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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Achieving Cultural Diversity in Wilderness Recreation: A Study of the Chinese in Vancouver
(University of Waterloo, 2003) Hung, Karin
As Canada welcomes immigrants from around the world, planners increasingly strive for policies and initiatives that meet culturally diverse needs. In Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, park planners have directed more attention to wilderness use by ethnic minority groups, particularly the Chinese population. Nowhere in Canada are people of Chinese ancestry more prominent than in Greater Vancouver, where they comprise 47% of the visible minority population and 17% of the total population. However, the rate of Chinese participation in wilderness recreation is less than that of the general population. This exploratory study examines the cultural nuances and institutional barriers that impede Chinese participation in wilderness recreation activities. It is primarily based on 51 in-depth interviews with members of the Chinese community in Greater Vancouver during 2002. Recruitment was by a hybrid convenience-purposive-snowball sampling method, which resulted in a non-random sample. Interview questions addressed views about wilderness, outdoor recreation and wilderness experience, awareness of local recreation opportunities, means to retrieve park information, and preferences for park settings and facilities. The Vancouver Index of Acculturation was used to measure participants' levels of acculturation. Interviews were tape recorded and transcribed, and information from field notes and transcripts were organized into main themes and triangulated with secondary data sources for analysis. Results indicate that Chinese who are more acculturated to Canadian culture ('High Mainstream Chinese') visit a greater number of parks and are willing to travel a further distance to access them. They also tend to visit parks more often, stay longer, and tend to be attracted to more physically demanding or 'hard adventure' activities, whereas less acculturated individuals ('Low Mainstream Chinese') are inclined to more passive outdoor activities. The study points to reasons that explain why Low Mainstream Chinese ? particularly recent immigrants ? are participating less in wilderness recreation. Factors include fear of the wilderness environment, preference for more highly developed parks, a lack of awareness of wilderness opportunities, and inadequate access to park information. Subtle aspects of the Chinese subcultural identity, such as importance of cleanliness, emphasis on academics, priorities on work, and clannishness, also play a role in Chinese under-participation. Thus if park planners want to facilitate Chinese use of designated wilderness areas, they should address issues such as safety, level of park development, availability of information, and awareness of wilderness opportunities in a culturally sensitive way. Doing so would promote more equitable access to a public resource. Increased awareness and appreciation of wilderness by ethnic minority groups may also help garner political support for future conservation initiatives and build a stronger local economy.
Act Small and Think Big: Exploring the Plurality and Complexity of Shrinking Cities
(University of Waterloo, 2016-08-31) Hartt, Maxwell
Demographically and economically, there is an ongoing global shift that has resulted in the uneven development and distribution of monetary, human and knowledge capital, and the emergence of global and shrinking cities. The ability of local planners and decision-makers in shrinking cities to effectively manage population loss and economic decline has been limited by the deficiency of available strategies to address the challenges of shrinkage and the stigma of shrinkage within the growth-oriented culture of planning. Although the causes urban shrinkage have been widely discussed, little research has explored the complexity and diversity of the various processes contributing to urban shrinkage. A two-dimensional shrinking city trajectory typology encompassing both economic and demographic change is developed as a baseline approach to discussing, depicting and classifying shrinking cities. The diversity of urban shrinkage experiences is demonstrated through the examination of the twenty largest American cities to lose population between 1980 and 1990 - fifteen of the twenty cities experienced varying degrees of population loss while simultaneously showing signs of economic growth. The diversity and complexity of urban shrinkage is further explored using a novel cross-correlation network analysis approach to disentangle the complex processes contributing to and stemming from population loss. Two Canadian shrinking municipalities, Chatham-Kent, Ontario and Cape Breton Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia are examined over a period of seventeen years (1997-2013). Results indicate that factors in the urban shrinkage process are strongly interrelated and exhibit circular trends and feedback mechanisms. The analysis also shows significant regional differentiation as each case study has a unique set of processes that preceded population loss. However there were commonalities between the distinct cross-correlation networks. Specifically, unemployment, employment and labor participation rates were indicative of immigration and emigration trends, changes in unemployment were inversely related to housing permit rates and intraprovincial migration was strongly linked to changes in housing starts and completions. Lastly, a shrinkage strategy transferability framework is developed to explore the diversity of local decision-makers’ perceptions of the applicability of shrinkage strategies. The framework is applied to the two Canadian shrinking municipalities to evaluate the transferability of a service rightsizing strategy. Although deemed compatible and transferable by the author and six key informants, the strategy was ultimately considered inapplicable in both municipalities due to governance barriers. Despite similar conclusions, local perceptions of shrinkage and response strategies were found to be influenced by differences in geographic location and longevity of shrinkage. This dissertation contributes to our understanding of the diversity and complexity of urban shrinkage experiences by (1) challenging the reliance on population change as the sole indicator of urban shrinkage trajectories, (2) demonstrating the complexity and distinctiveness of urban shrinkage processes and (3) advancing that the duration of shrinkage and local perceptions are tied to the stage of deindustrialization and the changing demographic makeup of the municipality.
