scholarly journals Employment lands in Toronto: a case for conversion in urban centres and in the vicinity of transit stations

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sean Guenther
Keyword(s):  
City Planning ◽  
Land Application ◽  
City Council ◽  
Land Conversion ◽  
Rapid Population Growth ◽  
Municipal Planning ◽  
Planning Policy ◽  
Employment Density ◽  
Planning Staff ◽  
The City

Deindustrialization and rapid population growth in the City of Toronto has resulted in greater employment land conversion pressures being placed on underutilized and vacant Employment Areas (Blais, 2015; Filon 2003). In 2013, City Planning Staff made recommendations to City Council for the preservation or conversion of specific employment land application requests under the City of Toronto’s Municipal Comprehensive Review process (City of Toronto, 2013). This paper will examine five employment land conversion applications in Toronto’s inner suburbs, the Scarborough Urban Growth Centre and within 500 meters of the Mimico GO Station through a content analysis of City Planning Staff’s recommendations along with the property owner’s rationales. It was found that the five sites should be converted to better meet the Provincial and Municipal planning policy requirements that align with Smart Growth’s objectives. The five sites pose minimal land use compatibility conflicts, require increases in population and employment density, and are isolated from larger Employment Areas.

scholarly journals Employment lands in Toronto: a case for conversion in urban centres and in the vicinity of transit stations

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sean Guenther
Keyword(s):  
City Planning ◽  
Land Application ◽  
City Council ◽  
Land Conversion ◽  
Rapid Population Growth ◽  
Municipal Planning ◽  
Planning Policy ◽  
Employment Density ◽  
Planning Staff ◽  
The City

Deindustrialization and rapid population growth in the City of Toronto has resulted in greater employment land conversion pressures being placed on underutilized and vacant Employment Areas (Blais, 2015; Filon 2003). In 2013, City Planning Staff made recommendations to City Council for the preservation or conversion of specific employment land application requests under the City of Toronto’s Municipal Comprehensive Review process (City of Toronto, 2013). This paper will examine five employment land conversion applications in Toronto’s inner suburbs, the Scarborough Urban Growth Centre and within 500 meters of the Mimico GO Station through a content analysis of City Planning Staff’s recommendations along with the property owner’s rationales. It was found that the five sites should be converted to better meet the Provincial and Municipal planning policy requirements that align with Smart Growth’s objectives. The five sites pose minimal land use compatibility conflicts, require increases in population and employment density, and are isolated from larger Employment Areas.

scholarly journals Punching out: exploring justifications for employment land conversions in the GTA

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Cogliano
Keyword(s):  
Smart Growth ◽  
Land Conversion ◽  
Transit Oriented Development ◽  
Planning Policy ◽  
Policy Goals ◽  
Planning Framework ◽  
Support Employment ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
The City

The current planning framework in the Province of Ontario is based on principles of “smart growth” including transit oriented development, intensification, and a focus on building complete communities. While the advancement of these principles has been positive in certain cases, the literature identifies that industrial lands may face redevelopment pressure as smart growth principles are adopted. This paper provides the opportunity to assess the extent of which this is the case in the context of the City of Markham. A content analysis of twelve employment land conversion applications provides for an on-the-ground case study of how the planning framework in Ontario, informed by smart growth principles, is leveraged by developers to support employment land conversions. Research findings include conflicting interpretations, among stakeholders, of planning policy goals related to employment land. Recommendations include the need for a more consistent articulation of policy goals and a rethink of traditional zoning strategies for industrial lands.

scholarly journals Opening Gijón to Future: The Limited Revision of the Official Urban Catalogue

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 149
Author(s):  
Jorge Latorre ◽  
Jesús Sola
Keyword(s):  
Population Growth ◽  
Working Group ◽  
City Council ◽  
Rapid Population Growth ◽  
Autonomous Region ◽  
Industrial City ◽  
Urban Renovation ◽  
Industrial Crisis ◽  
Set Up ◽  
The City

<p class="Abstract"><em>Gijón, also known as Xixón, is an important city that rivals Oviedo, the historical capital of the Autonomous Region and Principality of Asturias (Spain), in historical demographic and economic terms. It has traditionally been a port and, more recently, an industrial city, which experienced very rapid population growth and with little planning. After the industrial crisis of the 80s, the city wanted to become a tourist location more than an industrial harbor. Both its privileged location and the historical urban heritage that still remain are corner stones to make this change possible. However, the late and strict legislation (improvised to protect the last remains of a previously uncontrolled development) impeded a necessary urban re-design in order to shelter the new touristic supplies. This paper proposes some urban solutions to selectively modify the catalogue according with the cultural and touristic potentials of the city. These solutions were agreed by the working group set up by Gijón City Council and ERDU (Estudio de Renovación y Desarrollos Urbanos -Urban Renovation and Development Studio).</em></p><em><em><br /></em></em>

scholarly journals Multi-hazard analysis and mapping of coastal Tauranga in support of resilience planning

