Edmonton Construction 13 (November 2015)

[Hallsy's Toupee]

When you gotta go, but there’s no public toilet in sight
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/...-public-toilet-in-sight/article35782108/

In Canada, we behave as if urination, defecation and menstruation are not routine bodily functions, but are somehow optional if we are away from our homes.

We design, construct and maintain public spaces such as roads, sidewalks and parks, but act as if people using those spaces will never need a bathroom unless they are attending an “event” such as Canada Day, and you need to content yourself with a long line-up to use a porta-potty that requires you to hold your breath.

Toilets need to be considered a No. 1 (and No. 2) priority of urban design; they are essential for an inclusive, healthy society.

This is particularly true as the population ages, and more and more people live with chronic health conditions. A number of health issues affect bodily functions, including diabetes, colorectal cancer, irritable bowel syndrome, prostatitis, shingles, stroke and dementia, not to mention the regular needs of children, pregnant women, menstruating women and anyone with a bladder or a colon.

[Coldrsx]

New Hope Mission on 105ave/100st.


http://wpmedia.edmontonjournal.com/2017/07/3s9nsab0br-jpeg1.jpg?quality=55&strip=all
edmontonjournal

[Urban recluse]

Great project; bad area for it.

[Coldrsx]

Is it?

[Airboy]

Why not build it in the same location. This looks a hell of a lot better than is currently there.

Its also long over do. I have done work on the existing facility over the years and can see why people choose
the street over the shelter.

[Black Star]

I like the building. Location is not a concern. This has been here a long time. Their helping 100s of people.

Very commendable to build this. I will throw in a couple bucks.

[240glt]

Ultimately, the idea (hope ?) that the ice district would push all the "undesirables" to another part of town has not proven true, they are not going anywhere, so rather than having the marginalized population rely on a sick old building they'll get a new building that will hopefully serve that community better, which in turn helps the broader community

A lot of people are blaming the city for approving this, I think the only thing the city has done wrong is allow the state of degradation of that area to continue unchecked for so long.

As with the whole Northlands situation, we're once again scrambling to find a solution to a problem that should have been dealt with a long time ago

[GreenSPACE]

The building could be so much more though. The design is super mediocre and does not provide anything to the street. Also, City and Province are completing a strategy to address affordable housing. Why not wait to build it so you could incorporate some of these features?

[240glt]

For what it'll be I think the design is pretty nice

You're confusing two different issues here. Affordable housing and emergency shelters are not the same things. This building addresses the immediate needs of homeless people. Affordable housing is another issue altogether

Plus, they said that should the shelter ever become obsolete, it will be designed in such a way that it could be retrofitted in the future

Finally, there is a bit of urgency here because in two years from now the political landscape may be much different and this project could become much less of a priority

[McBoo]

Paula Simons hits the nail right on the head: http://edmontonjournal.com/business/comm...-conflict-with-gentrifying-neighbourhood

Cumulatively too much for one community

Does not advance the much talked about but never acted on goal to spread facilities like this out to other communities

Does not advance ending homelessness.

And concludes .... got a better idea? Nope.

Well said.

[240glt]

I think Paula is a bit confused as well (that happens a lot)

They are not adding beds, this is a direct replacement of an obsolete facility

This facility is meant for front line services for homeless people. Affordable housing is a completely different issue altogether

People have only recently started talking about spreading out affordable housing in the past few years. Before that, only folks in these neighbourhoods were talking about it, and they were ignored by the city.

No one has a good answer. Or at least an answer that will please everyone

[ue]

Originally Posted by GreenSPACE

The building could be so much more though. The design is super mediocre and does not provide anything to the street. Also, City and Province are completing a strategy to address affordable housing. Why not wait to build it so you could incorporate some of these features?

I agree. I have no problem with it being built on that site, but the design is super mediocre, especially considering the location. Emergency shelter or affordable housing, we can still adhere to some good aesthetics. The Boyle Renaissance was much more nicely designed (yes, I realize, different type of development).