Adaptation of Resettled Rural Population towards Urban Life in Nanjing, China: from the Perspective of Resettled Residents
(University of Waterloo, 2018-02-15) Liu, Pan
The large-scale and continuing land acquisition in China is playing a positive role in regards to the national economic development while resulting in a number of issues among resettled rural residents. For the resettled residents who are forced to move into the city, it contains not only a geographical transformation but also a profound process of adaptation towards the economic, physical and social environment. Therefore, it is essential for the government to act on the issue to maintain social justice, stability as well as sustainability. The goal of this research is to study the adaptation conditions for resettled farmers, issues faced, and possible solutions. A model derived from Du and Pan (2014)’s study, along with other literature was developed to collect data from two selected communities in Nanjing, China. Data from three perspectives, economic adaptation, environmental adaptation, and social adaptation were gathered with a structured survey, and researching findings were derived from principal component analysis and descriptive analysis. Recommendations towards the planning process on resettlement were also proposed, such as encouraging public participation and taking farmers’ opinions into considerations. Policy recommendations based on the results of influencing factors and choices of potential improvements are derived from the perspectives of the farmers, including a high demand for information on social resources and investment, green space for vegetation plantations, and sufficient and diverse compensation and social insurance. The limitations of this study include the small sample size, the resettlement time differences between the two communities, and the subjectivism towards the questions. For future studies, a larger sample with a longitudinal survey can be proposed to derive participants from more communities, and a more reasonable evaluation measurement of the adaptation level can be designed to minimize the subjectivisms of the answers.
The adaptive reuse of grain elevators into housing: how policy and perspectives affect the conversion process and impact downtown revitalization
(University of Waterloo, 2013-08-28T13:51:22Z) Kevill, Megan
This study seeks to examine how the conversion of grain elevators into housing is an effective method of adaptive reuse. It uses theories and concepts on heritage preservation, downtown revitalization, place theory and environmental sustainability. Based on the literature review, there is a need for change in planning policy and there are both advantages and disadvantages to adaptive reuse. The methodology and data sources include examining and analyzing planning documents, surveys for the public and professionals, and demographic data. Case studies included converted grain elevators located in Australia and Norway and also a case study in Canada for the purpose of future recommendations. These methods answer the research question of how do planning policies and the perspectives of planning professionals and the public affect the process of the adaptive reuse of grain elevators into housing? Subsequent questions include topics such as whether adaptive reuse is an effective approach to downtown revitalization, which policies impede or facilitate the process, how perspectives influence decisions, and how demographics are linked to housing availability. The significance of this study on planning practice is that it helps form policy recommendations to address the needs of the public and help improve the efficiency of adaptive reuse in the planning process. In conclusion, the public and professionals were generally in favour of this type of adaptive reuse but many had concerns about cost and gentrification. Also, more policies need to be created that address adaptive reuse specifically. For the future use of the Toronto case study I recommended that converting the grain elevator into housing is the optimal choice. The limitations of this study include data availability, non-responses for surveys, language barriers, case study locations, and time constraints.
The Adaptive Reuse of Industrial Heritage Buildings: A Multiple-Case Studies Approach
(University of Waterloo, 2018-01-09) Sugden, Evan
The adaptive reuse of industrial heritage buildings is a technique that can be used to help reduce the number of abandoned or unused industrial buildings and/or prevent demolition of cultural heritage assets; thereby, introducing new programs and functions into a structure and contributing to the maintenance, rehabilitation, development and redevelopment of targeted areas within a community. This thesis aimed to understand ways to approach adaptive reuse through the lens of land-use planning, by answering three (3) primary questions: 1. In the cases where the adaptive reuse of industrial heritage buildings was successful, how and why did these successes occur? 2. What are the factors/criteria that impacted the outcome of adaptive reuse and how did those factors/criteria impact adaptive reuse? 3. How can these criteria be transformed into tools that can be generalizable and be applied in various contexts with modifications to suit new contexts? A multiple-case studies research approach was adopted. Five (5) Ontario-based cases of adaptive reuse were selected: 1) Artscape Wychwood Barns – Toronto, ON; 2) Evergreen Brick Works – Toronto, ON; 3) Kaufman Lofts – Kitchener, ON; 4) The Tannery District – Kitchener, ON; and, 5) Tudhope Building – Orillia, ON. The a priori assumption was that the feasibility, and to a certain extent, the outcomes of adaptive reuse projects are primarily influenced by cultural, economic, environmental, legislative, locational, “new-use” and/or social factors. The undertaking of a literature review verified that the seven (7) a priori factors were, indeed, themes amongst similar findings by accredited scholars and researchers. Original research was conducted by: undertaking site visits to each of the five properties; preparing brief histories on each of the cases; and, undertaking thirty (30) key informant interviews. The interview data was analyzed using a digital content analysis. Ultimately, ten (10) criteria were identified that may help in assessing the success of and challenges facing the adaptive reuse of industrial heritage buildings. Ideally, the findings from this study will help prepare those who are hesitant about adaptive reuse by providing tools that will enable them to undertake an adaptive reuse project with full knowledge on how to objectively investigate the situation.