2021 ◽  
Vol 54 (2) ◽  
pp. 176-183
Author(s):  
Steve Raynor ◽  
Megan Boston
Keyword(s):  
Storm Surge ◽  
Land Use Planning ◽  
City Planning ◽  
High Growth ◽  
City Council ◽  
Hazard Mapping ◽  
Support Tool ◽  
Hazard Exposure ◽  
Open Coast ◽  
The City

High growth is increasingly forcing development of hazard prone land in the coastal city of Tauranga.  A multi-hazard mapping tool developed to guide strategic growth planning in this natural hazard rich environment gives direct comparison of total hazard levels across the city. By aggregating individual hazards into a summative multi-hazard rating for each part of the city, urban planners and engineers have a decision support tool to aid city planning over the next 100 years. Tauranga growth requires 40,000 new homes over the next four decades in addition to the existing 57,000 homes. This 70% growth must squeeze within tight geographic constraints as Tauranga's 137,000 residents nestle around a harbour and are bound by open coast to the north and steep terrain to the south. This research quantifies Tauranga’s natural hazards of sea level rise, storm surge, coastal erosion, tsunami, earthquake shaking, liquefaction, landslides volcanic ashfall and flooding. Each hazard is spatially represented through hazard maps. Individual hazards are combined into a multi-hazard model to represent the aggregated hazard exposure of each point of the city. The multi-hazard exposure is spatially mapped using GIS allowing an area with tsunami, liquefaction and storm surge as dominant hazards to be directly compared with an area of different hazards such as flooding and landslides. Mapping of these hazards provides strategic input for building city resilience through land use planning and mitigation design. A pilot study area of 25 km2 selected from the Tauranga City Council total area of 135 km2 demonstrates the accumulated mapping approach. The pilot area contains a thorough representation of geology, elevation, landform and hazards that occur throughout the city. Our findings showed the highest aggregated hazard areas in Tauranga are along the coast. As is common with many beach resort towns this corresponds with the most popular living areas. The lower hazard areas suitable for urban growth are distributed mostly away from the open coast in the slightly elevated topography.

scholarly journals Punching out: exploring justifications for employment land conversions in the GTA

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Cogliano
Keyword(s):  
Smart Growth ◽  
Land Conversion ◽  
Transit Oriented Development ◽  
Planning Policy ◽  
Policy Goals ◽  
Planning Framework ◽  
Support Employment ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
The City

The current planning framework in the Province of Ontario is based on principles of “smart growth” including transit oriented development, intensification, and a focus on building complete communities. While the advancement of these principles has been positive in certain cases, the literature identifies that industrial lands may face redevelopment pressure as smart growth principles are adopted. This paper provides the opportunity to assess the extent of which this is the case in the context of the City of Markham. A content analysis of twelve employment land conversion applications provides for an on-the-ground case study of how the planning framework in Ontario, informed by smart growth principles, is leveraged by developers to support employment land conversions. Research findings include conflicting interpretations, among stakeholders, of planning policy goals related to employment land. Recommendations include the need for a more consistent articulation of policy goals and a rethink of traditional zoning strategies for industrial lands.

scholarly journals From Preservation to Production: Better Planning and Management of Employment Lands in the City of Toronto

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jahnavi Ramakrishnan
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Manufacturing Sector ◽  
Municipal Planning ◽  
Planning Policy ◽  
Planning And Management ◽  
Traditional Manufacturing ◽  
The City

This paper examines provincial and municipal planning policy related to the Employment Areas land-use designation found in the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe intended to protect and preserve the traditional manufacturing sector. While manufacturing jobs have declined in the City of Toronto, employment areas face pressure to preserve existing industrial uses or risk conversion to ‘higher and better uses,’ especially as the City becomes increasingly built-out. Drawing on two case studies of employment areas in the City of Toronto and local and international best practices, this paper aims to propose specific recommendations for better planning and management of these significant lands.

scholarly journals Barriers to meeting density targets in suburban communities - a case study look at Markham Centre

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott Jackson
Keyword(s):  
Municipal Planning ◽  
Suburban Communities ◽  
Planning Department ◽  
Planning Staff ◽  
The City ◽  
Industry Professionals ◽  
Growth Centres ◽  
Density Development

