Planning

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This is the collection for the University of Waterloo's School of Planning.

Research outputs are organized by type (eg. Master Thesis, Article, Conference Paper).

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Now showing 1 - 18 of 18

Barriers to Growth Management: Local Challenges Implementing the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe
(University of Waterloo, 2018-08-15) Lee, L. Michelle; Filion, Pierre
To combat urban sprawl and its negative effects on ecosystem services and human health, regional growth management and containment policies have been used with increased frequency to manage urban growth. Yet, local implementation of regional growth management planning policies across North America has had mixed success, often resulting in a mismatch between growth management planning objectives and the urban development reality. This research explores the reasons for the apparent mismatch by examining how barriers to local implementation are expressed, reinforced and perpetuated to prevent transformative change. Using Ontario’s Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe as a case study, the dissertation examines the barriers to implementation through a review of local contextual information and the perspectives of those tasked with implementing the Plan within three case study regions of the Greater Golden Horseshoe: Waterloo, Simcoe and Peterborough. A relational model of barriers reported in the literature is developed and tested against the barriers described by local planners, developers, the media, planning documents, and locally relevant academic literature and used to frame comparisons across case studies. Variations among the case studies are interpreted in light of the model using a conceptual framework that conceives barriers as institutions embedded within a hierarchical culture of planning. Case study results reveal that barriers to local implementation vary across regions. This variation can be attributed to particular local contextual pressures and differences in local planning environments that influence how broader, societal barriers are understood, justified, managed and reinforced. Planning environments in the more rural and exurban case studies regions of Simcoe and Peterborough demonstrated similar belief systems, values and planning goals that obstructed local efforts to manage growth. These same regions faced particular growth and economic pressures that reinforced existing value systems and reduced the range of perceived planning solutions and approaches to growth management. In contrast, planning environments in the more urban Waterloo case study region, as well as urban single tier municipalities within the rural case study regions, demonstrated planning environments that were more open to innovative and assertive planning approaches to manage growth. This research demonstrates how the interactions between local context and planning environments shape the interpretation and implementation of regional growth management plans. The research findings provide focal points for further research on growth management implementation by highlighting barriers and patterns of reinforcement that are less visible and rarely acknowledged in planning practice. As well, this research highlights the need for planning approaches that recognize the important role of the local planning environments in advancing growth management objectives. Failure to recognize and address the underlying barriers and their interdependencies may result in the development of regional growth management plans that fail to achieve their objectives.
Dimensions of age and aging in Toronto: An inter-decade socio-ecological analysis
(University of Waterloo, 2023-01-19) Wilson, Brayden; Filion, Pierre
The aging of global populations long forecasted by demographers, governments, and other public and private actors is now rapidly being realized in many countries around the world, particularly in advanced, industrial economies like Canada. Driving this population aging are members of the Baby Boomer generation, a group larger and in many ways more socially influential than preceding birth cohorts, that are now entering life’s later stages and (if social theorists are correct) redefining concepts of older adulthood we currently rely on to plan for the aged. However, the portended impacts of this aging and proposed policy responses largely remain focused at the national/provincial level, with scant attention paid to how the aging of community and neighbourhood populations will occur and how aging will impact these local spaces. Only in recent years have researchers seriously attempted to understand how age and aging overlap the other complex forces that structure urban space and influence how neighbourhoods change. Drawing on theories of social ecology, this thesis assesses the roles age and aging play in urban structure and changes processes, using perspectives of life stage and generation to discern how the aging of Baby Boomers is enmeshed therein. Using the City of Toronto, Canada as study area, this research employs factorial analysis – here, principal component analysis – on a sample of 468 Toronto neighbourhoods for which a comprehensive dataset of social and spatial measures, with an emphasis on age, is created for the years 1996, 2006, and 2016 and for the decades 1996 to 2006 and 2006 to 2016. A set of components are generated for each year and period to serve as measures of dimensions which underlie how these measures relate e.g., how age and aging relate to Toronto’s other social and spatial elements; importantly, these components are also mapped to reveal of how different parts of Toronto reflect the conceptual constructs depicted. These sets of components and their spatial patterning are then assessed for their analytical import, focusing on where and how age and aging overlap other elements of Toronto’s urban social ecology. Findings reveal that while Toronto continues to be primarily organized by socioeconomics that are heavily inflected by ethnic and immigrant status, age still plays a vital role structuring the city’s social ecology, a role more complex than foundational theories account for, even if these are useful for understanding how the aging of residents interacts with neighbourhoods’ other social and spatial elements. Further and in terms of how Toronto changes, while other social elements appear to crystalize, or remain stable between years, resident aging takes a more prominent role defining the changes Toronto’s neighbourhoods are undergoing. As for where Baby Boomers factor into this, while the earliest-born half of the generation follows a similar trajectory as preceding generations in entering older age, the younger half of the generation diverges from this trajectory and thus from established norms of life’s later stages. Moving forward, it seems age and aging are becoming a more definitive a factor in the structuring of urban environments like Toronto and that concepts of life stage and generation, that have been developed more concretely in other research disciplines, will be crucial for continuing to unravel the complex ways in which demography interweaves itself into urban social ecology.
