PLAN 6000 Planning Project and Seminar
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Item Open Access Evaluating Canadian Municipal Energy & Climate Mitigation Plans: Content analysis and potential for effectiveness in small and mid-sized Canadian communities(2016-12-09) Zukowski, JordanEnergy and climate change mitigation plans from 14 Canadian communities across four provinces were evaluated via plan coding to determine general content and potential for effectiveness. Plans provided sufficient background information on the local context of GHG reduction planning, providing justification for the mitigation action items plans selected to pursue. Fitting mitigation actions into the local climate planning context suggested a high potential for effectiveness. GHG reduction targets varied greatly across plans considered, and within each province. The presence of some high reduction targets aimed to be completed over short time frames introduces doubt in a plan’s effectiveness. The presence of provincial reduction targets and various challenges identified by communities were thought to contribute to effectiveness. Communities located in a province possessing a provincial target, and communities facing less challenges from phenomena outside of their control, are more likely to have effective plans due to fewer barriers present. The 14 plans considered lacked sufficient implementation and monitoring strategies. Without a detailed plan for how to carry out GHG reduction actions and follow-up on the success of those actions, potential for plan effectiveness decreases.Item Open Access Third-Wave Neoliberalism in Theory and Practice: A Case Study of the Halifax Centre Plan(2016) Mackay, SandyThis study analyses a significant planning undertaking in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada to illustrate the pervasive nature of neoliberalism in planning theory and practice. It shows how smart growth and creative city narratives embody third-wave or policy-led neoliberalism and describes how the planning practitioner facilitates the expansion neoliberal narratives.Item Open Access Perceptions of rooming houses in Halifax and the role of regulatory intervention(Dalhousie University, 2016-12-09) Derksen, JanelleRooming houses in Halifax have experienced significant loss in recent decades. Up to 90% of the stock was lost due to social, economic, and regulatory factors. While only 17 licensed rooming houses remain in Halifax, over a hundred illegal rooming houses may exist in the city. The illegal rooming houses are often called “quasi” rooming houses by municipal staff and typically house students near the universities. The loss of this affordable housing option for low-income single persons is concerning, while little is known about quasi rooming houses. I conducted interviews with community stakeholders to study the social and policy context of this affordable housing option. The interview respondents shared their perceptions on the challenges facing rooming houses in Halifax. They identified licensing and enforcement and a lack of higher- level government support as the major challenges facing rooming houses. Most rooming houses in Halifax are not recognized or monitored under the licensing regime. Respondents expressed concern for tenants in vulnerable situations and suggested landlords must be held accountable. There is a desire for more regulation but recognition that higher-level support is needed to address systemic issues related to poverty. Victorian values of privacy and cleanliness and contemporary values of autonomy, contribute to a discourse that depicts rooming houses residents as helpless and in need of regulatory intervention. A dilemma arises with the realization that municipal regulation, even based on good intention, can lead to further rooming house loss and the displacement of people. Regulatory intervention does not address the social and economic systemic issues around rooming houses. The nature of the problem is too complex for a planning solution alone.Item Open Access Does planning acknowledge the cost of redevelopment on housing affordability?(2016-12-09) Dalton, MeaghanCanadian media is showing increased coverage of residents struggling to afford housing and residents being displaced from their communities due to the rising cost of housing and neighbourhood redevelopment. Simultaneously, Canadian city-regions are encouraging high density housing in urban cores with mixed-uses as part of an increasing desire for smart growth. However, many researchers in urban planning are finding redevelopment in the forms of revitalization and densification may contribute to a loss of affordable housing. My research explores to what extent planners from five Canadian city-regions (Vancouver, Edmonton, Greater Toronto Area, Halifax, and St. John’s) address objectives for redevelopment and affordable housing in tandem (in discussion and planning documents), if planners recognize the negative impacts of