Advancing Municipal Natural Asset Management through Standardized Evaluation
(University of Waterloo, 2021-09-28) Mollame, Lucas
In Canada, many urban and near-urban ecosystems are in decline. As well, engineered infrastructure is aging, its capital and operating costs are rising, and municipal service delivery is strained. Local governments are searching for new strategies to deliver services in financially and environmentally sustainable ways. They are also looking to incorporate ecosystems and ecosystem services into their understanding of service delivery. Unfortunately, many municipalities struggle to view these ecosystems as green infrastructure that can provide local communities with a wide range of important services such as stormwater management. However, some Canadian municipalities are beginning to incorporate ecosystems and the services they provide into their asset management planning and service delivery frameworks, an approach known as municipal natural asset management. To conduct municipal natural asset management, municipalities should restore, conserve, inventory, and track ecosystems under their jurisdiction. As more municipalities incorporate municipal natural asset management, evidence of its efficacy is required to upscale and mainstream this approach. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to evaluate municipal natural asset management programs. Evidence from this evaluation will contribute to a broadening database of the beneficial outcomes of a municipal natural asset management program. To do this, this research created a rigorous evaluation framework for municipal natural asset management and has applied it to a national cohort of five case studies. This evaluation framework includes a Program Logic Model and an Evaluation Matrix as two common evaluation tools. As well, evaluation questions, indicators, benchmarks, and a five-point, colour-coded scoring system were created for program outcomes based on four distinct outcome streams in the Program Logic Model. These four outcome streams are (i) Awareness, Capacity and Education Outcomes, (ii) Implementation Outcomes, (iii) Ecosystem Rehabilitation and Restoration Outcomes and (iv) Service Delivery Outcomes. Findings from the evaluation showed that the five municipalities received high scores for Awareness, Capacity and Education Outcome indicators and some Implementation Outcome indicators. However, the municipalities did not receive high scores in later Implementation Outcome indicators, Ecosystem Rehabilitation and Restoration Outcome indicators, and Service Delivery Outcome indicators. These findings reveal that municipalities are aligning municipal natural asset management with existing municipal climate action initiatives. Moving forward, Canadian local governments should focus on partnerships and champions to enable municipal natural asset management, recognize municipal natural asset management as a full municipal program, and use existing tools to identify sites for ecosystem rehabilitation and restoration. Findings from the evaluation also provide insights on complex and complicated Program Logic Models, nested outcomes, and outcome streams. This evaluation framework should be improved upon so more municipalities can be evaluated simultaneously and automatically. Finally, local governments should explore using funding from COVID-19 Pandemic Recovery to integrate municipal natural asset management.
Age-Friendliness of the Urban Design Guidelines of the Cities of Kitchener and Waterloo
(University of Waterloo, 2014-06-23) Bhupinder Preet, Kohli
The fastest growing age group in Canada is seniors aged 65 years or older (Statistics Canada’s 2006 & 2007). The population of seniors is projected to increase to 6.7 million by 2021 and 9.2 million by 2041 (nearly one in every four Canadians) (Social Development Canada, 2006a; Statistics Canada, 2007b). Similarly, Population Estimates, Waterloo Region and Ontario, 2011 and Population Projections, Waterloo Region and Ontario, 2016, 2026 & 2036 (Region of Waterloo, 2012b, 2012c) indicate that the Region of Waterloo expects an increase in its senior population by 145.4% from year 2011 to 2036. Due to increased longevity and an increased percentage of older adults, this demographic shift poses challenges for communities, including increased healthcare costs and social isolation among seniors, which may threaten their active participation in the community. The research question ‘Do urban design guidelines of the Cities of Kitchener and Waterloo address the needs of an ageing population?’ motivates this study to examine the Urban Design Manuals of the Cities of Waterloo and Kitchener to determine the age-friendliness of the current urban design guidelines, and the role of the built environment in active ageing. The current urban design guidelines of the Cities of Kitchener and Waterloo are compared with the Design of Public Spaces Standards (Accessibility Standards for the Built Environment) by Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA); the Universal Design Principles; key findings based on the literature review (Levine, 2003; Story, Mueller, & Mace, 1998); and analysed with in-depth knowledge gained through semi-structured interviews with seniors, planners, and focus groups. The participation of the seniors provided information on the gaps between what already exists and what is required. The key finding of the report is that the urban design guidelines of the Cities of Waterloo and Kitchener are fairly comprehensive in addressing the needs of seniors, but there is inadequate implementation of these guidelines.
