Urban • dwight j. friesen

Bellevue Comprehensive Plan 2044

Bellevue’s Comprehensive Plan is updated about every 10 years. The 2024 update, to guide Bellevue’s development through 2044, is now underway. The update includes an environmental impact statement as a requirement of the State Environmental Policy Act. The EIS includes

Dwight J. Friesen January 24, 2024January 22, 2024

Urban October 2023

For a number of years now, UN-Habitat has been earmarking the month of October as “Urban October.” Our goal is to draw humanity’s attention our cities in order foster conversation, engagement, and movement toward a better urban future for all

Dwight J. Friesen October 1, 2023October 14, 2023

Recording & Resolution

At the beginning of Urban October I participated in the fourth convening of the Urban Economy Forum. The UEF4 event was held in Toronto, Canada, but the organizers made it possible for some of us to present via Zoom. Below

Dwight J. Friesen October 21, 2022October 21, 2022

Join the “Urban October” Celebration

Today begins the month long celebration and exploration of all things “city” thanks to UN-Habitat’s “Urban October.” This year’s theme is: Mind the Gap: Leave No One & No Place Behind! What are the gaps in your parish or neighborhood? What

Dwight J. Friesen October 1, 2022October 1, 2022

Urban Economy Forum 4, Roundtable

The fourth convening of the Urban Economy Forum is less than two weeks away. You still have time to register! I will be participating in a roundtable exploring urban policy and public services, our theme is, “Inclusive Urban Finance.” You

Dwight J. Friesen September 19, 2022September 26, 2022

Speaking @ Urban Economy Forum 4

In October I will have the privilege and responsibility to offer a neighborhood-rooted, grassroots-parish, faith-based, gift-economy perspective, that is so vital to the ongoing conversation about sustainable urban economics. The City of Toronto is hosting (in-person & on-line) the fourth

Dwight J. Friesen August 19, 2022August 27, 2022

UN-Habitat “Urban October”

We have one month to get ready for the UN-Habitat’s Urban October. UN-Habitat is engaging people and groups from all over the world to think about where they live and how they live where they live, with an eye to

Dwight J. Friesen September 1, 2021September 26, 2022

“Little Boxes” – A Rant about Racism, Suburbs & Feeling Special

In 1962 Malvina Reynolds released her song “Little Boxes” – used as the theme for the Showtime series “Weeds” – and it’s a song capturing the fear of being ordinary, at least in part. The fear of having a ticky-tacky

Dwight J. Friesen January 28, 2021November 8, 2021

Sustainable Bellevue

Here is the City of Bellevue’s recently approved (December 14th, 2020) plan for learning to live in relationship with creation. I wish it had a more clearly linked connection to the UN’s 17’s “Sustainable Development Goals” especially given the relative

Dwight J. Friesen January 1, 2021November 2, 2022

Thriving Cities

This 10 minute video put together by the Thriving Communities Group is a beautiful introduction to our vital need for a renewed Shalomic imagination for faithful presence within the ecosystem of relations that sustain life. The video is really good!

Dwight J. Friesen December 2, 2020September 26, 2022

Majora Carter on Staying in the Neighborhood

Here’s another great TED talk delivered by Majora Carter. She talks about he power of people choosing to stay in their neighborhoods. But not just hunkering down… staying with intention to help the place and its people thrive. Peace, dwight

Dwight J. Friesen September 29, 2001November 5, 2021