Whether we like it or not, the planning industry is surrounded by auto-dominated culture. Planners are in a constant battle with vehicle-oriented street design and often attempt to combine good planning practice within the ever-changing urban environment with consumer-driven needs of the automobile. From parking requirements to mitigating congestion, there are consistent struggles that follow. To put this idea into perspective, think about the how busy the streets of New York City can be during peak hours. You often hear “the city is too congested”, but we sometimes fall short of thinking about the opposing argument.
The Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU) released an article on how the negative stigma associated with congestion is not inherently bad and that we often underestimate its impact on a city. The article outlines a list of suggestions on how to turn “bad” congestion into something that might positively affect the future of urban design.
Read the article in full – Good congestion, bad congestion by Robert Steuteville
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Dan Romanko is a consulting Professional Planner practicing urban design, and neighbourhood development in Ontario with over 25 years’ experience.
Growing up in Mississauga in the ’80s, his childhood years were spent in a categorically suburban environment. This experience sparked an interest in land-use patterns and ultimately the Urban Planning profession. Dan began his academic career at Sheridan College, graduating as a Civil Engineering Technician in 1992; he then went on to complete the Honours Urban and Regional Planning program at the University of Waterloo, graduating in 1997. Years later, his interest in community scale sustainability found him continuing his education and he received a Master of Engineering Design in Sustainable Infrastructure from McMaster University in 2012.
Dan has worked as a planner in a consulting role since 1998. From 2000-2009, Dan worked with Barr Associates in St. Catharines as urban designer. After a five-year stint at another multi-disciplinary firm downtown St. Catharines, Dan returned to Barr Associates in 2015 as partner and the company changed its name to Better Neighbourhoods Inc.
In addition to his managing partner role, Dan is a full member in the Canadian Institute of Planners and the Ontario Professional Planners Institute and been qualified as an expert witness at the Ontario Land Tribunal. He has been an accredited member of the Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU-A) since 2009 and has attended annual Congresses since 2006. Dan lives downtown St. Catharines with his family and is fortunate to have a seven minute walk to work.
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