Archive: Urban Issues and the Samuel and Saidye Bronfman Family Foundation

The world is changing radically, and most people are experiencing considerable difficulty in keeping up. Nowhere is this more evident than in attempts to marry the treasures of heritage and the requirements for innovation and progress. This is why urban conservation is so important; it provides a framework to protect the integrity of the old while ensuring a future for the new.

The urban environment—cities, towns—is the principal setting for forces which are simultaneously threats and opportunities for society. Whether they are issues relating to the environment, governance (politics), the economy or the community itself, the challenge is to mobilize resources to provide healthy, enriching environments, both now and in the future, for ourselves and for our children.

For instance, the environment has been subjected to a gamut of dangers. Only planned and sustainable development which acknowledges that our true heritage is the entire planet, can avert further environmental degradation.

The citizenry has become alienated from the institutions of government, effectively hindering them from exercising full power over their own lives and communities. People want to enjoy power locally, where important decisions, including those relating to the economy, are taken. This also involves developing a more effective model of economic development which will ensure that everyone can profit from the benefits of prosperity.

Finally, the strengths of communities, which include demographic diversity, require recognition and reinforcement.

As the world enters the 21st century, there is a need to build on existing community resources, to develop latent community potential, and to provide guarantees that the future will be liberating and satisfying.

This goal can be achieved through education, empowerment and organization.