On the Front Lines of Urban Resilience
Certificate of Sustainability alumnus Ranon Soans is helping build stronger communities in Edmonton.
Originally published February 27, 2019.
Hi, I’m Amanda Rooney and in this series I will be tracking down graduates of the Certificate in Sustainability to find out what they’re up to post-graduation. I hope it instills some excitement in any current students for your own futures!
What’s one thing standing between us and a rapidly disconnected and inaccessible urban landscape?
Ranon Soans (MA 2018)! He was born and raised in the Edmonton area and has dedicated his studies to making the city even better. Now, as a development assistant at Sparrow Capital, he is making a career out of his passion.
“Sparrow Capital is a development firm but they’re more than just a development firm. We do developments in primarily under-resourced communities-communities looking for sort of an uplift, places that have had a lot of commercial vacancy, struggled with neighbourhood cohesion,” said Soans.
They’re clearly not your run-of-the-mill development company. Sparrow Capital invests in neighbourhood success by choosing tenants who enhance the local cultural fabric. They take on projects like revamping a historical building while keeping its heritage and character intact (something I don’t often see done in Edmonton).
“All these sort of things can help rejuvenate these sorts of spaces, they become walkable, pedestrian oriented streets. We’re trying to create places that are more about spending time, walking through and supporting local businesses,” said Soans.
Making space for young, local businesses
“Development is one side of [Sparrow Capital] but then there’s also the community connection side,” said Soans. He explained to me that they also run a co-working establishment called Sparrow Spaces.
In case you (like I was) are wondering what co-working is, here’s what I learned.
Co-working spaces offer flexible term leases on small working spaces, anything from just a desk to a cubicle to a small office. This model mitigates risk for new, small businesses who can’t commit to a long term lease. These spaces fill up with enthusiastic creatives and small business start-ups, making serendipitous collaboration more likely.
“The way that our world is going right now, we have more and more small businesses and more and more need for people to support themselves, find ways to be creative. But at the same time, it’s not easy — it’s super, super challenging,” said Soans.
It’s challenging because the financial environment is geared toward giant companies making large leases for five or ten years at huge cost. Co-working provides a low-cost, flexible alternative. “Co-working really falls under the whole sustainability idea. It’s all about finding ways to support the entrepreneurial ecosystem within a region,” said Soans.
“It’s this idea of like — how do we become a resilient economy where you don’t need to be a part of Google to succeed? You know you can be a part of a smaller community that’s more invested in this community here in Edmonton,” said Soans.
Design for resilient landscapes
Soans holds a Certificate in Sustainability and graduated from the University of Alberta with a BA in human geography and economics. Soan’s university experience equipped him with an understanding of the dynamics of urban of spaces and how to optimize them. He went on to complete a masters in human geography, also at the University of Alberta, and he has found many ways to engage with city building in and out of his degree.
For instance, in 2017, Soans was involved with the pitch to install a sauna in Edmonton’s river valley . “Sweden and Finland are the home of knowing how to keep warm and enjoy winter and not just hide… We’re terrible at it here,” said Soans. “We’re all trying our best to not step outside for one second and appreciate where we are and what we have.”
The sauna idea was a finalist in The Edmonton Project’s first competition, and while it didn’t win, it did start a conversation about how to design a city for winter living.
Soans is passionate about resilient landscapes, both physical and cultural. He takes a practical and broad approach to sustainability, taking into account both economic and social facets. “You can’t just look at the environment… because it requires a look at these other factors to be able to succeed,” said Soans.
His Certificate in Sustainability capstone project used municipal and national data to assess whether indicators of gentrification could be identified in seven downtown neighbourhoods. The data available at the time was slim, which prohibited conclusive findings, but the project was part of what developed Soans interest in the socio-cultural aspects of urban landscapes.
When asked what advice he has for students in the program Soans advises: “Go outside of your comfort zone on your capstone. Find something that kinda pushes the boundaries a little bit, that you’re unfamiliar with, and that opens you up to some new avenues.”
If you’re inspired by Ranon, kick start your own career with the Certificate in Sustainability. It’s open to undergrads in most faculties, and can be completed without switching your current degree program.