Aging in Place amid Studentification: Seniors’ Place Attachments in a University Town
(University of Waterloo, 2021-10-26) Debly, Telina
Since its formal recognition by the World Health Organization in 2005, the age-friendly planning movement has gained traction and shifted attention towards the diverse needs and experiences of seniors. There is growing acknowledgement that well-being in later life is closely related to one’s physical and social environment, and age-friendly planning now incorporates increasingly sophisticated conceptions of place. Examining seniors’ place attachments is a corresponding evolution within the literature. Place attachments are emotional bonds that people form to particular physical and social environments. These bonds positively impact older adults’ sense of personal identity, memory, and health. However, place attachments can be negatively impacted by changes in the local environment. One such change is studentification; a process by which a large student population affects an area’s economy, social atmosphere, and physical environment. However, very little existing research examines how a transition towards student-dominated urban public spaces impacts the place attachments of senior residents. This study addresses the gap in literature by answering the research questions: What place attachment bonds to a city district are demonstrated by long-term senior residents; and how does a large student population affect seniors’ experiences of a city district? Semi-structured long form interviews were conducted with eleven seniors who have lived in the City of Waterloo for the majority of their lives, and photo-elicitation was utilized to prompt participants to reflect on their experiences amid the growing student population. Results of this study highlight the importance of long-standing third places for seniors’ affective place attachments, and provide insight into broader senior-student relationships in a city district versus residential neighbourhoods. These findings contribute to establishing a more robust theoretical understanding of older adults’ place attachments, and help to inform the urban planning and engagement practices undertaken by planners and policy makers in university towns.
Agricultural Gentrification in Saskatchewan: An Exploration of Landscape Transformations within the Rural Agrarian Locale
(University of Waterloo, 2023-10-05) Grant, Richard
Due to the gradual shift from productivist-oriented activities, towards more multifunctional activities, landscape transformations are more visibly noticed within rural communities. The growing transition towards post-productive agricultural land uses raises questions about the future use of rural land in the face of sustainably developing rural communities. More importantly, it begs the question of how land use planners can fairly contextualize the nature of growth in rural communities while reacting to the different facets of gentrification. Within gentrification research, there is a heavy focus on urban gentrification. More importantly, of the gentrification research conducted in rural communities, there is little focus on gentrification within the agricultural locale. The objective of my research is to examine the role that agricultural gentrification plays in facilitating landscape transformations in rural communities in Saskatchewan. My research looked at the agricultural restructuring occurring in rural Saskatchewan communities as a precondition of agricultural gentrification. Using a case study approach, three municipalities were selected to explore the phenomena of agricultural gentrification in Saskatchewan. My research found that the province of Saskatchewan operates under an agro-industrial paradigm that utilizes a productivist-oriented form of farming as a means of determining the highest and best use of farmland. Three case studies selected to explore the relationship between landscape transformation and the emergence of agricultural gentrification utilized Neil Smith’s Rent Gap theory as a means of interpreting the gap between the farmland sale price and farmland value. The rent gap represented in the ratio studies of the three municipalities reflects the disparity between the farmland value and the corresponding farmland sale price. The value of farmland under this framework views the productive capacity as the highest and best use, which translates to its "value", and ultimately influences the sale price. The disparity between the farmland sale price and its value reflects how the “highest and best use of” farmland is determined under an agro-industrial paradigm in Saskatchewan. More importantly, the emergence of agricultural gentrification and its impact on the price of farmland has far reaching effects on land use decisions and rural community development.
