Safe communities are vibrant communities!
A safe community, first and foremost, ensures everyone can meet their basic needs. In a safe community, we have reliably clean drinking water and prioritise the health of our watershed. We have fresh air and prioritise our air quality. There is secure access to nutritious food, and a diverse range of housing options. One of the most important things a city can do is ensure it is doing all it can to meet the basic needs of its community.
With basic needs met, we can do other things to make our community safe and vibrant. We can continue to grow our active transportation network and transit options to ensure people have viable choices for getting around. We can prioritise our climate resilience, creating a community that faces the reality of our changing environment with a positive and proactive approach. We can establish community initiatives that facilitate access to support and resources that provide help when needed so we can feel secure in our city.
When we feel safe, we are empowered to do everything we want to make our community great, and Kimberley is great! Kimberley has multiple examples of inspiring community-led initiatives, like the new playground at Swan Avenue, the restorations at the Bike Park, or the rainbow sidewalk downtown. Kimberley has well-considered assessments for Housing Needs and Childcare and plans for Active Transportation, Community Energy & Emissions, Climate Adaptation, Water Conservation and more. We are a safe and vibrant community, and I want to see our positive momentum continue and increase as we grow and evolve.
A safe and vibrant community also supports the Arts and Culture sector. Yesterday’s First Saturday is evidence to this. However, at this moment , our art center is very fragile and the future looks uncertain. How can we improve this?
Thank you for your comment Helen! I could not agree with you more that the Arts are essential to both the health and vibrancy of any community, and they are absolutely something we need to ensure has priority as our city develops. Part of my business is an art gallery, and ensuring the long-term health of our existing arts community is very important to me!
Thank you for the conversation at Monday’s forum!