A sign in the North District of Vancouver says a more accessible and vibrant public space along Gallant Avenue, between Panorama Drive and Banbury Road, will be "15-minute city ready." .Deep Cove is in the easternmost part of the District of North Vancouver..Construction began in early 2023 on the Livable Deep Cove Project design, which includes permanent, one-way vehicle traffic on lower Gallant, expanded sidewalks, streetlights, movable bollards, flex zones for protected pedestrian areas or parking, trees and improved road surfaces..A new green infrastructure system will also be installed that includes new trees, underground soil cells and rain gardens to improve biodiversity, reduce future sidewalk buckling and enhance pedestrian flow..However, existing trees along Lower Gallant Avenue will be removed. .The North District of Vancouver said the trees will be replaced by trees planted using soil systems that enhance growth and health and improve rainwater quality flowing in and around sidewalks and pavers.."Sidewalks on both sides of Gallant Avenue are complete and open, while crews continue work on irrigation and landscaping, lighting, paver installation, and grading and drainage at the intersection at Panorama," the North District of Vancouver said.."Minor works such as landscaping completion will continue into August, however final paving is expected to take place in late July and the road to open to traffic, fencing removed, and the detour route closed to vehicles shortly thereafter.".The idea of the 15-minute city was unveiled at COP21 in 2015 as an urban design concept to make needed amenities available to anyone within a 15-minute walk or bike ride..Although the idea has caught on in Edmonton, Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver, and other Canadian cities, many Canadians are leery..READ MORE: Why people oppose 15-minute cities.Trish Perkins-Triebner of Woodstock, Ontario, says “15-minute cities isn’t a terrible idea in itself. Having necessities of life closer to home is never a bad thing."."The issue lies with surveillance and data collecting. And of course restriction of movement to areas outside of the 15-minute zone. It’s [government] overreach at its finest. And it’s the end of freedom. Crucify 15-minute cities by simply saying NO.” .In Edmonton, Jill Whynot says “fines for freedom of movement” concern her. A precedent comes from Oxford, UK, which will divide the city into 15-minute districts in 2024. People with permits get 100 visits a year and fines equal to $56 Canadian for each additional trip. .BC resident Carrie Godard has a similar assessment: “Total control, communism, dictatorship. Same thing Hitler did only this is on a global scale. They'll become ghettos. History repeating itself on a much larger scale.” .Lorie Growth of Hay Lakes, Alberta agrees. “Except this time the wall will be built electronically and all citizens will be captive, not just Jews. Always starts out as a nice idea…until it is not.”.Darcy Atkinson of the Grande Prairie, Alberta, area calls 15-minute cities the “second step to total domination over the people. COVID was the first step to see how we would respond! And like the sheep…we followed 😡🤬.”.A 68-year-old living in Hythe, Alberta foresees the 15-minute concept intersecting with a digital ID and currency..“I am wondering how store owners will feel about limited customer bases and they will expect you to be biking and walking in these areas. Ever try to get a week’s worth of groceries for a family on a bike?"."To me, it seems the government wants more control over our lives. Add the digital passport to this and we are very controlled and your every movement is tracked,” says Sharon Cudmore.