Albuquerque’s Downtown 2010 Sector Development Plan - A Post-Implementation Evaluation
(University of Waterloo, 2012-08-14T15:28:48Z) Hakim, Malak
This thesis was a post-implementation evaluation of Albuquerque’s Downtown 2010 Sector Development Plan. The Downtown Plan, commissioned in 2000, has a preset deadline of 2010 for meeting conditions outlined within its text. Therefore, the timing of this study was optimal. A triangulated, mixed methods methodology yielded data that were evaluated through an amalgamation of conformance and performance-based evaluation approaches. Six of the twelve categories, under which the Plan’s text is organized, were chosen as the focus of this study’s evaluation efforts. The categories are as follows: 1) Transportation and Parking; 2) Land Use and Design; 3) Healthy Neighborhoods; 4) Urban Housing; 5) Urban Retailing; and 6) Parks and Open Space. The findings of this study were specified to each of the six categories with additional findings listed later on. Overall, the results for each category fell between ‘somewhat unsuccessful’ to ‘successful’ based on a success spectrum created for typifying the evaluation results. Ultimately, this study found that the Plan was responsible for some significant and positive changes that occurred in Downtown Albuquerque over the past decade. These include the development of a number of various housing options, the prevention of commercial encroachment from the Downtown onto adjacent neighborhoods, and the creation of parking, bicycle, transit, and pedestrian facilities. A lack of various retail services and the failure to remediate the Fourth Street Mall are couple of the 2010 Plan implementation failures discovered by the evaluation. Additional findings spoke to the interplay between categories such as Urban Housing and Urban Retailing, which identified the need to synchronize the functions of these two interdependent markets. Further discoveries were derived from the collected data and their subsequent analysis.
The Amalgamation of Brant County: Understanding Sense of Place and Public Participation
(University of Waterloo, 2018-01-04) Schram, Joshua
The purpose of this research is to explore the role of public consultation in the amalgamation process of Brant County, as well as to explore how amalgamation affected sense of place in this community. The research was conducted through a comprehensive literature review looking at amalgamation, public participation, and sense of place. Interviews with key informants were also conducted, with key informants being selected for having integral roles in the process of amalgamation. The study demonstrated that there was an attempt for considerable public participation through the amalgamation process, but that outside pressures from the province ultimately resulted in public opinion becoming inconsequential. The study also demonstrated that for most age cohorts sense of place was largely unaffected, with the older cohorts being most vocal about the negative effects of amalgamation on their communities. The findings of the study demonstrate that the province did not make a priority of public opinion when influencing the process of amalgamation.
Analysis of a Potential Hydrogen Refuelling Network Using Geographic Information Systems: A Case Study of the Kitchener Census Metropolitan Area
(University of Waterloo, 2012-04-30T13:41:51Z) England, Ashley
This thesis provides macro-, meso- and micro-level analyses of a potential hydrogen refuelling network with a case study for the Kitchener census metropolitan area in Canada. It provides recommendations on the appropriate number of stations required to meet estimated demand for hydrogen refuelling. Furthermore, scenarios are produced using geographic information systems (GIS) to show possible networks. Micro-level analysis brings in the planning aspect of hydrogen specific zoning codes and the possible impacts of citizen and stakeholder resistances to hydrogen.
Analysis of Activity Patterns and Design Features Relationships in Urban Public Spaces Using Direct Field Observation, Activity Maps and GIS, Mel Lastman Square in Toronto as a Case Study
(University of Waterloo, 2013-03-21T15:54:33Z) Rasouli, Mojgan
Urban public spaces have been considered an essential part of cities throughout history. Over the span of urban life, public spaces have continuously reflected the complexities of their cities’ cultural, social, and economic contexts. Public spaces play a particular role in the life of urban areas, whether as memorable, accessible, or meaningful places. However, recent researches on public spaces reveal that some are currently experiencing a decline in their physical design and in their use. Many writers and scholars of public spaces issues identify a general decline, for which the causes and prescriptions are different according to the context of urban planning and designing. Thus, in this period of change in using public spaces, it becomes important to evaluate and investigate actual use of contemporary public spaces, how and why they are used, particularly in terms of their physical deterioration and/or improvement. Therefore, an opportunity exists to reveal and understand the interrelationship between physical patterns of contemporary public spaces and people’s activity patterns within such spaces. This thesis relates to urban public spaces uses, particularly public squares, and to the relationship between their physical and activity patterns. It considers the design features of urban public space, focusing on people’s activities and various forms of use – from passive to active engagement to understand the activity-physical patterns relationship in a selected urban public space. It therefore asks: How do people’s activities relate to the physical patterns of an urban public space? And how are people’s activities affected and encouraged by urban public space’s physical features? In order to address these questions, this thesis employs a methodology that combines direct field observations, activity mapping and Geographical Information Systems (GIS), as applied to a selected public space in Toronto, Mel Lastman Square to reveal the activity patterns that appear to be correlated with particular use of design features within the square. Thus, the value of this thesis is in studying the relationship between the activities and the physical settings of urban public spaces through using a proposed methodology and exploring GIS as an analytical tool to describe the activity-patterns relationship. Analyzing this relationship will add insights into and complement the application of urban design theories and practice which could lead to further studies to improve the public spaces design and planning process.
