Transition Guelph - Assembled Hopes for Guelph in 2030: DRAFT

In 2030, Guelph will be a community of dense, diverse, largely self-contained neighbourhoods connected by healthy natural corridors with clear, free-flowing streams. Everyone will live near community gardens and communal play areas. Rain runoff will approach natural rates, largely soaked up by green roofs, street trees, gardens and permeable street surfaces.

Vegetable gardens will be numerous, replacing lawns and sprouting in schoolyards. University lands will be operating farms. Fruit and nut trees will be widespread. Cold frames will be common. Some livestock and bee-keeping will be permitted. Bustling neighbourhood and central markets will be open daily. Permaculture methods will be popular; local food processing will proliferate.

Buildings - many attached - will be energy-self-sufficient and often energy-producing. Solar energy - passive, solar thermal, solar PV - will be extensively used along with highly effective insulation. Where appropriate, wind, water-power, ethanol and geo-thermal energy will be tapped and community energy sharing organized. Grey water systems will be routine. Affordable housing will be plentiful and big box stores will be transformed into community spaces.

Local business will flourish throughout the city, providing meaningful work for all. Many transactions will use local currency. The proximity of work and play will leave little need for distant travel. Regional and local public transit - rail and bus - will be integrated, affordable, convenient and renewably powered. Most people will walk and bike, enjoying a safe, extensive network of trails and streets. Cars will be few, very small, shared and powered renewably. Electric bikes and scooters will be numerous.

Schools will teach children and youth how to live sustainably, including urban farming and food preparation, ecology, community interdependence, creative thinking and self-fulfillment. Youth will be active in sports and interactive games as well as engaged in the community. Education will continue throughout life with mentoring, re-training to local sustainable occupations, and accessible libraries. Music, art, theatre and festivals will thrive.

Social interactions will flourish - driven by local provision of food, shelter and jobs, and by many cooperative ventures. Urban density, the slow pace and emphasis on walking will contribute. Everyone will know their neighbours. Generations will mix. TV viewing will shift to broad participation in cultural activities. Support will be available to any who need it. All will have input to community decisions.

Most people will be in excellent health because of good diet and exercise, clean air and water, low stress, a rich network of community connections, the healing effects of working with the land, and high levels of happiness. Health care will be easily available and include a wide range of providers.

Understanding our interconnectedness with others and with nature will be universal. Material use will be low and largely homespun or fairly traded; relationships and creativity will be prolific, nurtured by ideas from around the world. All activities will honour ecosystem integrity - in Guelph, in our watershed, in our bioregion and on our planet. Guelph will be resilient to the soaring cost of oil and will contribute no more than its fair share of the greenhouses gases that the planet can sustainably absorb.