Harry Measure: "Mountain Resorts & Resort Communities: Origins & Future Opportunities."
The Rossland Museum’s October Speaker Series was a special event, co-hosted with the City of Rossland Heritage Commission.
On Saturday, October 23, 2021, Urban Planner + Historian Harry Measure shared some of his research and experience on mountain resorts and resort community development. The presentation took place in the historic Rossland Miners’ Union Hall (1898) and was followed by a walking tour led by Harry through Rossland’s downtown business district.
Development and planning decisions can have huge implications for resort communities and often determine if a community’s unique and authentic sense of place is maintained or destroyed. In his presentation, Harry analysed mountain resorts of the Columbia Basin and shared some of the insights he’s acquired from his work all over the world, and shared some possible futures and opportunities for our Golden City.
There are two recordings of Harry’s presentation available - a video recording and an audio recording. The sound quality on the audio recording is generally better than the video recording.
Harry’s slideshow presentation is also included below as you may be unable to clearly see the slides in the video presentation.
Audio file only:
About Harry Measure:
Harry Measure, M.E. Des. (Architecture + Planning, BA),
CEO, The SEER Resort Company, Principal, Harry Measure + Associates
Originally from Trail, Harry Measure grew up on the slopes of Red Mountain and was very active in the Red Mountain Racing program. His passion for the sport of skiing shaped his career goals to become an urban planner who designs resorts, communities and buildings in the mountains. He obtained a Master’s Degree in Architecture and Environmental Design from the University of Calgary, and studied at the San Francisco Center for Architecture and Urban Design.
Harry has done pioneering work inventorying heritage architecture in West Kootenay mining towns and developed the downtown heritage conservation guidelines for the City of Nelson. He was the development planner for Whistler in the 1990s, during its most intense period of growth. Harry is a globally recognized expert in resort, recreation, and tourism design and development having worked on over 150 major projects all over the world. He has completed numerous projects in British Columbia’s mountain resorts and communities, including Rossland, Fernie, Revelstoke and Whistler.
Harry has taught and lectured widely at educational institutions, conferences and to interest groups. His March presentation on the Miners’ Union Hall and the Rossland Provincial Courthouse is available to view on our website. When not in his ‘Living Laboratory’ of Whistler, Harry travels extensively to observe and document emerging global trends in resort, recreation and tourism design. He writes on subjects related to architecture, design, cultural history and tourism.
Further Reading:
Books;
Baker, Bill. Place Branding for Small Cities, Regions and Downtowns: The Essentials for Successful Destinations, 2019.
Howe, Jim, Ed McMahon, Luther Propst. Balancing Nature and Commerce in Gateway Communities, 1997.
Speck, Jeff. Walkable City: How Downtown Can Save America, One Step at a Time, 2013.
Articles:
Main Street America. “Entrepreneurial Ecosystems and the Role of Commercial Districts.”
Smith, Lilly (Fast Company). “‘Zoom Towns’ Are Exploding in the West.”
Video:
Speck, Jeff. “4 Ways to Make a City More Walkable.”
This presentation was co-hosted by the Rossland Museum & Discovery Centre and the City of Rossland Heritage Commission.
Thank you to the TRAIL & DISTRICT ARTS COUNCIL AND GABRIELLA’S RESTAURANT for their support of this program!