Brampton it is going to change in the next decades

Free transit that loops around the whole sprawling suburb. One unified green network connecting every ravine, every park. A vibrant, developed “Uptown;” a university-focused downtown. Five new town centres, a sports arena and an “Arts Street.”

In a 100-page document, internationally-renowned urban planner Larry Beasley details what some residents and councillors are touting as a bold, exciting and long-awaited vision for a city that has lacked a cohesive master plan for its growth — one that will see its population rise to close to one million in the next 20 to 25 years.

The vision would first need approval from city councillors who have been resistant to change.

The meeting was set for Monday night. Residents were encouraged to attend by city planning staff.

The document titled “Brampton 2040 Vision” is the result of almost six months of intense engagement — the largest of its kind ever undertaken by city staff. More than 13,000 people participated in 20 sessions, 65 community events and social media conversations from fall 2017 to spring 2018.

Beasley and city staff went to community bike rides, farmers markets, schools, hospital, places of worship, soup kitchens, technology fairs and a youth shelter.

“When people start to have a direct involvement in auditing their own neighbourhood with city hall, when they know something will happen, then they’ll put their own flavour on their city,” said Beasley, former chief planner for Vancouver.

City councillor Martin Medeiros believes that some aspects of the vision are “utopian at best,” but it is a call for action for council that comes straight from the community. Medeiros acknowledges that it requires a commitment from a council that changes every four years — a difficult ask, in his opinion.

Mayor Linda Jeffrey believe that city council now has its “marching orders,” to finally rebrand the city from being the “flower city” or the “city where cars were built.”

“We didn’t used to be cool,” Jeffrey said. “I think we’re going to be cool.”