Analysis of Media Discourse Surrounding Urban Planning Issues: A Case Study of Transit City
(University of Waterloo, 2013-08-23T15:39:37Z) Gebresselassie, Mahtot T.
Contemporary urban planning emphasizes the need for practice to be collaborative and communicative. It stresses on the importance of public engagement and participation. To ensure informed participation, planners need to provide relevant information to the public. However, the relevance of that information depends on an understanding of the existing discourse about the issue of interest. My research examined Transit City as a case study to demonstrate how that understanding can be gained. The question that framed the research was: What are the characteristics of discourses surrounding urban planning issues? The research focused on examining media coverage to gain that understanding for two reasons. Firstly, the media are considered to be the main purveyors of public discourse. However, there are limitations in the way they represent issues as this research found. Secondly, the media play an informant role, however imperfectly, on topics that matter. In part, this role gives them their importance and influence. The research examined media discourse surrounding Transit City in 94 articles in National Post, the Toronto Star, CUTA Forum, and Ontario Planning Journal to answer the research question. Discourse analysis was used as a method to investigate the topic under the framework of interpretive policy analysis. The research found that four of the media outlets used discursive practices of representation that highlighted certain themes and excluded others. It also found that the discursive communities that were identified in the media discourse interpreted Transit City differently through their discursive frames that were informed by their interest and responsibility in regards to Transit City and their core belief systems. As such their “argumentative logic” highlighted some aspects of Transit City and excluded others in the debate that ensued. The understanding of such characteristics of discourse can help planners in two ways. First, it informs the planning and the tailoring of messages they relay to discursive communities of various relevance. It allows them to have a stronger participation in the shaping of media discourse and generation of informed debate in the public as well as the professional sphere. Second, it can help planners in developing solutions to address points of controversy and bridge differences among stakeholders effectively in their role as mediators and consensus builders. Both benefits have positive implications in creating informed participation and making the planning process a collaborative and communicative effort.
Analyzing for Age-Friendliness within Planning Policies in the City of Waterloo
(University of Waterloo, 2012-10-22T18:28:51Z) Marsh, Amanda
Planning for individuals with varying degrees of impairments has, over the past 40 years, challenged conventional approaches to community development. However, more recently there has emerged, both within research and greater society, a need to understand how the disabling nature of the built environment impacts our inevitably aging population. Recognizing such, this thesis research explores whether planning policies within the City of Waterloo reflect an age-friendly model of development. Moreover, recognizing that the aging population increasingly experiences some form of impairment, this research further utilizes universal design as means to more comprehensively review for an aging supportive model. The fundamental goal of an age-friendly approach is to address the needs of individuals at all stages of their life with an obvious emphasis on promoting longer independence. A number of literature sources were utilized in developing two separate analysis tools that focused on goal-oriented policies such as Official Plans as well as prescriptive planning policy including Zoning By-laws and Urban Design Guidelines. This research attempts to provide a means with which to determine the age-friendliness of planning policies, how age-friendly policies may incorporate provisions regarding accessibility, as well as changes that municipalities may wish to consider in the implementation of an age-friendly model.