Downtown Revitalization: The Hamilton Experience
(University of Waterloo, 2016-04-11) Rubino, Antonietta; Filion, Pierre
Abstract The role and function of downtowns have changed over time. Traditionally, downtowns were the social and economic hubs of a city. Downtown decline has been attributed to many interrelated factors including the construction of suburban areas, increased automobile use, and suburban shopping malls. Since the 1950s, several strategies have been used in North American cities in order to try and reverse downtown decline. Hamilton, Ontario, like many other North American mid-size cities, has attempted several revitalization projects in an attempt to renew the core. The purpose of this research is to gain a better understanding of factors that have historically prevented the successful revitalization of a downtown area within a mid-size city. This is explored through a case study of Hamilton, Ontario from the time period of 1955 to 2005. To address this question, a qualitative approach was used. This involved a literature review, the use of archival data, and key expert interviews on revitalization in downtown Hamilton. Firstly, this study identifies and reviews the history and trends of urban renewal in downtown Hamilton. Secondly, this study reviews whether there has been a gap between planning proposals and their implementation and if a gap exists, if it can be bridged. During the second half of the 20th century the character of downtown Hamilton was influenced by a series of plans and proposals aimed at core area renewal. The findings of this study indicate that large scale projects to demolish and rebuild tracts of the downtown, compete with suburban areas, or accommodate the automobile rather than pedestrians were not successful in the long-term at revitalizing the core area. Efforts that aided in downtown renewal included: public-private partnerships, private development, brownfield development, and creating a framework for future plans and renewal efforts through the Downtown Secondary Plan. Previous efforts failed because they relied too heavily on government funding, they were too large scale, they did not involve true public participation, and there was no solid framework backing the planning process. This research also indicates that there is a gap between planning proposals and their implementation and that there is room for this gap to be narrowed. The conclusion that this gap cannot be bridged is clear, however, working towards narrowing this gap is important. Narrowing this gap would involve a less reactionary approach to planning and continuing with small scale incremental changes that build confidence in the downtown area and encourage a sense of place. These initiatives should be part of a larger vision and should continue to include public participation.
The financialization of Transit Oriented Development in York South Weston, Toronto, Ontario
(University of Waterloo, 2023-05-29) Manu, Michael; August, Martine; Moos, Markus; Filion, Pierre; Cockayne, Daniel
Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) is a form of planning that has dominated the discourse around sustainable development in cities. Where transit investment is met with higher density housing and commercial land uses, there has been little attention given to the actors who participate in this form of development. This thesis aims to explore the link between TOD and the financialization of housing, commercial land uses, and development in general. The purview of this study is based on the presence of the new Line 5 – Eglinton Crosstown, a new Light Rail Transit line in Toronto, Ontario. The line passes through a ward in the city that has various indicators suggesting various social issues, York South Weston (Ward 5). In this area, there has been material development activity to warrant discussion on who TOD really serves. This study is based on quantitative and qualitative information available pertaining to developments and properties in proximity to the new transit line. Using City of Toronto development information, information about the Landlords and property owners who have submitted development applications in and around the transit line is analyzed, with various factors considered. Additionally, information about REITs and other financialized players (Private Equity, Development companies, etc.) is analyzed to determine if there is heightened activity related to TOD in Toronto, and potentially within York South Weston. The findings from this study aim to add to the discourse on TOD and namely if financialized players view this style of development as favourable and profitable. The main research questions are centered around how TOD affects lower income people in these areas, and what can be done to curtail any intended or unintended negative externalities generated.
An Investigation into Downtown Revitalization in Mid-Sized Cities in the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe
(University of Waterloo, 2018-04-10) Jamal, Audrey; Filion, Pierre; Seasons, Mark
Twenty-first century cities are facing complex environmental, economic and social challenges. In growth areas like Ontario’s Greater Golden Horseshoe, the province has implemented a regional-scale plan to address the negative impact of unchecked urban sprawl and protect the region’s natural heritage. The Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe (Ontario, 2006, 2017) aims to change the provincial planning paradigm by directing how and where growth can occur in cities. This effort, to create complete communities, enhance transit corridors and revitalize downtowns, is inclusive of eight standalone mid-sized cities that sit outside, or in the outer ring, of the province’s Greenbelt. This research explores the strategies that these outer ring mid-sized cities, with a history of core area decline, are using to foster local economic development, revitalize core areas, and achieve provincial population and employment targets by 2041. This research follows a three-manuscript format and offers one of the first empirical insights into how mandated growth planning is impacting mid-sized city downtowns in Ontario. The first manuscript uses the example of downtown Guelph to evaluate the impact of provincial growth targets on downtown revitalization. Findings from this case study suggest that provincial growth targets can have a catalytic effect on the planning paradigm in mid-sized cities. Through locally led community-planning efforts, and a range of site-specific incentives, mid-sized cities can begin to intensify their downtowns and reverse decades of core area decline. Manuscripts two and three leverage a local economic development framework, to explore the role that allied groups can play in implementing strategies to foster mid-sized city downtown renewal. Manuscript two looks at the role Business Improvement Areas (BIAs) play as partners to local economic development. Findings illustrate that incremental improvements are occurring in the downtowns of these outer ring mid-sized cities, and that BIAs, through a combination of operational activities, advocacy and broad-based coalition building, can contribute to urban revitalization by pursuing a downtown-first agenda. The final manuscript looks at the role that coworking, or shared workspaces, play in the downtown economies of mid-sized cities in Ontario. Findings tell the story of how economic change is playing out in the downtowns of these mid-sized cities, highlighting the importance of innovative, collaborative and inclusive approaches to city building and local economic development. Together these manuscripts illustrate the change that is taking place in Ontario’s mid-sized cities in the outer ring of the Greater Golden Horseshoe. Through a combination of top- down provincial planning and bottom-up local economic development initiatives, mid-sized cities can begin to reverse decades of core area decline. While these changes take time, this research confirms the importance of downtown allies and ongoing, incremental improvements to promote downtown revitalization in smaller metropolitan areas.
