to your principles

9. Lean on other civic testing/tech groups

10. Close the feedback loop

To finish up our information-packed session, we heard from Monique Symes from the City of Calgary’s Smart Calgary sector, where she talked about what Calgary has done to promote economic opportunity and address empowerment and inclusion in the context of Calgary as a Smart City. She mentioned that the next steps for Smart Calgary is to address digital inequality in the context of tools, access and affordability and education - giving us something to look forward to learning more about in the coming future!

SH

February 10, 2021 Reflection: Innovation, Design Thinking ...and Mayor Nenshi! (Copy)

Life is full of surprises. We all seem to be aware of this truth, but how often do we find ourselves, well, surprised when something unexpected happens? It’s only human to experience this, yet we constantly search for ways to decrease risk and increase clarity in our lives. One of the ways we are learning to do just this is through a tool called Design Thinking. In our class today, we were visited by Erin from Calgary’s Civic Innovation Lab, who walked us through how to use Design Thinking and what it is!

After learning about the concept of design thinking, City of Calgary UX Researcher, Murray Thompson walked us through the practicality of running a User Test–let’s just say we all got to hit the ground running with hands-on work. It was awesome!

To put the icing on the cake, we were all surprised to find our very own Mayor Naheed Nenshi waiting for us upon our return from our breakout rooms. He generously shared his time with our class to inspire us and encourage us on our journey to making the lives of Calgarians better every day–a motto which he embraces with conviction.

Dawson D.

Niki’s Walk - Signal Hill

Signal Hill is infamous for its Guinness world record, massive-numbering accomplishment. These numbers represent the battalion military groups' names - pre World War I. The creative, yet massive aesthetic is truly eye-opening to newcomers, and home to tens of thousands of residents year round.

The monument located in the centre of the park area enacts the body of the entire hill. Here, you will find the true historical value of this location. Noted from the plaque on the landmark: WWI soldiers would train in their respected battalion group - (Each group represented by one of the numbers on the hill) - This was originally a military training base, which consisted (From what I could decipher from the image on the plaque) of all types of course-training.

The steppes leading down the hill connect all the way to the supercentre below, which is home to hundreds of grocery and commercial stores and services. These steppes are no ordinary incline, as tens of runners use them as training grounds for cardio. (Ironic that over 100 years later, Signal Hill can still be used as the active ground it was intended for).

February 3, 2021 Reflection - Meaning and the Impact of Design

Reutimann, R. (November 7, 2019). Lensball in metro station [Photograph]. Unsplash. https://unsplash.com/photos/xx-Z8fuF83Y

In today’s social innovation class, we were privileged to have many guest speakers, with one being Kurtis Lesick from Alberta University of the Arts. The big question proposed at the beginning was, “How are we to approach the world?” and to reflect on this by asking ourselves what this means and how we might do it. With the guidance from Kurtis, our class then both learned and discussed what meaning is, how we derive it, and how this relates to design. As designers and innovative thinkers, we have to be mindful and aware of the unconscious biases that we all have, and how what we put out into the world can create both solutions but also more problems. It is also a responsibility to apply human-centered design practices to gain perspective, but the work does not end at that. We have to understand that all of our actions contribute to society, whether that is big or small, and thus materializes it.

We will never all interpret, interact or get the same meaning from something in the same way as one another, but we can be more conscious of how what we put out into the world can create an effect.

Kaylee P.

A Stroll in Sunalta

A Special Place in Calgary

In late 2019, I embarked on a research project called the "Catalyst Fellowship" with Mount Royal University's Institute for Community Prosperity. The fellowship would entail me researching matters related to community sustainability but in a specific community, Sunalta, situated in SW Calgary. I, as a Calgary native, had never actually heard of Sunalta before and was excited about uncovering a new area of the city. Through the months I spent as a research fellow and later, through my time working as the Community Marketing Lead at the Sunalta Community Association, I had not only come to appreciate the physical community, but I was thoroughly amazed at the "sense" of community that existed in its residents, its businesses, its events, and more.

What's so great about Sunalta?

From the moment you exit the train station, you get a strong sense of welcomeness and inclusivity. Whether it's the beautiful murals sprinkled around the community, the bright red community hall often bustling with activity or the friendly local businesses, residents and visitors alike can feel a strong sense of home.