Analyzing housing market dynamics and residential location choices concurrent with light-rail transit investment in Kitchener-Waterloo, Canada
(University of Waterloo, 2020-04-29) Huang, Yu
Transit investment and transit-oriented development (TOD) have become predominant planning policies to manage growth and limit sprawl. Waterloo Region implemented a light-rail transit (LRT) system aiming to provide alternative transit options and shape urban communities. Meanwhile, as one of the most fast-growing urban areas, the region has experienced rapid growth in population and employment. The booming high-tech industries, the international immigrants and migrants from the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) have all contributed to the increasing attractiveness of the region and its changing demographics, which in turn have heavily shifted the housing markets in the region. The housing prices have risen dramatically since 2014 and reached a peak in 2017 when the average sales price increased by over twenty percent from 2016. These changes occurring in the region have motivated this thesis to investigate 1) How have different housing markets in the region reacted to the LRT investment? 2) How might the LRT investment have influenced the residential location choices of various households? 3) Who might hold strong preferences for living in the TOD area? This thesis addresses these questions through three empirical studies. The first study presents a spatio-temporal autoregressive multilevel model to better examine the relationship between housing characteristics, transit investment, and housing prices. The proposed model is expected to improve the purely spatial hedonic price modeling in three aspects: i) controlling for both the spatial and temporal relations on housing price determination, i.e., the dependence on “recent comparable sales”; ii) considering the nesting structure of housing in neighbourhoods; and iii) accounting for the neighbourhood-level spatial interactions. Using 68,258 housing transactions occurring in Kitchener-Waterloo (KW) during 2005-2018, this study finds the better performance of the proposed models and provides strong evidence of the three distinct effects that underly the price generating process. According to the preferred model results, this study finds a significant housing price increase in the central-transit corridor (CTC), compared to housing outside the CTC, while the impacts vary for different housing types at different stages of the LRT implementation process. The second study seeks to delineate the housing demand structure in the region during the LRT construction. To this end, this research conducted a housing survey in KW through 2016-2017 and obtained 357 complete responses from homebuyers. Based on the survey data, this study performs a second-stage demand analysis and reports heterogeneous preference estimates of different demographics for dwelling and neighborhood attributes. Household structure and age seem to be the major demand shifters. This study also finds that both couples without children and seniors aged 55 and over are more willing to pay for the CTC area. The third study aims to identify household groups holding different preferences for TOD. Based on the survey responses regarding the importance of TOD features in residential location choices, this study conducts a latent-class analysis (LCA) and finds that 36.2 percent of households (primarily couples with children and with medium income) in our sample show a strong desire for TOD features, including LRT access, bus access, walkability, ease to cycle, access to urban centre and access to open space, although they purchased outside the CTC. This indicates a possible undersupply of housing in the CTC for these families with children. Through further examination of their preferences for other housing attributes, this study finds the adequate living space, garage and school quality are more important to these households. This thesis provides updated knowledge on housing market dynamics, housing demand and TOD preferences, which may help inform housing policies in the region to provide home options for a wide range of households inside and outside the central transit corridor and thus create vibrant and complete communities.
Analyzing Residential Land Use Impacts along the Sheppard Subway Corridor
(University of Waterloo, 2010-05-03T13:56:36Z) Lee, Matthew
Urban economic theory states that transit improvements result in travel time savings and consequently warrant higher rents particularly with proximity to surrounding stations. This research uses the Sheppard subway corridor as a case study to test the established theories by measuring the changes to residential intensification and property values (1) as a function of time before and after the construction, and (2) as a function of distance to subway stations. Two metrics are established to observe residential intensification and property value: Dwelling Density and Value Density respectively. Dwelling Density is the number of dwellings contained in its property parcel divided by property area; Value Density is total property value of a given property parcel divided by its property area. Using obtained property sales data in four identified analysis years (1991, 1996, 2001, and 2006) and ArcGIS, spatial interpolation surfaces are generated to visualize the changes on a geographical plane through time. Dwelling and Value Density scatterplots are generated by extracting values from the interpolated surfaces and computing its distance to the nearest subway station and to major development nodes. The generated interpolated surfaces show a strong increase in Dwelling and Value Density in North York Centre which suggest that (1) planning policies succeeded in guiding residential growth, (2) a time lag is present of which the full benefits of rapid transit construction are realized, and (3) there may be positive network effects associated with the completion of the Sheppard subway. The scatterplot results demonstrated moderate change in Dwelling and Value Density at the Bayview station area and little change for the remaining stations (Bessarion, Don Mills, and Leslie) based on observations up to December 2006. The results warrant a degree of optimism about Sheppard subway’s ability to attract residential intensification and raise property values, especially given that data was analyzed only up to four years after the subway corridor began revenue service. It is recommended that a similar methodology be performed at a later date when the corridor’s ridership and surrounding development reaches maturity. A preliminary forecasting exercise determined that Dwelling and Value Density will rise, particularly surrounding stations that have since demonstrated little change in residential land use.
