Live-Work Developments : From Theory to Practice

Live-work developments are becoming increasingly important as a type of mixed-use development. This is manifested by the growing number of such units across the Greater Golden Horseshoe. Along with their growing popularity, these units are being espoused by governments at all levels as a way of creating complete communities, reducing car trips and enhancing the public realm by allowing for a mixed-use, diverse, pedestrian-friendly built form. For these reasons, live-work units can be considered a means for promoting progressive planning principles. Their development however, challenges municipalities on a number of fronts. Residential expectations of peace, security and quiet enjoyment can clash with commercial externalities such as noise, traffic and parking constraints. Because of this live-work units have a tendency to revert to pure residential which then negatively impacts economic growth. Live-work units in a largely residential neighbourhood are particularly prone to such an outcome which can undermine the work function of the units. As well, design and building code considerations such as maximum allowable floor space can also significantly impact the viability of businesses in these units. NOTES 520 3 Given these challenges, this research explores two cases of live-work developments in the Greater Golden Horseshoe to assess their overall impact in meeting the stated goals of such developments. The two cases which are Cornell Village in Markham, Ontario and Port Credit in Mississauga, Ontario respectively are explored from the perspective of sustainability, economic impact and affordability. This research is intended to be exploratory in nature and used as a launch pad for additional, more quantitative analyses of the impact of such developments, particularly with regard to their economic impact in light of increasing immigration. The findings reveal that while both developments have had a certain degree of success in meeting their performative function, live-work units are highly context dependent. And their contributions towards environmental sustainability, job creation and urban development are determined by the economic and socio-spatial milieu in which they are located.

Live-Work Developments : From Theory to Practice

Live-work developments are becoming increasingly important as a type of mixed-use development. This is manifested by the growing number of such units across the Greater Golden Horseshoe. Along with their growing popularity, these units are being espoused by governments at all levels as a way of creating complete communities, reducing car trips and enhancing the public realm by allowing for a mixed-use, diverse, pedestrian-friendly built form. For these reasons, live-work units can be considered a means for promoting progressive planning principles. Their development however, challenges municipalities on a number of fronts. Residential expectations of peace, security and quiet enjoyment can clash with commercial externalities such as noise, traffic and parking constraints. Because of this live-work units have a tendency to revert to pure residential which then negatively impacts economic growth. Live-work units in a largely residential neighbourhood are particularly prone to such an outcome which can undermine the work function of the units. As well, design and building code considerations such as maximum allowable floor space can also significantly impact the viability of businesses in these units. NOTES 520 3 Given these challenges, this research explores two cases of live-work developments in the Greater Golden Horseshoe to assess their overall impact in meeting the stated goals of such developments. The two cases which are Cornell Village in Markham, Ontario and Port Credit in Mississauga, Ontario respectively are explored from the perspective of sustainability, economic impact and affordability. This research is intended to be exploratory in nature and used as a launch pad for additional, more quantitative analyses of the impact of such developments, particularly with regard to their economic impact in light of increasing immigration. The findings reveal that while both developments have had a certain degree of success in meeting their performative function, live-work units are highly context dependent. And their contributions towards environmental sustainability, job creation and urban development are determined by the economic and socio-spatial milieu in which they are located.

Suburbanization of transport poverty

Many cities have undergone spatial re-distributions of low-income populations from central to suburban neighborhoods over the past several decades. A potential negative impact of these trends is that low-income populations are concentrating in more automobile oriented areas and thus resulting in increased barriers to daily travel and activity participation, particularly for those who are unable to afford a private vehicle. Accordingly, the objective of this paper is to analyze the links between increasing socio-spatial inequalities, transport disadvantage, and adverse travel behaviour outcomes. This is examined first from a theoretical perspective, and second via a spatio-temporal analysis for the Toronto region from 1991 to 2016. Findings show that many suburban areas in Toronto are not only declining in socioeconomic status, but are also suffering from increased barriers to daily travel evidenced by longer commute times and decreasing activity participation rates, relative to central neighborhoods. Because of these adverse effects, this evidence further supports the need for progressive planning and policy aimed at curbing continuing trends of suburbanization of poverty while also improving levels of transport accessibility in the suburbs.

