Chapter 11: Neighbourhood and District Plans

Question 1

What do neighbourhood plans do?

Answer 1

Enhance & protect desired characteristics of a neighbourhood

Question 2

What do secondary plans do?

Answer 2

Protect environmentally sensitive areas + designate general land uses

Question 3

Why is the CBD the most singled out for special planning (special district planning)?

Answer 3

It is the key to a community’s economic and cultural vitality

Question 4

CBD plans focus on:

Answer 4

• Arrangements of land-use
• Transportation & parking
• Urban design of the downtown

Question 5

Examples of institutional district plans:

Answer 5

• Capital cities and civic centers
• University and college plans
• Hospitals and medical center plans
• Cultural district plans
• Airport planning

Question 6

Capital cities and civic centers:

Answer 6

contain unique elements associated to their status as a seat of government (e.g. legislative buildings, departmental offices)

Question 7

University and college plans:

Answer 7

current challenge is to further urbanize their campuses, specifically through increased transit access

Question 8

Hospital and medical center plans:

Answer 8

most advanced form or mega-structure planning; with bridges and tunnels linking various buildings to ensure patients/staff remain within the controlled environment

Question 9

Cultural district plans:

Answer 9

reinforcing cultural activities as part of CED strategies focused on tourism and the creative economy (e.g. Old Port)

Question 10

Airport planning:

Answer 10

airport authorities have the mandate to plan, build and operate an airport as well as an aerotropolis

Question 11

Heritage district plans:

Answer 11

call for the preservation of historical buildings and the creation of design guidelines to encourage new development that is complementary

Question 12

Corridor plans + types

Answer 12

connect neighbourhoods and districts or patches in the landscape matrix

Types: - River corridor plans
- Street corridor plans

Question 13

River corridor plans:

Answer 13

focus of improving water quality and reducing the impact of physical infrastructure.

Question 14

Street corridor plans:

Answer 14

intensification along major streets

Question 15

Planning for nodes; types:

Answer 15

• Mobility hubs

- TOD

Question 16

Mobility hubs + concerns

Answer 16

created at the intersection of 2 major transportation corridors.

Concerns:

• seamless transfers
• sustainable station access
• modal share
• safety of streets

Question 17

TOD + suggested policies

Answer 17

development around transit stations; central tenant of New Urbanism

Suggested policies:

• high-density development
• 5-10 minute walk to transit station
• efficiency of connections between different modes of transit
• environmental integrity

Question 18

What are redevelopment plans used for?

Answer 18

to guide the regeneration of neighbourhoods, brownfields, greyfields, waterfronts, suburbs, etc.

Question 19

Neighbourhood redevelopment plans:

Answer 19

pay attention to:

• functional arrangement of land use
• transportation
• urban design

Question 20

Brownfield plans:

Answer 20

redevelopment of abandoned, under-utilized or idle commercial or industrial space where past actions have caused environmental contamination; central location provides an excellent opportunity for development

Question 21

Water redevelopment plans + strategies

Answer 21

reclaim a neglected port area and make it functional again for business or recreation purposes

strategies:
- securing public access to water edge
- adaptive reuse of old buildings
- enhancing unique uses

Question 22

Sprawl repair in the suburbs:

Answer 22

vast tracts of low-density uses have potential for redevelopment through intensification in suburban districts, corridors and neighbourhoods.

Question 23

Greyfield plans (typically):

Answer 23

subdivision of abandoned site (e.g. suburban mall) into regular streets and construction of apartments over retail space

Question 24

Military base redevelopment plans:

Answer 24

Controversies:

1) jobs are difficult to replace as key component of the economy
2) disputes with Aboriginal populations over land claims

Question 25

Subdivision design: conventional design and problematic aspect

Answer 25

conventional design: curvilinear streets and culs-de-sac bounded arterial roads with poor connectivity to larger road network; challended by New Urbanism (return to traditional gridiron of streets)

problematic aspect: subdividers concentrate on the yield of lots (maximization) without regard for topography, amenities and the circulation system

Question 26

Subdivision plan:

Answer 26

legal drawing used to implement the division of land into lots; must show property lines, water and sewer lines, street system, topographic changes and areas set aside for schools, parks, etc.

MUST ADHERE TO ZONING REGULATIONS AND PROVINCIAL POLICIES

Question 27

Site plan:

Answer 27

proposed land-use arrangement of a single parcel of land

Question 28

Charrette: Definition, Parts, Questions asked by Steering Committee

Answer 28

collaborative session(s) in which stakeholders in a project draft a solution to resolve a conflict in design. Although it is meant to achieve greater community involvement, it may be used in manipulative manners by planners and politicians.

Parts: 1) presentation of background info, goals and context

2) participants learn about one another
3) establish and understanding of the scope and process for the charrette
4) Summary of each design with visuals, key themes and ideas + concluding remarks on how results will be used

Questions (pre): What’s the issue, who’s invited, should it be conducted, what is the agenda, what is desirable/acceptable, can you follow through on proposals, etc.

Question 29

Why is it necessary to have secondary plans within a community?

Answer 29

to designate land-uses for neighbourhoods on the fringe or generally overlooked areas within a community or to protect environmentally sensitive areas on the fringe.

Question 30

How does the overall community plan influence each secondary plan in a community?

Answer 30

secondary plans will have to adhere to desired characteristics of the overall community, as outlined in the community plan. Community plans are cited/quoted in most if not all secondary plans.