Through my time working at the community association, I learned of the rich cultural diversity of Sunalta's residents. Many new Canadians choose to call Sunalta home and it shows when you attend a community event, such as a movie in the park. I am a first-gen Canadian but if I was a new immigrant, I'd most definitely feel included here.

Community at its core

When shopping in some of the local businesses along 10th Ave SW, you might notice some storefronts carrying a "Proud Sunalta Business" sticker. This is because there is a strong sense of community even with the local businesses! In 2020, some businesses showed their support for their community association by participating in the annual membership drive giveaway and many businesses further sponsor community events such as the Stampede Breakfast. This close collaboration of businesses is not something you always see, which is another reason why I love this community.

You also see a strong sense of community with the communal green spaces. The Sunalta Wildflower Garden is a beautiful green space, maintained by community members where you can have a picnic, stroll and admire the flowers, keep up to date with the community bulletin, or read a book on a bench. Speaking of reading, there's a free little library in the garden! I see this as an important accessibility feature considering the nearest library is a car or train ride away.

Another green space further up 16th Street SW called the Sunalta Cottage School Park offers another bench and free little library.

Getting around

There are many ways of getting to and from the community. Being just to the left of the Beltline allows for a quick walk to some of downtown's businesses. While the community sits just outside the free fare zone, it is home to a large train station offering quick access to the city centre. I believe that it'll be a plus for the community if the free fare zone was extended to Sunalta, thus removing a financial barrier and perhaps motivating residents to engage with the city more.

There is a cycle track on 12th Ave SW that also leads to downtown, offering an active choice for a commute. While Calgary in large part remains quite car-centric (very evident if you observe 10th Ave SW), it's evident that residents have options for getting around in this community. The challenge in my view is how can residents be more motivated to use more active means of transportation as I've seen many cars coming and going even with nice weather.

While the community as a whole is very walkable, however, I've noticed one issue regarding the sidewalk narrowing on the north side of 10th Ave SW as you continue west. A few telephone poles further block much of the already narrowed sidewalk presenting a hazard for people with different mobility needs. This I've observed is not just an issue in Sunalta but many sidewalks downtown.

Homes in the Community

Just like the people that live here, the homes that you find are very diverse from century-old character homes to newly built condos, there's a choice for many. An interesting observation that I've made from my research as a Catalyst Fellow is how the types of homes are almost perfectly divided along 12th Ave SW. Homes to the north of the avenue are mostly condo buildings and homes to the south are primarily detached character homes.

Read more about the historical buildings in the community.

I am ending this blog with a highlight on the amazing Sunalta Community Hall. Run by the Sunalta Community Association, the community hall acts as a social space, a resource hub, a workshop, a place for fitness, a place for ceremony, a place for music, and so much more than what you would expect. What impressed me when I worked there was the community association's strong relationship with the community and how many initiatives are resident-led. In my view, they've truly defined a model in which all community associations should follow.

Check out everything the community association has to offer and maybe pick up a membership!

See you in the next Sunalta Live!

MT

Reflecting on an Exploration of My Daily Walk

The neighbourhoods of Glenbrook, Glamorgan and Killarney are the locations that comprise my daily walk, and these days the daily views on foot are what keep me feeling connected to my community.

My Perspectives On the Area

What I love about this route is that there are big, beautiful trees that seem to protect the people that live beneath them. There is something magical about watching the seasons change on these trees every year, and I am in frequent awe of their beauty.

I also love the feeling of safety that I get from walking and living in this area. Visible age diversity ensures that this community is inclusive to many different needs and provides a safe living place for many - though it seems to be primarily young families. Students who attend the university may choose to live in this area when they decide not to live in residence and based on speaking to many of my friends from Mount Royal University there exists a basement suite culture in these neighbourhoods.

I decided to explore the neighbourhood with the lens of a young student - but I couldn't resist mentioning a few parks that the kids I have babysat (6 and 8 years old) had vocalized were their favourite and least favourite. As a kid there was nothing better than going to your favourite playground, I can imagine a Jane's Walk of the best playgrounds in Calgary would be a big crowd-pleaser for 8-year-olds!