"It's Farcical!": Theories, Models, and Recommendations to Improve Public Consultations During Ontario School Closure Reviews
(University of Waterloo, 2018-12-21) Jull, Mark; Seasons, Mark; Filion, Pierre
School closure review processes in Ontario are highly contested and deeply divisive. Though schools are central to their host communities, the closure review process largely ignores the community impacts. Existing research largely agrees the public consultation component of school closure reviews is flawed and insufficient. The general research question of this thesis asks, Why is there a continuation of conflict in the consultation process for school closure reviews? The thesis aims to take the models and theories of consultation from the field of planning and elsewhere to understand the problems and provide viable recommendations, but ultimately finds that the conflicts continue because school reviews are practices of governmentality that severely constrain the effect public inputs have on final decisions. Interviews were conducted with nine people involved in the consultation process during two school closure reviews. These interviews reveal that much of the planning literature on consultations is only somewhat applicable. To help think through the deeply flawed and often hostile consultation process, this thesis presents a sustained engagement with the theories of Michel Foucault and to a lesser extent Jürgen Habermas. Habermas provides the foundation for the optimistic “communicative turn” of collaborative planning, which is a worthy if idealistic goal for planners. Foucault’s historical analysis allows us to see how planning and consultation are caught up in power, power-knowledge, governmentality, and biopolitics. While this thesis finds that planning and consultation are practices of governmentality and biopolitics, this is a critique, not a criticism. Understanding school closure reviews as a practice of governmentality allows us to identify what aspects of these reviews are predetermined and not open to consultation. It also allows us to see an area irreducible to the logic of governmentality, namely the meaning of a school to a community, and it is this aspect that should be subject to community consultation.
The Liminality of everyday life - Creatives in the context of the Islands Trust
(University of Waterloo, 2023-12-11) Yuzwa, Jill; Filion, Pierre
The Liminality of everyday life – Creatives in the context of the Islands Trust Creative communities excite and invigorate individuals and may also provide opportunity for some local economies. Although desired, this creative community profile is not to be taken for granted and may not be the right pursuit for all settlement areas. Soon after the millennium certain urban theorists describing the shift of western economies from industrial to knowledge based, prescribed the use of culture-led initiatives focusing on artistic presence as an economic development strategy to attract knowledge-based workers. But such a strategy, using artists as an economic development tool, has proven to be more suitable to large urban regions than smaller, remote communities. In smaller settlements artists have a substantive role, making significant community contributions as opposed to just being part of an attraction strategy. This research investigates the social, cultural and environmental planning context of Gabriola Island, a successful rural creative community, with special attention to the Islands Trust regional planning framework. The co-methodologies involved three years of ethnographic embeddedness relying on phenomenological hermeneutics. These embedded and interpretive methodologies yield very different results from previous studies and assisted in determining if any urban creative community traits shifted to the rural context. Overall findings were captured in three analysis discussions. The Gabriola creative economy depends on a concept I introduce as community vernacular - which encourages creative communities to be built from within. This inquiry also suggests the presence and role of ‘distinct place’, a concept which captures the spirit of the community. The findings in relation to local governance point to a disjunction between the Islands Trust and the lack of planning instruments required to adhere to their ‘preserve and protect’ mandate. The Trust has failed to foster a planning and governance model for its rural communities, where the arts and creative industries can continue to thrive. The Islands Trust planning toolkit, service, scope and approach must be updated with ecological and environmental best practices to fulfill its mandate thereby preserving and protecting distinct place and retaining the creative population. This important relationship between inhabitants and the region’s natural features explains why islanders become islanders. In summary, the embedded and interpretive methodologies contributed to the research by facilitating relationships with creatives in the community and allowing personal observation to experience the liminal nature of the planning and governance system. The theoretical concepts of community vernacular and distinct place will be developed further and ultimately contribute to rural cultural sustainability.
