myPG Looks to Web Users for Thoughts

Tuesday, February 02, 2010 03:59 AM

Prince George, B.C.- As the myPG long range planning project progresses, it has already gathered information from more than 1900 individuals. While that may seem to be a small segment of the population of the City, keep in mind the quality of life surveys on which Council depends to prioritize projects and direction, is lucky to receive about a third of that response level.

So far, the stats show that in the initial information gathering stage, myPG has collected:

Individual Surveys 1154

Kitchen Table Talk (125 workbooks from groups and individuals) total participants: 545

note, not all groups self identified numbers, count as 1)

Interviews 36

Launch Event participants 120

Food Security Event participants 52

Total participants that submitted vision and goals to the myPG first phase: 1907

"We are really happoy with the numbers of participants and with the quality of their work" says project Manager Mark Fercho.

Now, a new element to get your thoughts.

A special section of the myPG website (access here) calls for your ideas, or your votes on the ideas of others. This interactive option is not unlike the discussion threads enjoyed by many Opinion250 readers.

Here is what you can expect to see on that page:

"We'd like to ask your help in building these possible future scenarios for Prince George by posting your ideas, commenting and rating other's ideas. This community engagement is open from February 2nd to February 9th.

What do you think is a trend, uncertainty, challenge or opportunity in the future for Prince George?

If you would like to participate, the online Community Engagement tool requires that you create a user profile. Your user profile will show the name on your email, example, jjones@hotmail.com will have a user profile name of jjones. (Once on the site, click in the "Submit New Idea" button to create your user profile BEFORE you enter your idea, or your idea will be deleted and need to be re-entered).
Click on myPG Community Engagement to participate, to help us prepare for the Scenarios workshop.

If you would like to participate but want to post your ideas anonymously, submit your comments in this Anonymous Idea Submissions area. We will review and then post appropriate anonymous comments recieived to the myPG Community Engagement tool under the name "myPG".

If you would like to see what is being posted and voted on, as an anonymous visitor, simply click on myPG Community Engagement and view. (You will need a log in user profile if you decide to post ideas or vote, see the above "If you would like to participate" paragraph for details).

....still not sure what we are looking for, see the interview sheet we are using to also interview people before the workshop for this same information."

Those who don't have access to the web, can still submit ideas by calling City Hall, or by dropping off a submission to City Hall.

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Posted on Tuesday, February 02, 2010 03:59 AM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: Mr. PG on February 2 2010 7:24 AM

The City should have published the initial "MY PG" survey on Opinion250

Posted by: gus on February 2 2010 10:00 AM

So I went to read the four comments on the site.

This was one:" The University and College will continue to expand their programs and more student-style housing will be needed to accommodate an increase in students. If a large majority of student housing is built in the downtown core, it may assist in the Downtown Revitalization efforts through more people living and shopping in PG's downtown."

Why on earth are students, that are less likely to have access to cars, expected to live downtown, a long bus ride away from the place they go to "work" to every day?

Isn't the idea of "smart" planning to reduce the travel to and from work rather than increase it?

Look at where the College and the University are. It would make more sense for an off-campus student residential area to be located close to 15th Avenue and Foothills/Tabor area with a looped bus service from CNC to student residential, recreation, shopping district and then up the hill to UNBC and back.

Too many people are focusing on downtown and trying to force this, that and the other thing into it. People obviously forgot their Sesame Street lessons about "which of things things does not belong toghether".

It would be more reasonable to try to get some of the people who work in downtown and adjacent to downtown to move to its periphery - office workers, service workers, hospital workers, etc. etc.

Posted by: He spoke on February 2 2010 12:48 PM

Good point Gus.

Posted by: Eagleone on February 2 2010 12:54 PM

I can't think of any student that would want to live in PG's downtown with all the negative distractions, security issues, and distance from the school. Gus is right some people are trying to force issues that will never work and that kind of thing is what has blunted any opportunity for progress PG has had in the past.

It always seems to be about adjusting the planning to fit the special interests in this city, and not planning to advance the best possible city we can all live in and enjoy as it grows. City hall is compromised, and so are the politicians that should be overseeing the full scope of things.

Surveys like this are about how to get the new PR guy the right kind of spin for more special interest agenda's... I really don't think the planning going on is genuine planning for a better city with a real plan everyone could buy into.

Ideally you have politicians with good ideas that they arrive at in consultation with their constituents and everyone can buy into the shared vision. This is something different driven by bureaucracy and as such is subject to all sots of vagrancies.

Posted by: StreetWise2 on February 2 2010 2:46 PM

UNBC has been planning a downtown campus for some time now. There are a lot of students that live in various parts of the city because it is expensive to live close to the university.

There has also been talk of a shuttle service between UNBC and downtown to make the two more connected. Students at UNBC have been complaining about how difficult is is to get downtown.

It is a topic that has been discussed at great length with both students and at the Smart Growth on the Ground Sessions. its nothing new or foreign, as a matter of fact, it was a group of UNBC students that first presented the idea.

Posted by: Harbinger on February 2 2010 5:50 PM

I went downtown today. To the shoemaker, to be precise. Downtown? What a run down dump. Vacant buildings, dust, mud, grime. Not at all inviting. But I'm sure all that will change once myPG gets all its input in a row. (When pigs fly). The one on The Simpsons doesn't count.

Posted by: verballabel on February 2 2010 6:27 PM

There is a shuttle service that runs downtown from UNBC. It is the public transit system that students pay for in their tuition, which allows them to ride for free.

As for location of residency, I have friends who drove to UNBC everyday from the Hart. And they never complained about the commute. At most from downtown on a UNBC specific route, it would only take at most 15-20 minutes to be on campus.

Posted by: commoner on February 2 2010 7:58 PM

gus and harbinger have it bang on. The incompetence is ridiculous. City Hall doesn't show an ounce of respect to business owners or residents. The roads are unsafe. The downtown is a mess. Taxes are on the rise. I have been reconsidering my options of late and I think it is time to relocate. I am tired of tax dollars being wasted at the expense of its hard working community. East is looking better all the time.

Posted by: Mr. PG on February 2 2010 10:18 PM

My PG is going to fix downtown!

Smart growth is going to fix downtown!

City hall is going to fix downtown!

NOT

Dan Mclaren and the group of local busnessmen are going to fix downtown. All City Hall has to do is get out of the way!

Posted by: taxinapothole on February 4 2010 11:30 AM

really Mr. PG?? We are waiting! In the mean time, this place is a dump. Gus and Harbinger are right on the money.

I can't see anybody spending any money on downtown Prince George, unless they are a drug dealer! It's done, get over it! Quit spending our tax dollars on crap like this!

What an embarrassing situation this all is. But wear your button at the OWELYMPICS, and people will flock to Prince George to do business, stimulate the economy.....not!!!