Inclusivity and Exclusivity

Although I frequent this walk, I noticed new things as I was tuning in to the details during this experience. For example, I took note of a small free library on somebody's front lawn! This one was full of puzzles and books - perfect for spending time at home. I also took note of the inclusivity of this area - and I observed the cultural diversity through the Filipino Market and Japanese restaurants. In this lens, I also observed some cases of exclusivity: I observed that many of the people I encountered walking and shopping were caucasian, and the stores that I shopped at were not terribly affordable to low-income individuals or families (eg. Luke's drug mart and Safeway). The bike lane on 26th Avenue was partially covered with ice and snow which prevents bikers from commuting on their bikes. Additionally, the ice on the roads in this neighbourhood presents major challenges to those who are physically disabled, as I found myself jumping over large chunks of ice and snow to cross the road in residential streets such as 43rd Street.

Activity of the Area

It's difficult to judge the activity level of folks in this area at the moment, but I think that a few metrics for the activity levels based on our walk could be the amount and type of transportation vehicles that we see, and the number of people that are seen out walking or engaging in other physical activities. The observation of the former presented some uncomfortable realities: everybody seems to drive in separate vehicles - potentially isolating themselves from their community. There is a car parked in front of almost every house. This is to be expected in this city, but it is interesting that I did not observe more of the public transit and biking culture. There were plenty of people out for walks with their dogs or families throughout the entire walk, and I have observed this for a few years which indicates it is not solely a symptom of lockdown measures.

Conclusion

In this Jane's Walk, I sought to showcase the gems of this Southwest region of Calgary and ended up learning a few things myself! The walk uncovered some realities about the area: revamping the area with infills, accessibility problems, and possibly an exclusivity in demographic that feels comfortable or accessible living in these neighbourhoods. I also discovered an appreciation for the greenery, social spaces, safety and a mountain view of this walk. It is certainly a fascinating experience to look at the space you dwell with a more critical eye!

SH

Parks in The Park in Sherwood Park

I took this Jane’s Walk as an opportunity to explore my new home. I’ve come to visit family or support my little brother in his sports but never took the time to explore it for myself. The greatest way I could capture Sherwood Park was through an active lens, due to the nature of the parks I visited. I am sure if this was the summer time it would have been through others, as well as changes in what I could feel, smell and hear. I am newer to social innovation and would find myself getting lost in the feeling of going on a walk rather than focussing on having a more critical eye for the parks. It had been quite cold on this side of the province the past couple weeks so walks have not been as feasible. My favourite pastime in Calgary is to walk through the parks, so this option seemed most fitting for me. Aside from the cold, I did not find that I felt a lot of things. The snow crunching under my boots was both a feeling and a sound throughout the majority of my walks; others were paved enough so it was more silent. Most paths I saw had a line between the middle to indicate a two-way path and many had signs explaining to share the road with bikers. Once you got past the frozen nostrils, all I could smell was mostly fresh air, with other elements at Centennial Park as there were firepits and BBQ’s. The parks were all very busy with families as the hills were transformed for tobogganing and the area surrounding fields as skating rinks.

All the parks were very accessible, and all inner city but encompassed little to no city noise. It was surprising but pleasant as one could truly feel like they are engulfed in nature. Plenty of forestry surrounding the areas and playgrounds not far. The most interesting aspect of my walk was discovering that there was cross-country skiing right in the middle of the city. Overall I found the city to be quite active and inclusive with multifaceted activities at each park and adapting to every season. 

Samantha H.

Calgary’s Living Room: The Central Library

On January 16th, 2021 at precisely 3:15 pm me and my friends walked from the City Hall Station to the outside of Central Library. The Central Library has existed for a long time and it was just a small structure next to the Bow Valley College. The picture above depicts the brand new expanded Central Library. This fully-funded $245 million project, paid for by the City ($175 million) and CMLC ($70 million) opened its doors to the people on November 1st, 2018. (Facts | Calgary Public Library, n.d.)

This place is significant to me because it was one of the factors that built the foundation of my path in Social Innovation. I started my volunteering journey at the age of 12 with CPL; specifically, I volunteered for the Arts Explosion Family Fair held at the Central Library. The library gave me the opportunity to me understand who I am and what I like through interactions with people including children, adults, and the elderly. The library gives everyone access to all the education there is and that’s why I love it. There are so many free facilities that people can use to create their own journey in life and meet their community. You don’t have a printer? Go to the library, You don’t have a computer? Go to the library. Need a space to study? The library has many. Looking for a movie, documentary, or a book? Well, guess what? The Central Library has a countless number of them. Do you need a friend? There are clubs, opportunities, and much more to help you. As Jason Cameron from the City of Calgary said, “The Central Library is like the living room of Calgary.”  