Paved Paradise: Municipal Parking Policy and Surface Parking in Downtown Urban Growth Centres
(University of Waterloo, 2021-03-17) Casey, Patrick; Filion, Pierre
In 2006, the Province of Ontario introduced the “Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe” (“Growth Plan”) with the goal of managing the significant population and employment growth projected for the Greater Toronto–Hamilton Area over the first three to four decades of the 21st century. The Growth Plan’s framework includes the identification of twenty-five “Urban Growth Centres” (UGCs) in the region’s local municipalities and the establishment of density targets in order to promote intensification within these UGCs. Considering the impact that public policy often has on the amount of parking provided (among many factors, related to both transportation and land use), and that this impact is connected to development and redevelopment through zoning requirements, there are two plausible but contrasting outcomes when it comes to how intensification might affect the amount of surface parking in the Growth Plan’s Urban Growth Centres. On the one hand, policies emphasizing higher-density land uses alongside reduced automobile dependence could lead to decreases in the area devoted to surface parking. On the other hand, the persistence of conventional practices, especially the imposition of minimum parking requirements, could in fact generate greater amounts of surface parking in association with increased development activity. The research project described in this report was undertaken to explore which of these two outcomes was the more likely. More specifically, the purpose of this project was to explore what sorts of relationships might exist between municipal parking policy and changes in the amount of surface parking in a sample of twelve downtown Urban Growth Centres. Changes in the area devoted to surface parking were measured by visual inspection of aerial photography and using geographic information systems (GIS) software. Policy positions were assessed by performing content analysis on the official plans and zoning by-laws of the same twelve municipalities. Both qualitative and quantitative analysis were conducted in order to identify possible points of connection between the two sets of results, which in turn could provide potentially fruitful avenues of exploration for future research. Between 2005/2006 and 2018, eight of the twelve sample municipalities saw decreases in the area devoted to surface parking in and around their UGCs: one of these eight (Kitchener) saw its surface parking area decrease by a significant amount, while the other seven saw relatively modest decreases, one (Peterborough) very close to zero. Two municipalities (Milton and Oshawa) saw significant increases in surface parking area, while two others (Brantford and Waterloo) saw the area devoted to surface parking increase by modest amounts. Within the project sample, larger-scale development projects, particularly large-format retail centres (“power centres”) are associated with the greatest increases, while a sizeable portion of the decreases observed can be traced to the conversion of surface parking lots into vacant lands. Five of the sample municipalities occupy more conventional policy positions with respect to parking—that is, their policies tend to focus more on providing automobile parking on each individual site and to regard parking as something that should be provided abundantly. The other seven municipalities in the project sample occupy positions that, to varying degrees, move away from this more conventional mindset towards positions that involve more area management–oriented approaches and attitudes that regard less parking as being necessary. Policy positions regarding the appropriate or necessary amount of parking appear to be more polarized than positions regarding geographic scope (site-focused versus area-oriented) and regarding parking as infrastructure versus parking as market good. As a general trend, municipalities that occupy less conventional positions regarding parking policy tended to see greater decreases in surface parking within their downtown areas. However, there are some apparent exceptions to this trend that point to ways in which future research can enhance our understanding of the factors affecting the stock of surface parking. There is also evidence to suggest that the establishment of an exemption area (within which land uses are exempt from minimum parking requirements) may be linked to reduced amounts of surface parking, at least within the boundaries of the exemption area itself. Parking policy reform can be pursued in a number of different ways. The methodology for assessing municipal policy positions presented here represents a valuable diagnostic tool that planners and policy-makers can use to identify which approaches to reform are more likely to succeed in a given context. Moreover, it is important that planners and policy-makers adopt more area management–oriented techniques towards parking in downtown Urban Growth Centres, and to find ways to support and encourage the replacement of surface parking with more “intensified” forms (such as underground parking facilities) in order to address automobile dependence while preserving the vitality of downtown areas in Canada’s mid-size cities.
Planning Regimes in Accra, Ghana.
(University of Waterloo, 2017-06-05) Frimpong, Jesse; Filion, Pierre
ABSTRACT The purpose of this research is to identify why different planning regimes exist in Accra, Ghana. While addressing this question, many other issues are addressed such as: 1. What is the process of planning in various communities in Accra? 2. What is the cause of the absence of planning in many low-income settlements? 3. How has colonisation shaped current planning processes in Accra? A qualitative approach grounded in a literature review and key informant interviews reveal why different planning regimes exist. The study shows that three distinct planning regimes exist in the city of Accra, because of the complexities associated with planning. The multiple players and actors involved in planning, such as international funders, local and international NGOs, customary landowners, and individuals all impact planning which causes different residential planning regimes across Accra. The lack of adequate funding, indigenous communities, class structures, overstepping of planning laws, are all among the many factors affecting neighbourhoods in Accra. Recommendations focused on good planning practices and better implementation laws. Most importantly, the central theme and overall advice focused on developing planning practices in Accra, that fit the unique nature of the African landscape, values, and culture.
