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Kinistinâw Park

^^^
the unfortunate individuals who died didn’t become addicts or homeless or have impure drugs sold to them because the city built a park.

^^
and who is going to finance and rent and occupy those cru’s and residences until we’re post-covid? there’s probably 100,000 sf plus of vacant commercial space in the quarters at the moment and probably a couple hundred residences as well. the issue you want fixed isn’t a lack of supply or developer commitment.
 
^^ The Quarters can become a desirable area, it is the negative image that needs to change. Three deaths in a brand new park does not help, the park needs people and programming to prevent this from happening again.
The Quarters will soon have its own LRT station; that, including everything the city has already done should be more than enough incentive for developers to start building things.
 
itom987 said:
^^ The Quarters can become a desirable area, it is the negative image that needs to change. Three deaths in a brand new park does not help, the park needs people and programming to prevent this from happening again.
The Quarters will soon have its own LRT station; that, including everything the city has already done should be more than enough incentive for developers to start building things.
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itom987 said:
Few answers after three die suddenly in downtown Edmonton park
Click on the link to read the Edmonton Journal article.


Looks like my fears about this park are becoming reality. We need to nip this at the bud now before it gets worse.
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I am trying hard not to assume anything, but what do you mean by "nip this in the bud" and "programming to prevent this from happening again"? Three people are dead, likely from opiate overdoses, which is an absolute tragedy. The issue isn't how we get more people in the area and make them feel safer in a park -- it's HOW DO WE KEEP PEOPLE FROM DYING!

We all like urban development or we wouldn't be here, but it's crass to be more worried about park users than people's lives. This type of tragedy should spur people to demand more than band aid fixes from government because shifting people around so they die in less conspicuous places is heartless.
 
archited said:
The City should stop building "passive use" parks -- they become natural points of contact for the needle crowd and other illicit transaction-ers.
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I'm ignorant; what are alternatives to "passive use" parks? I personally imagine parks as passively used in nature, but again, I'm ignorant about this.
 
My issue is not with the death themselves which is a tragedy that could have been avoided. My issue is with the image Edmontonians have with the area, the place has a reputation for being full of druggies. If there were more people walking their dog in the area the deaths in the park could have been prevented.
 
^
i hate to say it but the place doesn’t “have a reputation for druggies”, the place is full of druggies. and acknowledging that isn’t being insensitive. what’s insensitive is their not having better places to go than inner city streets and alleys; their not being able to get the supports they need including basic shelter (not shelters); their not being able to legally access high quality drugs; and their being preyed upon by drug dealers and gangs and pimps as a result of those three things.

and all four of those things are a big reason why there aren’t more people walking their dog in the area. besides, that might have prevented those deaths from happening in the park but it wouldn’t have prevented those deaths from being just as tragic..
 
kcantor said:
^
i hate to say it but the place doesn’t “have a reputation for druggies”, the place is full of druggies. and acknowledging that isn’t being insensitive. what’s insensitive is their not having better places to go than inner city streets and alleys; their not being able to get the supports they need including basic shelter (not shelters); their not being able to legally access high quality drugs; and their being preyed upon by drug dealers and gangs and pimps as a result of those three things.

and all four of those things are a big reason why there aren’t more people walking their dog in the area. besides, that might have prevented those deaths from happening in the park but it wouldn’t have prevented those deaths from being just as tragic..
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You nailed it to the point!
The "problem" we're discussing is nothing but a tragic symptom of a much larger issue that needs to be addressed.
 
Instead of wasting our energy trying to solve the impossible-to-solve problem of homelessness and drug abuse. Let's focus on diluting the problem to a manageable level by developing the area.
Whyte Ave. also has a homeless and drug abuse problem but it still feels safe, use that area as an example for the rest of the city.
 
One thing is undeniable, there needs to be more active CRU's, there needs to be more people living in the area, only then will problems not be as pronounced. One business that has taken a chance is the little convenience store right next to the future quarters LRT stop. I really do hope that that store will survive and there their gamble pays off for them by setting up long before there is lots of activity in the area.
 
itom987 said:
Instead of wasting our energy trying to solve the impossible-to-solve problem of homelessness and drug abuse. Let's focus on diluting the problem to a manageable level by developing the area.
Whyte Ave. also has a homeless and drug abuse problem but it still feels safe, use that area as an example for the rest of the city.
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I disagree with you on all accounts except for the need to develop the area.
It is not impossible to solve, it is difficult and involves all of us thinking of this as a social problem, as much as a healthcare issue.
These don't need to be just managed. They need to be properly addressed by all of the government levels and by society as a whole.
 
itom987 said:
Let me know when you solved the problem!
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No one will solve it alone, but a good start would be to acknowledge it and contribute to an actual solution, instead of trying to simply gentrify the area and push these people even more to the margin or hide them from sight.
They're freaking human beings, for crying out loud! While developing the area would make it safer for residents and park users, it is an elitist and bodes as Social Cleansing, rather than anything.
 
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