When I moved to Peterborough/Nogojiwanong from Swansea (Wales) I was met with many cultural differences. I mean, this was more than expected seeing as I now live over 3000 miles from home. Due in part to Canada being the second largest country in the world at 9.985 million km² (compared to Britain’s 243,610 km²) there is a much bigger reliance on cars, and this is the culture shock I am talking about today.

A TikTok account called Pedestrian Dignity highlights some of the barriers faced by those who rely on public transit or are non-drivers. These can include too few crosswalks making it difficult to cross major roads at regular intervals, especially crosswalks without dropped curbs, which can lead to those using wheelchairs and other mobility aids having to travel further away from their destination to cross safely. Interacting with this content made me more aware of my surroundings and I began to realise how many accessibility problems I came across on a daily basis. Recently, as I was walking home I saw the bins (just emptied) strewn across the path with little regard for anyone using the paths. 

Although there are a number of problems such as these in Peterborough there are also major structural problems.

One of the major problems that Peterborough faces is urban and suburban sprawl. Those of you living outside of the downtown area will recognise how far the city truly spreads. This often means that people living on the outskirts of the city are unable to access important services such as medical and dental care, supermarkets, and entertainment without driving. Although Peterborough has a public transit system, it is often unreliable and does not service all areas of the city equally. And to walk from my former home out in Hunter’s Ridge to the downtown area would take the best part of one and a half hours. This is just not feasible. A walkable city is not just about densification however, as we all know there is a major housing shortage in the central areas of downtown. For me an easy and regular bus route, one that did not take me more than three times the time to drive, may have convinced me to remain further out of town. For me it was about accessibility, if only I had been able to access the services and locations I wanted.

Another structural issue is the lack of pedestrianised streets and crossings. Some of you may be familiar with the bicycle culture in Amsterdam where most people will commute and travel by bike rather than car. Even in the two UK cities I’ve lived in there are pedestrianised streets lined with all types of stores, these enabled people to shop until they drop without worrying about being hit by a fast moving car. In the city I grew up in, car parks tend to be on the edges of the downtown or in tall, dense multi storey buildings allowing more ground space for other things. In a recent article by Brett Throop at Peterborough Currents he spoke about the role of car parks in creating a more walkable and accessible city. This article looks at how overusing urban space for car parks leads to urban sprawl as this takes up land that could be used for housing. Furthermore, people are less enticed to use alternative forms of transport such as public transit or biking as these areas are unappealing both visually and due to concerns around walking in such close proximity to cars.

Although I wish we could make Peterborough a truly walkable city, decades of sprawl and car-centric planning have caused a number of limitations on this. So short of tearing the city down and starting again I have some recommendations of how Peterborough can be better.

Firstly,  the upcoming return to the hub and spoke system of public transit is a reminder of the importance of comprehensive transit systems. Peterborough could become a more walkable city if all areas of the city were serviced by reliable transit as people would no longer rely on cars to reach work, supermarkets, and more. Another important aspect of walkability is access to sidewalks. Many of you will be familiar with the experience of putting your foot directly into a pothole on the sidewalk, I find this particularly on my walk to work down George St. North where I have more than once fallen down from a misplaced step. For those using walking sticks or other mobility aids these uneven and poorly maintained paths are not just a nuisance but a danger. As the snowy weather comesmany sidewalks in Peterborough will remain unplowed or will be a dumping location for the snow from the roads. This actively hurts those trying to use the sidewalks whether on foot or otherwise as it often forces us into the busy roads. After the January snow storm I often found myself  unable to stand in bus shelters or near the stops due to piles of snow blocking the paths, as someone who relies on transit I felt discouraged from leaving my house and disregarded as a resident of Peterborough.

Fundamentally, it should be remembered that the city of Peterborough should be designed for the people not the cars.