The Role of Restaurants in an Evolving Mid-Size City
(University of Waterloo, 2017-09-27) Scott, Corey; Filion, Pierre
Mid-sized Canadian cities are witnessing a fundamental shift in the way their downtowns are being utilized and in the role their downtowns play in the broader urban context. These cities (populations 50,000-500,000) have begun witnessing similar shifts in urban dynamics and urban form that have been noted extensively in larger metropolitan areas such as Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles. The purpose of this research is to address the changes in consumption patterns in a mid-sized city’s downtown and examine the broader implications these changes have on urban form and dynamics as well as the local economy. A case study of Kelowna, British Columbia is used to examine trends surrounding amenity-based consumption in the city’s downtown. The primary lens through which amenity-based consumption is understood is through the food-services sub-sector. Additionally, inter-industry linkages are explored to determine the extent to which service-based economic activity in the mid-sized city’s downtown impacts other local and regional industries that may not be overtly present within the downtown. Both quantitative and qualitative research methods are used to examine the city’s local industry concentrations and their impacts on the urban core. The research utilizes an industry concentration analysis to determine the size and importance of specific amenity-related industries in Kelowna. Next, open-ended interviews with the city’s culinary and planning and development communities are conducted to further explore the impacts of food-related industries on the downtown as well as the role that a locally-unique food culture has played in urban development. The study concludes that the role of the restaurant in the downtown has changed substantially in recent decades. The restaurant generates activity in multiple ways through the consumption of the local production landscape by both residents and tourists. Highly concentrated industries surrounding food production and cultural amenities have benefitted from increasing exposure to food in our everyday environments through both traditional media and social media depictions of food culture. While not all mid-size Canadian cities will be able to benefit from these recent transformations, the research shows that those with highly concentrated amenity-related industries can stimulate urban development based on locally unique cultures, which, in the case of Kelowna, are centered around agricultural production and consumption. This research also identifies some of the more challenging problems associated with urban development that is based on culture-led regeneration and provides recommendations on how they can be accounted for and lessened in the City of Kelowna.
Sense of Place and Walking Tours: A Case Study of the Tour Guys Downtown Toronto Tour
(University of Waterloo, 2017-05-04) Belshaw, Katherine; Filion, Pierre
Sense of place has been deemed an important notion for planners as it is understood to have both economic and social benefits. However, profound social, economic, and cultural transformations have made it increasingly difficult to retain a sense of local place and its particularity. Losing this sense of particularity limits a places cultural and social capital – each of which are huge drivers of economic growth. As a response to this, guided walking tours – for example Jane’s Walks established in 2006 – have emerged as a form of cultural interpretation to help maintain and foster a meaningful sense of place. Despite a growing awareness of the benefits of guided walking tours, existing literature on how guided walking tours ought to be designed does not sufficiently address their complexity or understand their relationship to sense of place. This research attempts to fill this gap by analyzing how place is presented and experienced on the Tour Guys Downtown Toronto Tour. Using participant observation and interviews, this study suggests that guided walking tours have the potential to change the way people think and act by presenting them with distinctive place experiences. Therefore, guided walking tours, as they interact with sense of place, can be a powerful means for social and cultural transformation. Based on these findings, recommendations are made for effectively designing and using guided walking tours as tools for cultural interpretation.
Smart Growth and Parking: An Analysis of Downtown Revitalization in Mid-Sized Cities
(University of Waterloo, 2020-04-09) McCarthy, Kelly; Filion, Pierre
The post-WWII period saw significant suburban expansion in North American cities. This push outward utilized the abundant available land to satisfy the demand for housing, and saw the rise in use of the personal automobile. This suburbanization resulted in the deterioration of many downtowns in mid-sized municipalities, which are now using smart growth principles to revitalize their cores, with the goals of infill development, intensification, increased transit, decreased automobile use, and pedestrian-friendly environments. Balancing the competing goals of attracting more people downtown and making it accessible for car-dependent residents raises important questions around how cities should plan for parking. This study uses three case cities, Kitchener, Kingston and St. Catharines to help answer its central research question: what is the role of parking in downtown revitalization in mid-sized cities? The findings of this study point to several issues that mid-size municipalities should consider when planning for parking during downtown revitalization. They should a) own or control as many of the parking assets as possible in order to be well-positioned to implement parking and other planning goals; b) align revitalization programs and goals across the municipality to avoid conflicting objectives; c) focus on transportation demand management policies that will help shift the modal split and provide viable alternatives; d) foster the creation of strong central business districts, including after-hours attractions; and e) consider maximum instead of minimum parking requirements in downtowns to avoid oversupply.