Aarushi N.

The views at Bowmont Park

Bowmont Park

For my Jane’s Walk assignment, I decided to base it around the Bowmont Park area of North West Calgary. As stated by the City of Calgary, Bowmont Park is a 164-hectare park area situated along the North ridge of the Bow River (City of Calgary, Bowmont Park, n.d.). This area has multiple different paths, hiking trails, and picnic areas that always have a stunning view of the Bow River itself, as well as the community of Bowness (City of Calgary, Bowmont Park, n.d.). With Bowmont Park spanning the communities of Scenic Acres, Silver Springs, Varsity, Bowness, and Montgomery, there are multiple access points to areas that have their own individual feeling, while still being part of the same park. While my portion of this Jane’s Walk only focused on the Silver Springs and Varsity area, there is much to explore throughout the entire park. Although this Jane’s Walk was done during the winter, the views are still stunning and the ability for outdoor exercise is still available. This area of Calgary is always enjoyable no matter what time of year it is.

Aiden M.

Biking in the Beltline

I had a fantastic time filming this project and couldn’t have gotten luckier with the January weather. Getting outside on rides like this has done wonders for my mental health over the past year, when other forms of activity have been restricted. Although I don’t have a dog, I think the frequency of my rides has lumped me in with dog walkers who always know what’s going on on their street. With regard to the stops I choose to highlight, I had a general awareness of most of them, but digging in and researching them, as well as examining them through the lenses of active, inclusive/exclusive, creative, and learning city was enlightening. I think there is some correlation between how densely populated the Beltline is and how many opportunities there are to be active and take in some art and history. Having never been in the Lougheed House before, I’m looking forward to a visit when health guidelines permit. I ended up adding commentary on extra BUMP murals that I happened to find along the way, because they’re everywhere! Check out this link to Engage Calgary’s site for the 14 & 15 Avenue SW Mobility Improvements I mentioned in the video. 

Benjamin D.

A Creative City: Experiencing Calgary’s Participatory Culture Through the Artistic Lens.

We all need to see goodness.

Good things, good news and good situations might seem hard to find these days, but they are out there. I personally encountered something good and unexpected last week and I would like to share my experience of it with you.

I participated in a wonderful class project which is rooted in civic engagement, creativity and diverse perspectives called Jane’s Walk. Jane’s Walk is a movement which was started in honor of Jane Jacobs, an author, activist and theorist who contributed greatly to urban studies and civic engagement as a whole. These walks center around the idea that it is our unique memories, experiences and expertise with certain areas of our city that truly define it and give it life. Jane’s Walks are led by any and every individual who wishes to share their experience with an area of our city and “be the expert” for a 15 minute walk.

My Jane’s Walk was led virtually, and I chose to focus on my own neighborhood and surrounding area of Huntington Hills in North West Calgary. While on my walk, I encountered many beautiful sceneries and green spaces–areas where I felt like I could just walk and think for hours. Shortly after leaving Egerts Park, a wonderful off-leash area in Calgary, I came across the most impactful landmark of my Jane’s Walk: Toon Tunnel.

Immediately, I found myself in awe of Calgary’s creativity. Here I was, standing in a seemingly ordinary, uneventful underpass tunnel, and yet within the tunnel was so much life, love, joy and excitement! People’s ideas were alive and being expressed in a beautiful, visible way. I spent several moments marvelling at the various doodles and cartoons which brought back memories of Saturday morning cartoons on the television. This was truly a gift for me to cherish in our city, and I felt like I had glimpsed an image of what it means to be a creative city. It is all about coming together to express goodness. No one who crafted a cartoon in that tunnel was getting paid to do so–it was all a free, beautiful gift of expression and creativity. I left Toon Tunnel feeling both inspired and grateful to have experienced such a hidden gem of Calgary’s creative community.

We all need to see goodness.

Our inability to see what is true, good and beautiful in our city, even our world, is a direct call for us to go out and engage. To encounter new things, places and people–to strive to seek goodness and to find it. Perhaps like me, you’ll be surprised at what you might find when you simply go for a walk.

Dawson D.

Changing the lens on your view