Applying the Integrated Solid Waste Management Framework to the Waste Collection System in Aguascalientes, AGS, Mexico
(University of Waterloo, 2011-06-16T17:39:43Z) Mader, Janet
The design of a waste collection system affects public health, the extent of participation in the system by residents, the recovery of resources from waste, and the cost of collection. Many developing countries use communal container collection [CCC] systems in which large containers are dispersed throughout neighbourhoods for the storage of waste until collection. These systems tend to have limited success as they often do not garner viable amounts of participation and containers are prone to being overfilled. The communal container waste collection system in the city of Aguascalientes, AGS, Mexico was assessed according to the Integrated Solid Waste Management [ISWM] principles of social acceptability, environmental effectiveness, economic affordability and effective management. Information was collected through seven interviews with waste-related managers, 282 residential questionnaires, and 12 informal collector questionnaires. The collection system garners a high participation rate (99%) attributed to: non-burdensome one-way distances from residences to containers (mean 114+/-71m); thorough, daily collection; and a culture of cleanliness. Factors of adherence to waste collection regulations were found to be public knowledge, social acceptability, convenience and perception of importance. The collection system was assessed by rational-intuitive consideration of all indicators and principles, to be mostly acceptable from an ISWM framework due to: a high collection rate (~100% daily) which is enabled by effective monitoring and efficient operation; a high participation rate; similarity of the resource recovery rate to that of other developing and developed countries; and long-term affordability. Areas for improvement in equality of service provision, collaboration with informal collectors, and communication were identified. Lessons learned about communal container collection are applicable to lower-middle and upper-middle income countries.
Assessing the Active Transportation Potential of Neighbourhood Models Using GIS
(University of Waterloo, 2012-09-27T14:20:43Z) Cantell, Amber Marie
This study sought to determine how five neighbourhood models (the Grid, Loop and Cul-de-Sac, Fused Grid, New Urbanist and Greenway) compare in terms of the characteristics known to affect active transportation rates, and which model is most likely to be able to facilitate active transportation as a result. In order to do so, model principles and design characteristics of case study neighbourhoods were described and used to create a range of design specifications for each model. These specifications were then used to develop a GIS-based representation of an example neighbourhood for each model, which included the transportation network, parcels of different land use types and densities, homes and destinations. GIS, statistical and graph-based techniques were then used to comprehensively assess and compare the models in terms of their potential to facilitate walking and biking through the built environment correlates identified in through a literature review. The models were ranked on each variable, and then an overall comparison was made on the basis diversity (land use mix), density and design - the three dimensions identified by Cervero and Kockelman (1997) as being the key ways through which the built environment can contribute to creating walkable (and potentially bikeable) neighbourhoods. Additional measures related to trip characteristics and issues of importance to developers (such as buildable area) were also included. The results illustrate how each model’s unique approach to facilitating walking and/or biking is reflected in the built environment characteristics assessed. While a model that was strong in one category was often weaker in another (a finding which echoes that of Filion and Hammond, 2003), the three alternative models (Fused Grid, New Urbanist and Greenway) consistently fared better than the more traditional Grid and Loop and Cul-de-Sac designs, with the New Urbanist scoring the highest on the overall evaluation of walkability and bikeability and the Greenway the best on network design for cyclists. In addition to these findings, the study also provided an opportunity to explore several challenges related to model assessment, such as issues arising from frame choice, off-set networks, and the use of roads as proxies for active transportation networks.
Assessing the Effects of Deep Release and Surface Release Reservoirs on Downstream Benthic Macroinvertebrate Communities in the Grand River Watershed: Implications for Planning and Management
(University of Waterloo, 2007-09-25T14:07:44Z) denHeyer, Elise Elsha
River regulation and reservoirs can provide a variety of services including flood protection, flow management and flow augmentation, however, there is increasing concern regarding these effects on downstream lotic environments and aquatic ecosystems. While a growing body of knowledge regarding the ecological effects of regulation exists, little is still known about the effects of reservoirs and their management strategies on benthic macroinvertebrates in the Grand River watershed and further research is needed for sufficient watershed planning and reservoirs management practices. In this study, the downstream effects of river regulation and reservoir on aquatic ecosystems were evaluated using benthic macroinvertebrate biomonitoring techniques. Field research was conducted on five reservoirs (three deep release and two surface release) located within the Grand River watershed during three sampling periods in May-June, August and November, 2006. Benthic macroinvertebrates were collected using a T-sampler in reaches upstream and downstream of each reservoir across stream riffles perpendicular to stream flow direction. Changes in benthic macroinvertebrate community structure were quantified using nine summary indices. Downstream of reservoirs, invertebrate abundance, Hilsenhoff’s Biotic Index (HBI) values and Isopoda and Chironomidae abundance increased, while taxa richness, Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera (EPT) taxa and Ephemeroptera abundance decreased. Although comprehensive chemical testing was not conducted in the present study, changes in benthic macroinvertebrate abundance and diversity and a review of literature suggests that downstream ecosystems may have been impacted by changes in water quality, thermal alterations and modifications to habitat diversity induced by impoundments and most noticeably deep release reservoir designs. Benthic macroinvertebrates are useful biological indicators and monitoring tools to assess the effects of reservoirs and their management strategies on downstream ecosystems. Information gained from this study may assist policymakers and planners in monitoring, developing and implementing improved watershed planning and reservoir management decision making.

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