redevelopment on affordable housing, and if the language for redevelopment and affordable housing objectives is equally compulsory and specific. My analysis of interviews with 92 practicing planners and 24 planning documents indicates that planners address redevelopment objectives significantly more often than affordable housing objectives and the objectives are seldom addressed in tandem. The few times planners address both objectives together, planners often state that redevelopment (usually in the form of densification, but sometimes as revitalization) leads to increased and improved affordable housing. Planners rarely address the negative impacts redevelopment can have on affordable housing. The language for objectives to increase density is sometimes more compulsory than language used to increase or protect affordable housing. Many planners address frustration with provincial and federal governments not taking responsibility for affordable housing. Research on revitalization and densification overwhelmingly shows these forms of redevelopment may lead to a loss of affordable housing (as prices increase and family-style housing is lost). However, Canadian planners have formed an unevaluated consensus that density and revitalization will improve and increase affordable housing. They are further encouraging site re-use, revitalization, and intensification.Item Open Access Opportunities for improving human and ecosystem health through recreation in nature(2016-12) Kuhn, Penelope, SIn Canada, less than 20% of adults and 10% of children and youth are getting the recommended amount of daily physical activity (ParticipACTION, 2015). Concurrently, the amount of sedentary indoor recreational screen time is exceeding recommended guidelines (ParticipACTION, 2015). Considerable research now shows that outdoor activity in natural environments benefits human mental and physical health (Berman et al., 2012; Louv, 2008, p159; Moore, 2014; Taylor, Kuo, & Sullivan, 2001) and the ecosystem (Chawla, 2009; Louv, 2008, p150; McCurdy, Winterbottom, Mehta, & Roberts, 2010). Accordingly, the federal, provincial, and regional levels of government are moving to increase peoples’ connection to nature through recreation (CPRA, 2015; Government of Nova Scotia, 2015; G. Gallagher, Active Living Coordinator for Halifax, personal communication, February 1, 2016). Richard Louv, who created the term ‘nature-deficit disorder’, and other leaders in the field suggest that creation of spaces that foster interaction with nature need to be incorporated into community plans (Louv, 2008, p151; Moore, 2014; Chawla, 2015). Such spaces should encourage un-programmed hands-on learning experiences for children and families rather than systematic knowledge-based teaching of nature (Louv, 2008, p151). Two ways to foster such experiences are through interpretation and natural playscapes. Interpretation is concerned with how appreciation and understanding of objects, artifacts, landscapes or sites can be communicated in interesting and exciting ways (Ham, 1992; Veverka, 1998, p20). Natural playscapes offer opportunities for hands-on interaction, providing a rich unstructured learning space (Keeler, 2008, p16), where children and families can develop environmental literacy. Both types of experiences can deepen connections to the natural environment and instill a sense of environmental stewardship, which benefits the ecosystem in the long-term (Chawla, 2009; Louv, 2008, p150; McCurdy et al., 2010). Halifax is creating a new nature trail around Nichols Lake. Phase 1 of the Western Common Wilderness Common (WCWC) Master Plan. The Master Plan’s guiding principles are founded in environmental sustainability and recreation: to uphold both ecological and recreational connectivity and water quality (EDM, 2010, p73). This site offers opportunities for improving ecosystem and human health through interpretive programming for the new trail and nature-based play at the adjacent Prospect Road Community Centre (PRCC). This project represents first steps toward these goals: an interpretive plan for the WCWC Phase 1 initiative, and proposed nature-play locations and design assessments for the PRCC. Principles derived from best practice reviews guide the work. Interpretation literature by leaders in the field establishes that in order to enhance users’ experiences interpretation must have a relevant theme, be organized and enjoyable. A key technique for increasing interpretation’s relevance is to make it personal; this can be achieved by drawing upon universal concepts related to natural processes, emotions or ideas. This interpretive plan focuses on water quality, paying tribute to the WCWC’s history as Halifax’s back up water supply in the 1950s. The importance of water to all living organisms lends itself well to universal concepts (i.e. life, thirst) and one of the objectives of this project: to spark or strengthen peoples’ connection to the landscape and evoke a sense of environmental