A Speculative Exploration into the Current Planning Paradigm through Academic Planner Perspectives
(University of Waterloo, 2023-09-28) Chandy, Johan; Filion, Pierre; Drescher, Michael
This thesis centres on research aimed at understanding the essence of the current planning paradigm, identifying the factors that facilitate or hinder paradigm shifts, and determining the prevailing paradigm that governs contemporary scholarly pursuits within planning in an academic setting. This is achieved through an approach based on findings from interviews with planning academics. The first objective, vital to this thesis, scrutinizes whether the prevailing planning paradigm represents a novel trend, a continuation of previous paradigms, or perhaps a synergy of both. It seeks to unveil the core attributes of the existing paradigm and questions if we are operating within the thresholds of an unrecognized new approach in planning. Furthermore, recognizing the critical role of the factors that influence paradigm shifts stands as a focal point in this thesis. The research aspires to elucidate the circumstances and elements that either catalyze or restrain potential shifts in planning paradigms. It delves into understanding the intellectual environment surrounding these shifts, accentuating the critical role played by prevailing perspectives on truth and discourse. The intellectual landscape is bifurcated into two dominant paradigms: the traditional liberal paradigm, founded on the philosophies of stalwarts such as Descartes, Locke, and Mill, and the critical social theoretical paradigm, deeply influenced by diverse viewpoints including postmodernists, feminists, postcolonial theorists, and critical race theorists. This study navigates the delicate balance between these paradigms, dissecting their roles in fostering or hindering open discourse and critical examination. By spotlighting the intrinsic value each paradigm brings to the table and the challenges they pose, the research endeavors to craft a roadmap for a more balanced intellectual environment. It underscores the necessity for fostering open dialogue, critical evaluation, and respect for varying cultural contexts, thus nurturing an environment conducive to progressive shifts aligned with societal transitions, equity, and social progress. This is important as paradigm shifts have been largely corrective in nature and frequent shifts help keep planning up to date with rapidly changing societal reality. Lastly, the thesis is invested in determining the prevailing paradigm of truth within this academic sphere. It seeks to delineate the predominant assumptions, methodologies, and values that characterize this discipline. This involves an analysis of the frameworks adopted by scholars and researchers in their relentless pursuit of truth and knowledge creation, paving the way for a richer and more nuanced academic dialogue in planning theory. Regarding methodology, this study adopts a pragmatic approach to scrutinize evolving paradigms in the planning field, primarily utilizing Thomas's general inductive approach for qualitative analysis to identify trends within data collected from interviews. This methodology facilitates the transformation of extensive interview data into concise summaries, directly aligning findings with the research objectives and fostering the formulation of insightful theories. Interviews with planning academics from various Ontario institutions were conducted despite the hurdles presented by the Covid-19 pandemic. This process, albeit impacted by the pandemic, yielded rich insights from 11 academic planning experts. The interview questionnaire was crafted to delve into current trends, barriers to paradigm shifts, and the prerequisites for facilitating change in the planning field's approaches. It also probed the participants' perceptions of "truth" and the significance of viewpoint diversity in strengthening the discipline's knowledge base. This thesis is a preliminary exploration into current trends and has several weaknesses. Since an inductive approach was used to analyze data, the presence of larger trends is assumed based on interviewee opinions. Several diverse data sources should have been used to bolster the veracity of these identified trends. Due to time and monetary constraints, this thesis focused solely on interviewing planning professors. Other potential data sources could have included students, administrative staff, planners within the private sector, planners within the public sector, and recent studies published by academic planning institutions, among others. This could be a focus for future research. Only Ontario institutions were considered as the original intent was to conduct interviews face to face and driving distances were considered, as such other planning institutions outside of Ontario were excluded from the study. Another weakness is that only 11 experts were interviewed, increasing this sample size would improve confidence in the veracity of the claims made within this thesis. Due to all of these limitations, the conclusions of this thesis should be considered weakly justified, and additional research will be required in the future to verify the accuracy of the claims made. This study provides a dive into the shifting currents of academic planning, uncovering a distinct move towards a social justice paradigm. Emphasizing equity, diversity, and inclusivity, the research underscores the planning profession's expansion beyond mere technical urban design into the realm of balancing economic, environmental, and social imperatives. The dialogues captured shed light on the profession's adaptability, revealing its commitment to creating communities that mirror the diverse needs and contributions of their members. A major finding is the notable convergence towards a critical social justice perspective, which values interpretive truths and has a heightened awareness of power dynamics. However, the journey towards this shift is intricate, with potential differences in its application and understanding, indicating the need for continuous reflection and examination. The transition from traditional liberal paradigms to a more context-dependent, power-conscious paradigm poses both opportunities and challenges. The research suggests that while this shift promises a more inclusive urban planning outlook, it may also face challenges, including potential epistemic closure and possible conflicts due to diverse interpretations. In essence, the findings spotlight the evolving landscape of academic planning, highlighting the rise of a social justice paradigm and the complexities accompanying such a paradigm shift. The research concludes with a call for persistent discourse, exploration, and critical assessment to ensure a balanced, sustainable, and inclusive urban future.
Subjectivity in Tourism and Place: A Cultural Planning Approach in Yellowknife, NT
(University of Waterloo, 2017-06-15) Rudkevitch, Ashley; Johnson, Laura; Filion, Pierre
Communities that have previously relied on primary industries are increasingly turning towards tourism as a form of economic development as their past economic opportunities become obsolete. Yet, as tourism growth can occur quickly with little to no policies or procedures in place, it can result in a vulnerable state as it will remain unstructured, unchecked, and disorganized. In order for tourism to be the most effective for small-sized communities, it is important to approach tourism planning from a community-based, inclusive approach. The integration of various stakeholders in a community-led governance approach will allow for effective development strategies that not only benefit both tourists and locals but also contributes to the overall place-making within the community. This research focuses on international tourism, cultural heritage, and place-making in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada. Yellowknife has experienced a large growth in international tourists looking to experience the Aurora Borealis, whereas the cultural heritage within the community is a secondary experience, it is relatively underexposed and underrepresented. By considering the city’s cultural heritage sites as a means to further develop a sense of place, this research will examine the subjective interactions locals and tourists experience within the City of Yellowknife. Semi-structured interviews were used as the primary method of data collection to examine the differences in how locals perceive the city, what the tourists’ expectations of the city are and whether these expectations are being met. The researcher will conduct participant observations to supplement the interviews, by partaking in tours operated by local tour operators. Current document review and basic statistical data was analyzed to establish a contextual base for the research. This research will create a planning and management framework for a tourism growth strategy in Yellowknife. The end goal will be to encourage Yellowknife to undertake a tourism development strategy that is focused on the local community’s involvement in place-making initiatives that will in turn contribute to place-branding. This cultural planning approach to community building will strengthen the locals’ involvement in tourism progression and in turn will assist in building resilience for a rapidly changing economy.