[GreenSPACE]

Originally Posted by 240glt

For what it'll be I think the design is pretty nice

You're confusing two different issues here. Affordable housing and emergency shelters are not the same things. This building addresses the immediate needs of homeless people. Affordable housing is another issue altogether

Plus, they said that should the shelter ever become obsolete, it will be designed in such a way that it could be retrofitted in the future

Finally, there is a bit of urgency here because in two years from now the political landscape may be much different and this project could become much less of a priority

I don't agree. This building does not have to be single use. That's not how you design a building in this context.

My understanding is they haven't secured all their funding. And while the province may fund this, they're also working on a homelessness strategy. The two should be looked at in conjunction. Not disagreeing about addressing immediate needs of homeless, but the two issues are related.

[Airboy]

Originally Posted by 240glt

They are not adding beds, this is a direct replacement of an obsolete facility

This facility is meant for front line services for homeless people. Affordable housing is a completely different issue altogether

As I have said before this was long over do. During the Klein years they were talking about redoing it but that died along with the cuts.

Should we spread the facilities around the city, Yes. But most people that use this gravitate to the centre of the city, as with all large cities. Lets add new facilities to other areas, this is a rebuild and is sorely needed.

[240glt]

Originally Posted by GreenSPACE

I don't agree. This building does not have to be single use. That's not how you design a building in this context.

My understanding is they haven't secured all their funding. And while the province may fund this, they're also working on a homelessness strategy. The two should be looked at in conjunction. Not disagreeing about addressing immediate needs of homeless, but the two issues are related.

I think you're wrong. The two issues are not directly related, or at the very least there is no direct correlation. Trust me, I've worked with service providers on a lot of different non-market housing proposals and there is a big difference not only between a homeless shelter and the varying degrees of support through non-market housing. Just combining everything is not well thought out and quite possibly detrimental

Funding from the province will be coming very soon so I hear. I expect the city will through some money in too. I do believe this will break ground mid 2018

[240glt]

Originally Posted by Airboy

As I have said before this was long over do. During the Klein years they were talking about redoing it but that died along with the cuts.

Should we spread the facilities around the city, Yes. But most people that use this gravitate to the centre of the city, as with all large cities. Lets add new facilities to other areas, this is a rebuild and is sorely needed.

I think (And I certainly don't claim to have all the answers) what needs to happen is that the centrally located facility is the crisis intervention location, where all the pressing needs are met. if they can get people stabilized enough that they can actually live in a place, with support, then they should be re-located to a facility that best suits their needs. Those transitional facilities could be in a wide variety of places throughout the city, as long as they have good transit access and basic amenities within walking distance. In fact in those cases it's probably better to get them out of downtown.

It's complicated, no doubt. But waiting for another "plan" or doing nothing is not the answer, that's for sure

[Urban recluse]

Clustering social housing is simply not good for revitalization.

[GreenSPACE]

Where Edmonton Goes Next - Citylab
https://www.citylab.com/design/2017/07/where-edmonton-goes-next/533313/?utm_source=SFFB

[240glt]

Originally Posted by Urban recluse

Clustering social housing is simply not good for revitalization.

You're right, it's not

But this is not social housing. This is a temporary emergency shelter that deals with individuals with a wide range of mental and physical health issues, chronic alcohol and drug dependence, and all the underlying problems and root causes of that. Thse people rely on the services in the area like Boyle Street Community Services, the Bissel Centre and others for their basic survival needs. To successfully move them out of the area you have to provide them the tools to survive without those supports. If we can give people those tools then we have a chance of decentralizing poverty and integrating them into different communities

The other thing that needs to happen is that the social agencies need to stop working in silos. That's almost as big a challenge

[Urban recluse]

Perhaps a suburban location with landscaped grounds would do more to promote mental wellness.