stewardship. A suggested theme statement is, Are you thirsty? You won’t survive longer than a week without water. The site’s natural history, and specific site resources related to water, create the interpretive plan’s backbone. Geology, hydrology, soils, and habitat types are described and interpretive sub-theme topics for 19 identified site resources are recommended. Future interpretive programming can focus on one of three more prevalent sub-theme topics: glaciation, how plants drink water, and water energy environments. Another approach is to have an eclectic interpretive program incorporating numerous sub-theme narratives under the over-arching subject of water. Interpretive programming examples are provided for two site resources. A range of interpretive services (i.e. brochures, signs, guided hikes) is described, as are next steps such as partnering with outside organizations and creating a budget. Nature-based play experts use design principles to create sensory-rich environments that encourage movement, elements critical to healthy child development. Numerous ingredients can be incorporated into play areas to achieve this: water, sand, plants, hills, pathways, open spaces, and sound. Four sites around the PRCC have potential to be nature-based play areas with these kinds of ingredients. Site and design assessments reveal a unique mix of opportunities and constraints for each location. A concept design example was created for the site which already has numerous nature-play ingredients and affords opportunity for inclusive design. The concept features a hand water pump, expanded sand play area, loose-parts play, hillslide, and a significant increase in vegetation amount and variety. Next steps involve considering the site and design assessments together with the community’s interests and available funding. An Additional Resources section provides the community with a path forward for nature-play space development.Item Open Access Alderney Drive: how people walk on and around an urban highway(2016-12) Fine, AdamProblem, research strategy, and findings: In the 1960s, a short highway was built on the edge of the downtown core of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. I wanted to find out whether this urban highway affected pedestrians’ walking patterns, whether they avoided the busy street or not. To test whether Alderney Drive had an impact on where people walk in Downtown Dartmouth, I did an intercept survey of 92 pedestrians in three locations in the downtown core, using a combination of Likert-scale statements and mapping. I found that, while respondents said they did not avoid Alderney Drive in their walking, the maps they drew showed a different picture. Only the central two blocks of Alderney Drive (between Portland and Ochterloney Streets) were identified on most respondents’ routes, which is a nexus of Dartmouth’s public transit (bus routes and the ferry terminal) and the main retail areas of the neighbourhood. Away from the centre, Alderney Drive tended not to be selected by as frequently by respondents, especially where there are no amenities, destinations or sidewalks. It is likely that Alderney was used only where it had a utilitarian function, where it connected pedestrians between A and B, or where there were important amenities nearby such as the library or ferry terminal. Where there is a waterfront trail running in parallel with Alderney Drive, the trail receives the bulk of pedestrian traffic. Takeaway for practice: Where there is a nicer, safer alternative to a walking route, pedestrians will probably take it. Alderney Drive was built based on the planning trends of the 1960s, and given the city’s current planning goals favouring active transportation, it may be worth narrowing Alderney Drive, lowering traffic speeds, and improving sidewalks to make it a better environment for pedestrians. Further study is required of the street’s impact on public transit and vehicular traffic. Also it is worth looking at the effects Alderney Drive may have on local businesses as a result of it bypassing the main retail areas of the urban core.Item Open Access A Policy Guide: Making Parking Lots and Commercial Driveways Safer for Pedestrians(Dalhousie University, 2016-12-09) Shah, SairaCommercial developers do not typically prioritize pedestrians in the design of parking lots and commercial driveways. Everyone who visits a commercial development is a pedestrian. A person may walk from their home, the bus stop, or their car to the store. If everyone is walking at some point during their visit, why are pedestrians not included in the design process? Certain municipalities are taking the lead by incorporating pedestrian safety initiatives into their policies and guidelines. In my research, I analyzed nineteen plans and design guidelines in North America and ranked each documented based on a set of writing and pedestrian safety criteria. I used criteria from a Planning Aid England document to determine the quality