Tag Archives: Centre Plan

Reject N.S. Minimal Planning Requirements,

(Feb 24, 2025) FHC’s submission to HRM on the Nova Scotia Government’s proposed changes to Minimal Planning Requirements* asks that they be rejected. The changes are without adequate public information, understanding or engagement. Where, what form and how development occurs should be integrated with plans for infrastructure, societal needs (including all ages and abilities) and commercial services, not haphazard. Planning is about more than buildings. If the Centre Plan is inadequate, when is the formal review period? There are areas that need to be strengthened. Details below the image…

Whats the best urban form? Decoupling density from tallness in analysing the life cycle greenhouse gas emissions of cities https://www.nature.com/articles/s42949-021-00034-w

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Amend the Centre Plan, Protect Halifax Trees! Public Hearing, May 21

Halifax planning is killing urban trees. Cutting trees for the QEII hospital is part of a bigger problem. The Centre Plan reduced public open space requirements and increased lot coverage for development threatening trees & green space. And its Robie Street Transportation Corridor will cut ~ 80 trees to widen the street. See: https://shorturl.at/tCDHU

Robie Street Transportation Corridor will cut ~ 80 trees to widen the street and demolish dozens of buildings. Take a detailed look here: https://shorturl.at/tCDHU

But here’s how we can change this ! Continue reading →

FHC to HRM Community Planning & Economic Develoment Standing Committee

The Wanderers Grounds was fully used by amateur players like this QEHS football team (2015) before HRM paid hundreds of thousands for field upgrades, lights and on-going utility/maintenance for a professional private for-profit soccer team takeover.

Dear HRM CPED Committee Members:
Re- Wanderers Grounds – FHC Comments
FHC’s FOIPOP information received Sept 11and attached below shows that the Wanderers Grounds was used almost exclusively by Derek Martin/SEA activities with virtually nothing for amateur players. This is similar to two previous FOIPOPs. Martin/SEA private-for-profit stadium is consistently shutting out amateur players year after year.
ARG-23.24-00118 – Response Letter 00118 – Responsive Record (In Full)

HRM’s 2017 staff report wrote: Continue reading →

FHC Response to HRM’s ‘in principle’ Halifax Common Master Plan

We invite you to read these detailed comments on the ‘in principle’ Halifax Common Master Plan (the “Plan”) that FHC recently sent to HRM staff.  Collectively it took us thousands of hours. It is comprehensive and worth a look!  (There is a short summary below the map.)

Halifax Common with its boundaries between Robie, Cunard, Park and South Streets, as well as land leased to the Horticultural Society for the Public Gardens, area used for cricket grounds, area used for military exercising grounds, and the water-course from the Egg Pond to the Public Garden pond to Freshwater Brook (water features aren’t labelled).

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Chronicle Herald: Rally Against Robie Street demolitions

[Stephen Cooke | Posted: April 9, 2022] While a portable speaker played the sound of Joni Mitchell singing “They paved paradise and put up a parking lot,” Haligonians dismayed by the recent destruction of historic homes on Robie Street gathered in front of the rubble-strewn site across from Camp Hill Cemetery.

Organized by the citizens’ group Development Options Halifax, the rally at the corner of Robie and Bliss streets was held to make residents aware of impending changes to the neighbourhood, and to request they take action against ongoing developments that are changing the character of the city at the expense of affordable housing, the environment and reducing congestion on its streets.

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Lloyd Alter: Groundbreaking Study Highlights How Design and Development Decisions Affect Embodied Carbon

 

“Groundbreaking study on embodied carbon comparing new build to retrofit and addition in Halifax Canada ignored by city, author told to ‘stop making things up.” Should be studied closely, big implications.” writes Lloyd Alter, well-known author at Treehugger in a review of the new report, Buildings For a Climate Crisis, by Peggy Cameron. “The lessons of a study from Halifax, Canada can be applied anywhere,”

Read Alter’s review of the study.

Download Buildings For the Climate Crisis

Image: Halifax Waterfront. Henryk Sadura/ Getty Images

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