First Fridays talk puts post-pandemic Winnipeg in focus

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THERE are few aspects of daily life in Winnipeg and beyond that haven’t been changed, in some way, over the past few months by the pandemic — among them how we interact and communicate, get places and buy things.

Urban designer and visual artist Lawrence Bird doesn’t have all the answers, but he does have plenty of ideas that he’ll be discussing Friday with Alison Gillmor, moderator of Building a Post-Pandemic Future, this month’s First Fridays in the Exchange Art Talk.

From bike lanes to open-plan offices, Bird and Gillmor will discuss how

prior pandemics have transformed the world and what kind of changes the current one might inspire.

The big question is if Winnipeg — a city that “doesn’t change super-quickly,” says Bird — will do the unexpected and embrace the changes that may be coming, or remain entrenched in its old ways.

“It’s been 10 years or so since there has been a gradual movement downtown,” says Bird. “Will that stop? Will they turn around? I don’t think so.”

Changes to urban design and architecture have been the response, in some cases, to pandemics of the past, such as the creation of Central Park in New York City to improve public health, or the construction of the avenues of Paris; improvements that benefited the wealthy while displacing other communities, he says.

Adding to the stress and uncertainty of the pandemic was the need to lock down personal care homes to outside visitors which, in some cases, eliminated any communication between residents and family. Recognizing the need for family contact, the province put out a call for “visitation shelter” designs that would allow in-person connections while ensuring other residents and staff remain safe.

Bird is an urban designer at Sputnik Architecture Inc., which recently submitted a design. He believes the pandemic — and learning from past mistakes — may help people better understand the need for new urban designs that are sustainable, inclusive and equitable. One example is shared road spaces — called “woonerfs” in Holland.

“A couple decades ago, this idea came up that rather than separating cars and pedestrians, they can walk in the same space,” he says. “And the result is less accidents. Instead of zooming through, focused on the road, the (drivers) are looking out for pedestrians and the pedestrians are looking out for cars. It’s a mutual recognition.”

Could an idea like that actually work in a car-centric city such as Winnipeg? It already has, he says. “Winnipeg has actually experimented with this in John Hirsch Place, the alleyway by the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre,” he says. “People can walk through there and drive through there. There haven’t been accidents, as far as I know.”

“You could do that along many other streets in Winnipeg.”

Building a Post-Pandemic Future, with Lawrence Bird, will be streamed online at firstfridayswinnipeg.org Friday at 7 p.m. The event is free to watch.

frances.koncan@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @franceskoncan