of the policy maker’s writing. The second set of criteria I used was determined by a literature review of pedestrian studies to identify pedestrian safety infrastructure that can be included in a pedestrian safety policy. I used this research to develop a policy guide that would aid in the creation of pedestrian safety policies. The findings include a detailed discussion on the criteria used for assessment, policy examples from across North America, and tips for implementation to ensure the policies would be effective.Item Open Access Item Open Access Item Open Access Assessing Sustainable Building Technologies from a First Nations Perspective: The Community Plan as an Analysis Framework(2015-12-09) Papineau, JacobThis report addresses knowledge gaps in First Nations housing development by illustrating how community plans can be used to examine sustainable building technologies (SBTs), suggesting that community plans can provide an analysis framework. The work supports a Housing Pilot-Project (HPP) underway in Wagmatcook First Nation (Cape Breton, Nova Scotia). The HPP emerged from Wagmatcook’s 2014 Community Plan Update, developed in collaboration with Cities and Environment Unit (CEU) at Dalhousie University. The HPP is to be a locally-focused, community-driven project that advances community Action Areas related to Housing, Health, Culture and Education, Governance, and the Local Economy. To support Wagmatcook First Nation’s Chief and Council to identify and select SBTs for the HPP that meet community needs and support community Action Areas, I developed a design guideline document based on an analysis of an inventory of SBTs compiled for the project. I then analyzed this inventory according to community Action Areas contained in Wagmatcook’s Community Plan Update. SBTs supportive of community Action Areas appear in the guideline document (see Appendix).Item Open Access Leadership, Coordination, and Power in Three Public Administrations: Halifax, Edmonton, and Vancouver(2015-12-09) Wheeler, ChristinaCoordinating transportation and land use planning is a growing challenge, especially as planning documents proliferate. Good leadership could effectively address the problem; however, the context can disempower leaders and their ability to coordinate. I study the complex relationship between leaders’ role in coordination and organizational context, contributing to studies of leaders in public administration. I investigate where power lies in the relationship: with the organizational context or with individual leaders? The concepts of traditional leadership (power concentrated with leaders) and non-traditional leadership (power dispersed among leaders) help locate the place of power in the relationship. I use interpretive discourse analysis and comparative analysis to study interviews done in 2014 with planning professionals from Halifax, NS; Edmonton, AB; and Vancouver, BC. The interview respondents' perceptions suggest that context can affect leadership in several ways that influence coordination while leadership can also change the context. Respondents saw high level leaders, especially city managers and council, as having the greatest power to influence plan coordination. Respondents saw planners as good leaders of coordination yet the lower positions in which planners tend to operate within administrations can hinder their abilities to lead. I divide context into three categories to present findings: 1) the regional context may affect high level leaders’ approach which led respondents to feel more or less empowered, 2) the administrative context affects leaders and in turn is altered by high level leaders, and 3) the cultural context affects leaders and leaders affect the cultural context, particularly through their perceptions of leadership and coordination. Respondents perceived that the organizational context controls and distributes most of the power; however, power ultimately comes from the leaders and other actors within the organization because their perceptions of (or belief in) the organizational context create and perpetuate power relations. Leadership, power, and organizations are all socially-constructed. Traditional and non-traditional leadership theories explain various aspects of leadership practices in the study areas.Item Open Access Waste Disposal Facility Siting in Nova Scotia: Opportunities to Increase Procedural Equity(2015-12-09) Clarke, AngeleThe inequitable distribution of undesirable and potentially hazardous land uses is an issue across North America. In Nova Scotia no legislation requires equity to be considered during the waste disposal facility site selection process. The purpose of this project is to support the formalization of siting procedural equity as one of the criterion in waste disposal facility siting processes in Nova Scotia. Siting equity is “the fairness of siting a facility at a particular location and the fairness of the process for reaching that decision” (Lang, 1990, p. 