SUBURBAN IMMIGRANT SETTLEMENTS IN TORONTO AND TRANSPORTATION IMPLICATIONS
(University of Waterloo, 2021-02-12) HARUN, SM RAFAEL; Filion, Pierre
Immigrants’ social and economic conditions and lifestyles are strong determinants of their residential and transportation choices. Existing studies that analyze immigrants’ transportation behaviour have predominantly focused on a range of socioeconomic factors, yet, they have not accounted for the impacts that the residential patterns of immigrants may have on transportation outcomes. Understanding the spatial settlement patterns of immigrants is critical for learning their travel patterns. Immigrants substantially differ from non-immigrants in the dynamics of residential and transportation decisions. Also, the choice of commuting modes in immigrant neighbourhoods may vary because of the differences in built environment conditions, access to quality transit, and socioeconomic characteristics of the residents. By investigating the Toronto metropolitan region, this dissertation explores the impacts of immigrants’ spatial settlement patterns on their transportation outcomes through three research articles. It makes theoretical and methodological contributions to the immigrant settlement and transportation literature. The first research article evaluates the inter-metropolitan-zone variations in immigrant-transportation relationships. Spatially explicit regression models are developed for the Toronto census metropolitan area (CMA) and its three metropolitan zones (inner city, inner suburb, and outer suburb). They compare and contrast the associations between the immigrant concentration levels in the census tracts (CTs) and commuting modal shares while controlling for socioeconomic and built environment factors. Results of the models show that immigrants register strong association with transit use at the CMA level and in each metropolitan zone, where the level of the association is much stronger in the suburbs compared to the inner city. This article detects disproportional transit reliance among immigrants in many areas, such as in Toronto’s suburbs, that are poorly served by transit, and reflects on the reasons and consequences of the revealed phenomenon. It suggests a demand-driven transit strategy that would involve adjusting services to the higher transit reliance of immigrants. The inter-metropolitan-zone comparison in this article adds a new spatial perspective to the understanding of immigrant-transportation relationships. The second research article uses the ethnoburb model to explore the spatial evolution patterns of immigrants by investigating the Chinese and South Asians in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA). It devises a novel approach to evaluate ethnoburbs in a continuum by classifying them into three distinct categories (Nascent, Mature, and Saturated), which can be considered as different stages of ethnoburb development. The assessment of the spatiotemporal changes of the ethnoburb categories demonstrates that the settlement patterns of the immigrants in the suburbs can take different spatial forms depending on the ethnic group under consideration. The article detects a prevalent tendency among both the Chinese and South Asians to form spatial clusters. It additionally recognizes considerable differences in settlement preferences between the groups through their distinct spatial arrangements. This study methodologically advances the ethnoburb delineation process, and theoretically contributes to ethnoburb and immigrant settlement scholarship by highlighting complexities and uncertainties associated with the spatial evolution of ethnoburbs. The spatial settlement trends for the Chinese and South Asians determined in this research article has contributed towards the identification of settlement locations for the two minority immigrant groups in the third research article. The third research article compares transportation outcomes relative to the settlements of immigrant groups. Using a series of regression models, it evaluates differences in commuting patterns between the Chinese and South Asian settlements in the suburbs of Toronto metropolitan region and determines the relative influence of the proximity to quality transit on the choice of commuting modes in those areas while controlling for socioeconomic factors. Results from the models show higher transit dependence in the South Asian settlements compared to that of the Chinese. Findings from the study also suggest a stronger influence of socioeconomic factors and employment locations than quality transit on the transportation and residential choices made by immigrant groups. The article manifests unfavourable circumstances for immigrants to use transit in Toronto suburbs by identifying the dissonance among immigrants’ settlement patterns, their choice of commuting modes, and current urban planning approaches. The study advances immigrant-transportation scholarship by adding the transit quality dimension and highlighting inter-immigrant-group differences in immigrants’ settlement and transportation relationships. It makes methodological contributions as well by introducing a new day-long transit quality index for the Toronto metropolitan region. As a whole, this dissertation contributes to the understanding of immigrant-transportation relationships and ethnoburb scholarship by i) delineating ethnoburbs using a novel approach and exploring the complexity in their evolution patterns and immigrant settlements more broadly; ii) assessing the spatial dimension to the immigrant-transportation relationships; iii) examining the relative importance of the proximity to quality transit in transportation outcomes in immigrant settlements; and iv) illustrating the urban planning implications of the immigrant settlement and transportation relationships.
