110 Years from Pathé…Zoom – It’s InTALKsicating!
When the Zoom world made lift off in April this year I decided to format and share what I learned from webinars, interviews and town hall meetings, much the way Charles Pathé the man who created the Newsreel format did around 1910. For well over fifty years, newsreel films came before a featured film in local cinemas, an omnibus of current affairs, information and propaganda.
Wrapping up August with this last episode of my ZoomReel for summer 2020, here is one with a single focus – Cities, COVID affecting Ageing Populations. On July 21st I sat in on a webinar panel with the Canadian Urban Institute (CUI), part of their CityTalk/Canada series. Mary Rowe, President & CEO led the discussion and I must say first off, she was one of the best I’ve seen on Zoom, full of energy and kept things moving.
Age Inclusive Communities is one of my blog pillars of interest as it relates to aging populations and the need for inter-generational connectivity in the process of urban design. In fact, urban design and the social aspects of urban areas is one subject I have followed for over thirty years, starting when I first heard former Mayor of Toronto John Sewell speak about urban affairs while he was serving as chair of the Toronto’s public housing authority in the late 1980’s. Add Jane Jacobs to my list of favourite thought provocateurs.
With this in mind, I naturally targeted this event to hear the different angles in the narrative on how COVID has affected urban life with its particular focus on older persons. Mary Rowe opened with remarks that candidly set the tone when she said that because COVID has exposed our many of our urban planning failings, how will urbanists re-emerge – “it is time for no more excuses”. Further Rowe asked:
“How do we make inclusive cities that take care of people regardless of their age and their special needs? Urbanists have to come to terms with the ways in which urban life is working for some and not for others.”
Urban issues exposed, and the case for inclusivity
If you are interested in watching the full video of this CityTalk/Canada, go here – How is the COVID-19 pandemic affecting ageing populations? The CUI has also provided full written transcripts of the talk & the Chat Room, but here are some selected highlight comments from the presenters, with more of the down on the street, everyday people realities revealed.
“What we’ve seen in the realm that I work in is a newfound importance of outdoor public spaces… this is really important for older adults…and then, a real challenge that people of all ages of us have been impacted by, but especially older adults, is a lack of bathrooms. So as COVID has happened, we don’t have as many public facilities open.”
Meghan Winters – Associate Professor Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University
“I’m on a committee called the Community Design Committee and also the Age Friendly Committee of Lethbridge…we’re looking at things like complete streets. The complete streets concept is enough room for cyclists, pedestrians and cars. You look at Main Street Project in Ottawa…the bikes have the outside third of the sidewalk. The pedestrians have the inside two thirds of the sidewalk.”
Rob Miyashiro – City Councillor & Executive Director, Lethbridge Senior Citizens Organization
“I’m working with the archbishop of Canada and the Anglican Church and the Lutheran Church. We’re working on interfaith initiatives across this country because we actually are seeing interfaith attendance by about 10x. Across more of the Jewish, Muslim and Christian faiths in this country. So because they’re not showing up, but they’re attending virtually.”
Laura Tamblyn Watts – President, CEO, CanAge
“…as an occupational therapist, I will say…our profession is really focused on supporting people, encouraging people of all abilities, of all ages, as you can imagine. So a very diverse profession in terms of… obviously working with other team members as well, not just in health, but also urban planners to think about how do we design communities, our communities for these person-environment transactions that occur.”
Brenda Vrkljan – Professor, School of Rehabilitation Science, McMaster University
“many (issues) existed before COVID and this has really exacerbated them, especially for more vulnerable seniors, those with limited social network, isolated health mobility issues and intersecting vulnerabilities like Black seniors, Indigenous seniors, racialized, newly integrated, experiencing homelessness. (It’s about) access, …access to information and clear understanding of what’s available from federal, provincial, us at the city, the huge community sector. How do they get the help they need?”
Vanessa Campisi – Senior Services & Long-term Care, City of Toronto