Tree Planters: A podcast about change for a better world

This month we talk tall sprawl, also known as vertical sprawl.
Most of us think of the typical suburban development when we think of sprawl, and the answer to this, we are told, is to increase density within the urban boundary. (If you're familiar with our work at all you'll have heard us talk about the need for this.)
Building high rises accomplishes this but putting far more people on a much smaller portion of land, but there are costs associated with this form of development that aren't readily apparent, and that come at the expense of the environment, the community, and the economy. (Not to put those into separate boxes as they are closely interrelated.)
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Links:
Vertical Sprawl
A City that Runs on Itself
Challenging the Vertical Sprawl
Urban sprawl isn’t to blame: unsustainable cities are the product of growth fetish
Barrie Intensification Area Urban Design Guidelines
Barrie Community Energy and Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Reduction Plan
Creating power from organic waste can be a lot to digest
Proposed Developments in Barrie (3D rendering)

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This month we have Claire Malcolmson, of the Rescue Lake Simcoe Coalition, joining us.
We talk about health of Lake Simcoe, the strange silence from this government on reviewing the Lake Simcoe Protection Plan (now several years overdue), among other things.
Oh, and it's RLSC's 20th birthday! Tickets for their November 23rd celebration are available here.
Show links:
Lake Simcoe Protection Plan
Bloom and doom in river (Duckweed)
CELA: Two Decades After Walkerton are New Provincial Laws Risking Another Drinking Water Crisis?
An Interdisciplinary Water Risk Assessment Framework for Sustainable Water Management in Ontario, Canada

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This is a recording of the public forum we held, addressing the assault by this government on the Greenbelt.
Featuring:
Jeff Monague, former Chief of the Beausoleil First Nation on Christian Island, former Director of Treaty Research with the Anishnabek (Union of Ontario Indians) and a Canadian Forces Veteran;
David Crombie, former mayor of Toronto and former chair of Greenbelt Council;
Tim Gray, ED of Environmental Defence Canada;
Margaret Prophet, SCGC;
and Franz Hartman, Alliance for a Liveable Ontario.

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Margaret and Adam talk about Ontario's controversial Bill 23, which drastically changes how communities are planned, about the Ford government's attack on the Greenbelt, which is a reversal from their often repeated promise to not touch it, as well as many more topics.
Adam swears once, hence the explicit tag. (We're talking about the Ford government here, so it's difficult to not be explicit.)
Show links:
Give a Christmas gift and support the show and SCGC with a donation.
SCGC's Store (Hands off the Greenbelt stickers and tees.)
Resources to join opposition to the Greenbelt land-grabs.
The Narwhal: Everything you need to know about Doug Ford’s plan to cut into Ontario’s Greenbelt
The Narwhal: Six developers bought Greenbelt land after Ford came to power. Now, they stand to profit
The Start: They recently bought Greenbelt land that was undevelopable. Now the Ford government is poised to remove protections — and these developers stand to profit
Auditor General: Value-for-Money Audit:
Highway Planning and Management

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Our October episode focuses on the scandal that was the Greenbelt land take-outs, the public backlash, and the fall out.
There is the immediate problems around how land was given to developers, and there are more pervasive problems around democratic accountability, around how our governments make decisions, and about the attitudes of those entrusted with making decisions on all of our behalf.
All of this and more is discussed by Margaret and Adam.
Episode links:
Doug Ford reverses Greenbelt decision
Who is Ryan Amato, the political staffer at the centre of Ontario’s Greenbelt scandal?
How to Rate and Review a Podcast – Major Platforms Covered

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