84). The report is informed by a literature, policy and government document review. Interviews and a workshop with ten planners and other experts familiar with waste siting also guide the findings. Participant feedback suggests three strategic actions governments can take to help integrate equity into site selection processes. The three actions are to (1) build an awareness of equity in government and communities, (2) integrate equity into policy and regulations, and (3) encourage use of appropriate site selection tools. Planners can raise awareness by creating language around equity and inequity, clearly defining terms of use and conducting community engagement that is accessible and inclusive. There are opportunities to integrate equity into provincial and municipal legislation including the Environment Act, Municipal Government Act, Solid Waste-Resource Regulations and waste site specific guidelines. Municipalities can incorporate equity into their municipal planning strategies, land use bylaws, community engagement strategies, and other planning strategies. Procedural and substantive tools can help planners select sites. Tools should be selected on a case to case basis. Overall, public dialogue about inequitable siting and waste facility distribution may pressure governments to integrate equity into procedures and policy. Nova Scotian governments have the opportunity to model best siting practices through demonstration, and inspire other local and provincial Canadian governments.Item Open Access Development Plan, St. Patrick's Alexandra School Site(2015-12-09) Seddigh, MinaTo achieve my goal to illustrate the community’s vision and in order to propose a set of criteria for a community-oriented development to the City of Halifax for any development agreement for St. Patrick’s Alexandra site, I will develop my ideas in the following order: • Background analysis Initially, I will study the site’s profile including its location, existing elements, and history of the conflicts that the community has faced over the site with the City and developer. Secondly, after explaining the purpose of my project I will articulate the community’s vision in accordance with outcomes of the community consultation sessions that the NCCC launched with the community where they have stated their requirements for the development of the site. • Site analysis In this section I will study the site built form and its surrounding urban area to identify the urban context. The built form study will include studying the open spaces and existing buildings in the site, and the street network that connects the site to its surrounding urban context. Next I will study the surrounding urban context in terms of connectivity, land use, density, street network and transit system, and existing open spaces. I will overlay the findings with the community’s vision to introduce objectives, principles, and guidelines for designing the site that the City should consider in its development agreement. • Design Finally I will illustrate the introduced principles and guidelines in a sequence of workable design to propose one form of implementation of the guidelines and criteria for the site development. Although the final outcome will reflect the voice of the community in form of design, it does not mean that it will determine the future design of the site. It will only be a form of proposed illustration of the criteria and design guidelines based on the community’s requirements for the future of the site.Item Open Access Planning for Solar Energy in Halifax Neighbourhoods(2015-12-08) Feng, MenglingSolar energy is the cleanest and most abundant energy resource that does not contribute to global warming (Zaidi, 2009, p. 3). Halifax has good resources of solar energy and high energy demand (Natural Resources Canada, 2014; Halifax, 2007, pp. 38-40). Halifax Regional Municipal Planning Strategy 2015 places emphasis on energy planning including using solar energy (Halifax, 2015a, p. 39). Solar City, Solar Hot Water and Solar Hot Air are three ongoing programs related to solar energy in Halifax, which implement rooftop solar collectors. Building forms largely determine the amount of solar radiation received on roofs. In this study, I examined impacts of seven building form factors: layout organization, average roof area, building coverage, floor to area ratio (FAR), average building height, roof orientation and roof shape on rooftop solar suitability in select residential blocks in Halifax Peninsula using ArcGIS. Rooftop solar suitability value (Wh/m^2/day) is the total amount of solar radiation energy received on building rooftops during a given time, obtained from the Solar Suitability Map provided by Halifax Regional Municipality. Key findings are: low-rise blocks with high site coverage receive the most solar access on rooftops; second, in high-rise blocks, lower site coverage and uniform layout organizations are preferred.; third, larger and flatter roofs receive more sunlight.