Finding reason and balance in Brampton’s suburban bliss as the threat of climate change looms

“It’s October 10. It’s nearly 30 degrees.

From atop the Chinguacousy Road bridge above the CN rail tracks, the view north as far as the eye can see captures Brampton’s flattened suburban panorama perfectly. Rows of roofs create a shingled mosaic that carpets the city, and on this day reflects the sun’s violent rays back toward the sky.

To the south, the rooftops drop away like a cliff-line, as newly built homes give way to yellow soil and giant earth-moving machines, the bulldozers and backhoes that ready the land where row after row of corn grew not long ago, in preparation for homes that now spring up to feed the suburban dream.”

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In Brampton, when it comes to development, the single-family home is king.

The city’s sprawling subdivisions are really a sight to behold, carpeting the city in wide swaths. However, with the threat of climate change and its serious impacts, city planners need to move away from this form of development, which encourages sprawl and use of the car.

I also took the photos to go along with this story. Here’s a few more that were included with the piece:

Published on October 13, 2018 in The Pointer - Brampton