My earlier grumbling about winter is gone; it’s been a week and I’m ready for spring! I’m also trying to incorporate a new way of thinking about winter:
Dave Hutton, a reporter at The Star Phoenix wrote a great story in January about Saskatoon’s potential to be a true winter city (that is, a city that embraces winter rather than shuns it). The thinking is this: Winter is never going to disappear so cities should be encouraging outdoor activities and getting people active during the long winter months to promote a sociable, happy environment.
A cold-climate planning movement was started in the 1980s by a man from the Michigan based Winter Cities Institute and a Waterloo, ON based retired professor. The two looked at ways to winterize cities – such as incorporating brighter colours on buildings which would be built to reduce winds whipping through city streets. Their ideas have caught on and there are many cities around the world that have embraced winter, such as Lulea, Sweden, which heats sidewalks with wood burning fireplaces and has snow and ice sculptures on display.
Check out Dave Hutton’s story here and let me know your thoughts about winter cities – have you visited one or would you? Why or why not? Do you live in one or one that has the potential to be more winter friendly?