‘How the Dutch Got Their Cycle Paths’

I came across this fantastic post on the 'Projects for Public Spaces' blog and I thought I would share it. I've only included a snip it so if you'd like to read more please visit the Placemaking Blog for more: http://www.pps.org/placemaking/blog/


I recently travelled to the Netherlands and was totally amazed by the bike paths and pedestrian culture. Hope you enjoy :)


Cheers,


Connor


‘How the Dutch Got Their Cycle Paths’ 

Mass protests against the domination of cars were one factor that
 led to the superb cycling infrastructure of today's Netherlands.

Given the reputation of the Netherlands as a cyclist’s paradise, you might think that its extensive cycling infrastructure came down from heaven itself, or was perhaps created by the wave of a magic wand. Not so. It was the result of a lot of hard work, including massive street protests and very deliberate political decision-making.


The video below offers vital historical perspective on the way the Netherlands ended up turning away from the autocentric development that arose with postwar prosperity, and chose to go down the cycle path. It lists several key factors, including public outrage over the amount of space given to automobiles; huge protests over traffic deaths, especially those of children, which were referred to by protesters as “child murder”; and governmental response to the oil crisis of the 1970s, which prompted efforts to reduce oil dependence without diminishing quality of life.


The Netherlands is often perceived as an exceptional nation in terms of its transportation policies and infrastructure. And yet there is nothing inherently exceptional about the country’s situation. As the narrator says at the end of the film, “The Netherlands’ problems were and are not unique. Their solutions shouldn’t be that either.”

Fort McMurray Public Library Board welcomes new Director

The Fort McMurray Public Library Board is pleased to announce the appointment of Richard Salmons as Director of the Fort McMurray Public Library, effective December 1, 2011. Mr. Salmons is replacing Mr. Craig Shufelt who recently left the position after five years of outstanding service. Mr. Salmons comes to Fort McMurray from Tennessee, USA where he managed the Jackson Public Library. Mr. Salmons has worked in the library field for the last 25 years since obtaining his Masters of Library Science at the University of Missouri.

In making the announcement, Board Chair John Tupper noted that "We are very pleased to welcome Richard Salmons as Director of the Fort McMurray Public Library. Richard brings a wealth of experience to the position and we are looking forward to working with him in the months and years ahead". Richard's arrival from Jacksonville Tennessee goes to show that we have a world-class library that attracts world-class talent".

The Board looks forward to working with Mr. Salmons to continue to position the Fort McMurray Public Library as a community leader, working with community agencies to seek innovative ways to deliver high quality, cost-effective library services that meet the needs of our users.

During his time in Jackson, Richard oversaw the development and opening of a new library branch. His involvement in branch development is well suited for the likely build of a new branch library in Fort McMurray. As well, he is an experienced manager and leader active in many community and professional organizations. "I’m very happy to be in Fort McMurray and am excited for the opportunities presented. Fort McMurray has many strong community leaders and I look forward to meeting with them and working together to continue to provide exceptional services to the community." states Richard Salmons.

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For media interview with Mr. Salmons, please call:
Richard Salmons
Director
Fort McMurray Public Library
780-743-7802

Media Contact:
Carolyn Murray
Marketing Manager
Fort McMurray Public Library
780-792-5155

New Wood Buffalo Community Calendar

The Wood Buffalo Community Calendar provides a unified, event scheduling tool for all municipal, community, local business and council events. It was developed to meet a growing need and facilitate communication and allow efficient scheduling and coordination of events.

The new calendar also has a public event submission form, which can be used by anyone to post events - no more logging in required. Please inform any community organizations who would be interested in knowing about the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo Community Calendar.

With regards to technology, the calendar provides greater user control for setting event reminders and sharing of information. It interfaces with Outlook and other calendars, as well as the two most popular communication tools; mobile devices and social media.

The new Community Calendar provides a valued service for our public and will help promote engaged citizenry and inspire more public participation in our regions’ events. To view the Community Calendar, please click here.