TOplay: Child-Friendly Public Open Spaces in Downtown Toronto
(University of Waterloo, 2021-05-21) Gomes, Vivian; Filion, Pierre
The study explores which strategies can facilitate children's free play and independent mobility (IM) in the City of Toronto central neighbourhoods' public open spaces (POS). The first part of the study uses interviews to assess caregivers' perception of POS to identify which common issues can challenge families' positive experiences in central Toronto neighbourhoods. Other cities' solutions to promote children's and caregivers' sense of safety, enhance proximity of play, and foster unstructured play are discussed to envision initiatives and strategies to respond to such issues. The study then compares Downtown Toronto's public realm's policies and guidelines to other cities' strategies and initiatives. It explores the challenges and opportunities to respond to the issues concerning parents living in central Toronto neighbourhoods. The final part of the study contains recommendations to address caregivers' concerns and desires about children's environments in central Toronto neighbourhoods. This study demonstrates it is crucial to listen to caregivers' concerns and address child-blind policies that limit children's POS to playgrounds' boundaries to facilitate free play and IM in central neighbourhoods. It also shows that Downtown Toronto's public realm policies and guidelines present more opportunities than challenges to child-friendly POS.
Using pragmatism to overcome the perils of monetary valuation: Applying Deliberative Q-method to understand the value of stream ecosystems in Amman, Jordan
(University of Waterloo, 2020-04-16) Peck, Megan; Khirfan, Luna; Filion, Pierre
Existing ecosystem service literature is predominated by valuation studies that narrowly ascribe to either positivist or constructionist worldviews; each subject to inherent limitations that make their operationalization in practice limited. Valuation studies are lacking the pragmatism required to adequately integrate the complexity of ecosystem service values into decision-making, specifically as it pertains to sociocultural values, which do not easily translate into measurable metrics. Accordingly, this thesis aims to increase the validity and credibility of sociocultural valuation studies, both theoretically and empirically. Based on a literature review, valuation studies are lacking the concurrent embodiment of three critical themes: 1) deliberation; 2) local ecological knowledge; and 3) explicit trade-off mechanisms. Accordingly, this manuscript describes the theoretical framework that was developed, which simultaneously integrates these themes, and transcends their epistemological origins. To operationalize the theoretical framework, conventional Q-method was adapted into a deliberative process, by combining it with focus group procedures. This combined method was empirically tested in Amman, Jordan by analyzing how experts value urban water features amid severe water scarcity. The results revealed two juxtaposing opinions regarding the conception of urban surface waters in Amman. The predominant perspective is forward-thinking; valuing urban water features for their sociocultural values, supporting the application of nature-based solutions. The second perspective is backwards thinking; preoccupied with ecosystem disservices and unsustainable water management solutions. Accordingly, Amman and other developing metropolises that face rapid urbanization and climate change would benefit from greater international knowledge exchange, disseminating the benefits of iv local nature-based solutions, specifically stream daylighting. The Deliberative Q-method produces easily interpretable results used by decision-makers to identify management priorities and improve the likelihood of policy success by reducing management inefficiencies and stakeholder conflict. The Deliberative Q-method is adaptable for a variety of research topics, within urban planning and beyond, which seek to understand social preferences amid complex urban realities and the diverse values of its citizens.
“We’re just trying to help...make it a positive place”: Community Organizations, Gentrification, and Neighbourhood Change in Hamilton, Ontario
(University of Waterloo, 2018-06-19) Ellis-Young, Margaret; Moos, Markus; Filion, Pierre
As a historic hub of steel manufacturing impacted by deindustrialization, Hamilton, Ontario has until very recently been positioned as a centre of decline. However, new narratives of revitalization have emerged alongside recent waves of investment and improvement projects focused on Hamilton’s urban core, introducing concerns of gentrification and displacement within the city’s central neighbourhoods. In this thesis, I explore community-based organizations (neighbourhood associations, community-focused business improvement associations, and certain city-wide organizations) as actors within this context of gentrification, an area that has received limited exploration within the literature. I examine how organizations’ initiatives shape and respond to the current trajectory of change within Hamilton’s inner city neighbourhoods, and the equity implications therein. I also consider how representatives of community organizations perceive change, as well as their roles and impacts, within the gentrifying neighbourhoods. My findings draw on 15 semi-structured interviews with representatives from 12 organizations engaged in neighbourhood-level activities and gentrification-related issues in central Hamilton, as well as document analysis. Representatives’ perceptions and their organizations’ impacts with respect to gentrification and neighbourhood change emerge as multi-faceted and occasionally contradictory. Actions often work in tension to simultaneously protect and potentially compromise the inclusivity of Hamilton’s inner city neighbourhoods, with instances in which gentrification and displacement are both resisted and facilitated. Despite consistently placing value on diversity and belonging, organizations identify a multiplicity of priorities and face limits to their capacity, which constrain their ability or sense of responsibility to respond to evidence of inequitable neighborhood change. These findings raise the question of who is ultimately responsible to address determinants and impacts of gentrification in Hamilton and other similar contexts, suggesting the need for policy and/or financial supports from multiple levels of government.

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