Real Neighbourhoods

Wherever I’ve lived in St. John’s, from the windswept home in Blackhead where my first daughter was born, to a basement apartment on Grenfell Avenue, to a studio apartment above Fiddler’s Pub—each neighbourhood had its own distinct character and needs. In my first term, I led the creation of new Development Regulations that, for the first time, promote community-level plans that reflect each neighbourhood’s personality. I would love the opportunity to continue my work on this and participate in the creation of these plans. There are many neighbourhoods in St. John’s that could benefit from these plans, from Pleasantville to Kenmount Terrace, I hope we can work together on planning the future that residents want. In my first term, we approved the groundwork for the first ever Healthy City Strategy, which focuses on building healthier neighbourhoods while working with community partners such as Eastern Health. Our Strategic Plan for the years 2019-2029 includes a major pillar on “Connected City”—a base line that shows up on decision notes every week at Council to ensure connectivity is enshrined in our regular decision making processes. I paid close attention to the creation of this Strategic Plan and applaud City Staff for the effort that was made to listen to residents who told us that better connected neighbourhoods matter to them. We created the first “neighbourhood profiles” project to help people figure out what’s nearby, especially great for newcomers to the city.

• I support the creation of community-level plans.
• I support the creation of a “Good Neighbour Policy” to help constituents navigate common issues in their neighbourhoods.
• I support the continuation of work on the Healthy City Strategy.
• I will champion the application of gender-based analysis to appropriate city planning activities, including but not limited to when we discuss changes to city parks and public places.
• I will continue to improve connectivity in our development regulations as we work on the Subdivision Design Manual and other documents.
• I will promote connectivity in the forthcoming transportation master plan.
• I will support the implementation of the transit review, especially when it comes to frequency of buses, so that your neighbourhood is easier to get home to.