{"id":7448,"date":"2016-10-28T09:45:31","date_gmt":"2016-10-28T13:45:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/spacing.ca\/national\/?p=7448"},"modified":"2016-10-28T13:45:59","modified_gmt":"2016-10-28T17:45:59","slug":"saskatoon-prairie-city-chooses-city-builder-mayor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/national\/2016\/10\/28\/saskatoon-prairie-city-chooses-city-builder-mayor\/","title":{"rendered":"SASKATOON: Prairie city chooses city-builder as mayor"},"content":{"rendered":"

EDITOR’S NOTE:<\/strong> In the spring of 2013, Spacing profiled Saskatoon city councillor Charlie Clark in our national edition. He had caught our eye for taking a strong interest in public realm and city-building issues. Clark was part of our Saskatoon event for the 2011 Spacing Roadshow and it was clear to our editorial staff \u2014 and everyone we talked to in that city \u2014 that Clark had a bright future. This week, Saskatoon elected Clark their new mayor<\/a>. Here is our profile of Clark from that issue.<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

SASKATOON<\/strong> \u2014 \u201cI find local politics to be a really appealing level of government to be involved in,\u201d says Charlie Clark, a Saskatoon city councillor. \u201cIt\u2019s the politics of coalition building and problem solving.\u201d<\/p>\n

In 2006, after first winning a seat on City Council, Clark was young, idealistic, and, like many new councillors, he wanted to contribute to his city and bring a new voice to the civic discussion about the future of Saskatoon.<\/p>\n

\u201cSince local councillors are closest to the ground, you get to see the tangible results that come from local discussions and decisions,\u201d Clark says.<\/p>\n

Upon arriving at City Hall, the first challenge was to develop a coherent understanding of the many issues involved with city administration. \u201cThe intersection between the physical city and human [relationships] is a complex puzzle that you navigate daily,\u201d Clark muses.<\/p>\n

Clark also became better versed in good urban planning principles. He already had an interest in planning issues, but sought advice from local planners and academics about good texts that would expand his understanding. \u201cCharlie took on educating himself about cities and city building, in an almost vocational way,\u201d says Ryan Walker, past chair of the Regional and Urban Planning Program at the University of Saskatchewan. \u201cWhile it\u2019s common for councillors to identify themselves with their previous jobs, Charlie has been dedicated to executing his skills fully through leadership on council.\u201d<\/p>\n

Before joining council, Clark was active working on affordable housing and restorative justice issues with groups like Quint Development Corporation and Oxfam. His experience working with local community development and equity issues is evident in his work on council. His support for projects \u2014 such as improving active transportation networks and creating more public gathering places \u2014 is grounded in his belief that the lived experience of Saskatoon\u2019s residents is of utmost importance.<\/p>\n

It can be challenging for any young politician to avoid becoming jaded or discouraged when they are exposed to the often polarizing nature of local politics, but Clark has managed to maintain his positive outlook and build a reputation as a thoughtful and respectful leader. Instead of losing his passion or watering down his convictions, he has managed to normalize the discussion around progressive urban planning ideas in the rather conservative confines of Saskatchewan. He\u2019s also helped to create an open and supportive environment for people of all stripes to engage in discussion about Saskatoon\u2019s future.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s the kind of person that citizens like and respect even if they don\u2019t agree with his position,\u201d says Walker. It seems that citizens welcome his positivity and enthusiasm \u2014 he has won every election since 2006 with a continually increasing margin of victory.<\/p>\n

After three terms, the junior councillor of seven years ago has become one of the most experienced on council and is inspiring a new crop of citizens to become active in civic leadership. \u201cThere are an increasing number of thoughtful young leaders joining local politics,\u201d says Clark. \u201cIt\u2019s amazing the way conversations about how Saskatoon should grow have shifted in the last seven years.\u201d A true leader, Clark knows that real change happens when people work together. \u201cNo one can ever solve anything on their own \u2014 creating a great city is a collaborative effort. People are passionate about Saskatoon\u2019s future. As a councillor, I draw on the energy and enthusiasm that citizens, community organizations, and fellow leaders bring to the table.<\/p>\n

\u201cSaskatoon is a growing city with an increasingly diverse population,\u201d continues Clark. \u201cWe have the potential to create a city of opportunity and belonging for all, a place where everyone can pursue their interests and talents. We\u2019ll be successful in achieving that vision as long as we never lose sight of the fact that cities are about people.\u201d<\/p>\n

photo by David Stobbe<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

EDITOR’S NOTE: In the spring of 2013, Spacing profiled Saskatoon city councillor Charlie Clark in our national edition. He had caught our eye for taking a strong interest in public realm and city-building issues. Clark was part of our Saskatoon event for the 2011 Spacing Roadshow and it was clear to our editorial staff \u2014Continue reading “SASKATOON: Prairie city chooses city-builder as mayor”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8328,"featured_media":7450,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[423],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7448","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nSASKATOON: Prairie city chooses city-builder as mayor - Spacing National<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/national\/2016\/10\/28\/saskatoon-prairie-city-chooses-city-builder-mayor\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"SASKATOON: Prairie city chooses city-builder as mayor - Spacing National\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"EDITOR’S NOTE: In the spring of 2013, Spacing profiled Saskatoon city councillor Charlie Clark in our national edition. 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