Michael Kerns is a Hawthorne Place resident. He works as a stagehand at The Chan Centre for the Performing Arts and is a full-time Masters student in UBC’s School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture.
Q+A
What is the most important issue facing the campus neighbourhoods today?
UNA governance structure as it relates to UBC Campus and Community Planning poses a fundamental problem, contributing to many of the issues facing our rapidly-expanding community. Residents of our neighbourhoods need more input on expansion planning as well as oversight and reporting mechanisms to address pressing concerns around public safety, community health and wellbeing. UNA should lead the way with community-driven ideas that set the agenda for future construction and urban planning.
Is UBC building a livable, viable, safe, and environmentally-friendly community for residents through Campus Vision 2050? Why or why not?
Rather than listening to and designing for the people who actually live in the university neighborhoods, Campus Vision 2050 prioritizes condo construction at all costs with little thought to current and future issues around public safety, environmental sustainability, livability, health and community (specifically overcrowded streets and traffic patterns, addressing climate change, safe pedestrian and bicycle pathways, safe child-friendly access to and from schools and community centres, and Hospital, clinic and school capacities).
What is the most pressing safety issue facing the campus neighbourhoods and where would you put your focus in addressing it?
Campus traffic, combined with the layout of streets, pedestrian pathways, bike routes and throughout the neighborhoods, but specifically crossing W 16th Ave., Wesbrook Mall and the parking lot adjacent to the Wesbrook Community Centre pose a clear and present danger to pedestrians, especially children. As more people fill the sidewalks and streets of our neighbourhood, without major upgrades, pedestrian accidents are inevitable. The UNA needs to get ahead of this issue by creating its own community driven designs and presenting them to UBC Campus &Community Planning as an outline for what we want and need for safer streets.
What are your thoughts on the UNA’s current fiscal situation?
From the AGM this year, it appears that the UNA is in a very solid fiscal situation with a surplus on the books. However, any surplus should go to a list of projects or events that community members can come up with and vote on their priority through surveys. Some ideas I have heard from my neighbours are: pop-up health clinics and wellness events; expansion of pathways interconnecting neighbourhoods and schools; landscape and planting upgrades; Community Centre amenity upgrades and equipment purchases.
How can the UNA better foster a sense of community and connection among residents?
I believe we need more UNA-organized community events such as neighbourhood meet-and-greets, holiday-themed social events (Halloween Haunted Forrest in Rhododendron Woods…?) for both children and adults, as well as adult-specific social events and clubs (parents-night-out at Sports Illustrated Club House with daycare provided at the Wesbrook Community Centre…?). Essentially what we need are more ideas that foster a better sense of community and bring people together.