Ontario provincial policy has identified 25 Urban Growth Centres in the Greater Golden Horseshoe. Most of these centres are located in municipalities where suburban policies and practices are well entrenched in community development. Markham Centre is studied in detail, where interviews were conducted with municipal planning staff and development industry professionals, to investigate how municipalities are facilitating urban development while trying to meet provincial density targets. The study further attempts to understand the challenges which confront willing developers in building higher densities within the suburban planning context. The role of outside agencies, development charges, parkland dedication and parking requirements, were all identified as barriers to high density development, while the co-operative relationship between the municipality and the developers, the structure of the planning department, the use of an advisory committee and the use of a more prescriptive zoning bylaw were all heralded as aiding development within the city.

scholarly journals From Preservation to Production: Better Planning and Management of Employment Lands in the City of Toronto

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jahnavi Ramakrishnan
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Manufacturing Sector ◽  
Municipal Planning ◽  
Planning Policy ◽  
Planning And Management ◽  
Traditional Manufacturing ◽  
The City

This paper examines provincial and municipal planning policy related to the Employment Areas land-use designation found in the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe intended to protect and preserve the traditional manufacturing sector. While manufacturing jobs have declined in the City of Toronto, employment areas face pressure to preserve existing industrial uses or risk conversion to ‘higher and better uses,’ especially as the City becomes increasingly built-out. Drawing on two case studies of employment areas in the City of Toronto and local and international best practices, this paper aims to propose specific recommendations for better planning and management of these significant lands.

scholarly journals Barriers to meeting density targets in suburban communities - a case study look at Markham Centre

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott Jackson
Keyword(s):  
Municipal Planning ◽  
Suburban Communities ◽  
Planning Department ◽  
Planning Staff ◽  
The City ◽  
Industry Professionals ◽  
Growth Centres ◽  
Density Development

Ontario provincial policy has identified 25 Urban Growth Centres in the Greater Golden Horseshoe. Most of these centres are located in municipalities where suburban policies and practices are well entrenched in community development. Markham Centre is studied in detail, where interviews were conducted with municipal planning staff and development industry professionals, to investigate how municipalities are facilitating urban development while trying to meet provincial density targets. The study further attempts to understand the challenges which confront willing developers in building higher densities within the suburban planning context. The role of outside agencies, development charges, parkland dedication and parking requirements, were all identified as barriers to high density development, while the co-operative relationship between the municipality and the developers, the structure of the planning department, the use of an advisory committee and the use of a more prescriptive zoning bylaw were all heralded as aiding development within the city.

The Enchanted City, Holstebro Festive Week, an experiential and social cultural space

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathrine Winkelhorn
Keyword(s):  
City Planning ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
City Council ◽  
Travel Agency ◽  
Common Denominator ◽  
Project Leader ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Senior Lecturer ◽  
The City ◽  
Odin Teatret

In 1989 Odin Teatret established the Holstebro Festive Week (Denmark), and did so by involving the entire city and its inhabitants. The Festive Week promptly became an on-going event, which takes place every three years in June. What characterises the Holstebro Festive Week in particular? And how has this event influenced the city and its citizens in the longer run? In other words, how can an event like the Festive Week contribute to enriching a city for more than just a week? When I interviewed the Mayor about the Festival and the theatre’s role in the event, he said: “What the theatre brings us is popular and I think it is crucial that we get common experiences in which we can mirror ourselves – in the selfish society we are currently living in. In Holstebro we have become dependent on Odin Teatret, which makes us take part and which has become a common denominator for the entire city. It is a gift that we have Odin Theatret” (interview with the author, June 2011). 1 It is a rather unusual statement for a mayor to make that a theatre is a gift for a city and that it has become a ‘common denominator’ 2 for the city – and, what is more that the city has become dependent on the theatre. In this chapter I will reveal and explore how Odin Teatret involves the entire city. I will try to give a clear answer as to why the Mayor described the theatre as a ‘common denominator’. In my investigation of the theatre’s approach to the Festive Week I use my personal experience and knowledge from my time as assistant manager at the theatre (1987-88). Most of my research has been carried out in the form of field studies conducted during the Festival Weeks in 2008 and 2011. During both festivals I spent one week in Holstebro and the surrounding villages watching and observing how the local audience responded to the activities. In addition I carried out a series of semi-structured interviews with representatives from Holstebro: the head of police, the Deputy Mayor, the director of a travel agency, a librarian, a policeman, the Chairman of the Cultural Affairs Committee of the City Council, the head of city planning, the project leader from the Odin Theatre and a senior lecturer living in Holstebro and working at Aarhus University and finally the Mayor.

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