From Form-Based to Performance-Based Codes

The performance of the built environment is an important concern affecting the quality of life and plays a critical role in every urban milieu. However, it generally disappears in the drawing plans. Current planning regulations do not always include performance requirements as part of the planning demands. Additionally, decision-makers lack the methodology and tools to demonstrate the expected performance of the built environment. Therefore, an examination of the performance of the designed area is sometimes neglected in the planning process. Current urban plans focus mainly on technical issues, counting the number of residential units, density measures, etc. The trend of progressive planning regulations, such as Form-Based Code (FBC), aims to coordinate these separated quantitative parameters into one comprehensive 3D plan where the urban form plays as a main integrator. However, these plans still lack the demand for understanding the quality and performance of the built environment through the visualization. This article addresses this gap, the lack of understanding of the performance of the built environment in urban plans and proposes the concept of Performance-Based Codes (PBC). The transition from form-based code to performance-based-design will be demonstrated through the presentation of two performance-based models, the Solar Envelope and Security Rating Index, and the possibility of integrating them into the planning process.

Art as a catalyst to activate public space: the experience of ‘Triumphs and Laments’ in Rome

Many cities have rediscovered and reinvented their river fronts as public spaces in recent years. From New York to Seoul, urban waterways which were forgotten, marginalized, or outright abandoned are now filled with life. In each case the transformation was spurred by a combination of grass roots, bottom-up initiative and savvy government recognition of the projects’ potentials. Once the city leaders embraced the projects - and not a moment sooner - public and private funding materialized and bureaucratic barriers disappeared. In Rome, whether due to the complexity of the chain of responsibility for the river front, or simply an ingrained aversion to progressive planning - saying no or saying nothing is much easier than taking responsibility for positive change - initiatives to renew the urban riverfront have been small and disconnected. Diverse interests ranging from green space to water transit, from river front commerce to ecological restoration, have all vied for a role in the river’s regeneration. But one particular discipline, that of art, has succeeded more than others in attracting international attention and changing the way people in Rome and throughout the (art) world see the Tiber. Artist William Kentridge, with his project ‘Triumphs and Laments’, using the simple technique of selective cleaning of the Tiber embankment walls, revealed to the world a procession of figures which populate the riverfront with a life that it hasn’t seen in centuries.

Towards business improvement districts in Denmark: Translating a neoliberal urban intervention model into the Nordic context

This paper investigates how business improvement districts (BIDs) are translated into a Danish context. Drawing on a theoretical framework that combines the concepts of travelling ideas, mobile urbanism and neoliberalisation, this paper explores how an actor-network is being constructed to mobilise support for a BID pilot scheme in Denmark. The introduction of BID-inspired concepts in Denmark represents an illustrative case of how mobile urban policies are translated into local contexts as part of continuous processes of neoliberalisation of urban governance and policy-making. In Denmark, the BID model is promoted as a market-based planning tool to support progressive planning goals of supporting town centres as vibrant commercial centres. Furthermore, the BID concept is, among Danish planners, perceived as a useful organisational framework for the construction of public–private partnerships as add-ons to area-based renewal initiatives in order to strengthen local community support. Such interpretations are not only in stark contrast to BIDs implemented elsewhere, but also require a significant reconfiguration of the model to fit local needs. However, despite the strong social focus, the potential negative consequences of implementing BIDs, such as privatisation and commodification of public space, are barely discussed in the current initial stage of translating the BID model into a Danish context. This raises serious concerns about to what extent planners in Denmark unreflectively are copying a policy concept from elsewhere, with little regard to how the concept should be adapted and what it has to offer in a Danish context.

Learning from LA: Australian Responses to Los Angeles Urbanism 1910–1960

From the 1910s to the 1950s, Los Angeles was a surprising exemplar of progressive planning for Australian cities. LA’s planned neighborhoods early captured the garden suburb ideal. Regional planning initiatives attracted increasing interest, then transport planning and management of auto traffic. Mechanisms of urban governance and formal alliances between private and public sectors followed. This learning from abroad is set within the paradigm of urban policy transfer, highlighting the selectivity of borrowing within the dominant ideology of town and country planning. From the 1960s, positive connotations would be extinguished by new representations of a sprawling, divided, and polluted metropolis.