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PLAN CANADA Spring · Printemps 2017 Vol. 57 No. 1
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PLAN CANADA paraît quatre fois par année, en mars, en juin, en septembre et en décembre. Tous droits réservés. La reproduction en tout ou 06 en partie de cette publication sans le consentement écrit de l’ICU est strictement interdite. Les articles publiés dans ce journal ne reflètent pas nécessairement le point de vue de l’Institut canadien des urbanistes. Articles Editorial Board/Comité de rédaction Barbara A. Myers MCP, MCIP, RPP, Chair/Présidente Planning in the era of Planning and design Sandeep Agrawal PHD, AICP, RPP, MCIP 06 26 Richard Borbridge MCIP, RPP data science and dashboards through the looking glass Dawn Seetaram RPP, MCIP By Aaron Baxter BA, MEnv By Morgan Boyco BA, MScPl and Bruce Cory BA, MA Timothy Shah MA (Planning)
Editor/Rédactrice en chef Could your city hack 10 The growth of 30 Michelle Brynkus it at a TrafficJam? suburban poverty By Michelle Berquist MScPl and Scott Fraser PEng, MEng By Eleni Taye MUP and Raphaël Fischler MCIP, OUQ For details on how to subscribe, advertise, or contribute to Plan Canada, visit www.cip-icu.ca/Resources/Plan-Canada. Data and analysis in the 15 Reactions to the 37 Legal Deposit/Dépôt légal National Library of Canada new employment landscape Ontario Growth Plan Bibliothèque nationale du Canada Bibliothèque By Indro Bhattacharyya MSc, MCIP, RPP and By Pierre Filion MA, PhD, Neluka Leanage MUDS PhD, nationale du Québec Derek Brunelle MES Michelle Lee BES, MSc, and Kent Hakull BA, MA ISSN 0032-0544 Publications Mail/Registration #/no de publication/distribution postale : 40064978 PlanLocal: Data-driven Welcoming immigration in a Published December 2016/CIP-Q0416/2562 20 44 participatory planning changing urban environment Published by/Publié par: By Paul Shaker MCIP, RPP and Graeme Douglas MA By Grant E. Moore BA, MPl
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SPRING • PRINTEMPS 2017 | PLAN CANADA 3 Digital Cities
Richard Borebridge MCIP, RPP, Plan Canada Editorial Committee FROM THE EDITORIAL COMMITTEE FROM THE EDITORIAL echnology not only changes the way planners work, but the way cities work as well. It is both Cities have always been at the forefront of T part of an ongoing evolution and adapting, and digital adaptation in one area a game changer in itself. Recognizing the influence and opportunity that new can open minds to new perspectives and technology presents can both facilitate approaches in others.” ways the planning profession can work more effectively, and challenge the role we play in the “orderly disposition of volume and variety of data can bring new built in the gaming industry, Boyco and Cory land, resources, facilities and services.” perspectives to old problems. discuss its potential to immerse constituents (CIP, “What is planning?”) Baxter brings into focus the way data and planners in the storytelling around The rise of smart phones, ‘uberization’ and visualization already influence the spaces and their future, transforming the and rapid analytics is a fresh face on way planners work, and some examples nature of the town hall and public meeting, the time-tested process of adoption and of successfully navigating and leveraging or urban design and visualization. adaptation. This latest generation of new sources of information. Where has All of this (and much more) have innovations provides us with new ways the knowledge economy altered the role the potential to serve new avenues of to understand and tell stories, changes of industry in a city and what do we do efficiency and equity in planning, but patterns of behaviour, and underscores with manufacturing space that is no can also be distractions from traditional the demands of citizens and stakeholders. longer economical? Brunelle highlights functions. Limited resources and The emergence of digital influence on how technology is not just a set of tools, changing public expectations will require cities comes with a responsibility to adapt but a driver of land use itself, and how planners to use these tools effectively to these new patterns, but also requires data can be used to respond to the to draw from a newfound wealth of that we embrace them with a critical changing definition of employment zones. information, and create better processes, eye. There is a fine balance to be struck Community planning and engagement is while simultaneously avoiding information between recognizing fundamental change perhaps the most prevalent way to see overload and poor investments. and being taken in by the ‘next big thing.’ how tech has and will change planning. There remain concerns around Cities have always been at the forefront Residents and municipalities are access, transparency, control and the of adapting, and digital adaptation in one embracing social media in myriad ways to statutory environment, which these new area can open minds to new perspectives receive and transmit information, opening technologies exacerbate, and create anew. and approaches in others. Getting ahead up opportunities to engage constituencies There are a new set of competencies of the curve is not an inherent goal, but that may have been on the margins. that many planners will need, or need anticipating opportunities helps to drive Shaker and Douglas profile the City of access to, in order to better understand our profession forward. Hamilton’s approach. Burquist and Fraser how to respond to changes and tell better In this issue of Plan Canada, we explore reflect on the hackathon, which harnesses stories about how our world can be. the deep and emergent integration between technology and brings together previously Perhaps some of the articles in this issue planning, data, and the evolving influence disparate approaches to addressing will inspire you or provide useful insight of technology. Our contributors to this issue real-world questions – an evolution of the into the opportunities ahead of us in our have highlighted several ways in which the design charrette. While virtual reality was emerging digital cities. ¢
4 PLAN CANADA | SPRING • PRINTEMPS 2017 Les villes ont toujours été à l’avant-garde de l’adaptation, et
l’adaptation numérique dans un domaine peut permettre MESSAGE DU COMIT É d’élargir la perspective et les approches dans d’autres. »
Villes numériques DE R É
Richard Borebridge MICU, UPC, Comité de rédachon de Plan Canada DACTION
a technologie change non mesure d’anticiper les occasions contribue à à exploiter la technologie et à rassembler seulement la façon dont les faire avancer notre profession. les différentes approches antérieures pour urbanistes effectuent leur travail, Dans cette publication de Plan Canada, aborder les vraies questions – une évolution de mais aussi la manière dont nous étudions l’intégration profonde et la charrette de conception. Alors que la réalité Lfonctionnent les villes. émergente entre l’urbanisme, les données virtuelle a été conçue dans l’industrie du jeu, Ces deux aspects s’inscrivent dans une évolution constante et l’influence évolutive de la technologie. Boyco et Cory discutent de son potentiel : et changent entièrement les règles du jeu. Les auteurs de ce numéro soulignent plonger les mandants et les urbanistes dans Reconnaître l’influence et les possibilités diverses façons dont le volume et la variété la fabrication narrative entourant les espaces liées aux nouvelles technologies permet de données peuvent ouvrir de nouvelles et leur avenir, transformer la nature de l’hôtel d’accroître l’efficacité des pratiques en perspectives à d’anciens problèmes. de ville et de son assemblée publique ou la urbanisme et de remettre en cause notre Baxter met en évidence les données conception urbaine et la visualisation. rôle en ce qui a trait à la « répartition bien et la visualisation qui influencent déjà la Toutes ces choses (et bien d’autres ordonnée » des terres, des ressources, manière, dont travaillent les urbanistes, encore) sont susceptibles de frayer de des installations et des services ». ainsi que quelques exemples de navigation nouvelles voies en matière d’efficacité et (ICU, « Qu’est-ce que l’urbanisme? ») et d’exploitation réussies des nouvelles d’équité en urbanisme. Toutefois elles La montée des téléphones intelligents, sources d’information. Dans quelle peuvent être aussi une source de distractions « l’ubérisation » et les méthodes analytiques mesure l’économie fondée sur le savoir des fonctions traditionnelles. En raison rapides permettent de jeter un nouveau a-t-elle transformé le rôle de l’industrie des ressources limitées et des attentes regard sur le processus éprouvé en matière dans une ville, et que faisons-nous de changeantes du public, les urbanistes devront d’adoption et d’adaptation. Cette toute l’espace industriel qui n’est plus rentable? utiliser efficacement ces outils pour tirer nouvelle génération d’innovations nous Brunelle explique que la technologie n’est profit d’une richesse d’information toute offre de nouvelles façons de comprendre pas simplement un ensemble d’outils, nouvelle et créer de meilleurs processus, et d’écrire l’histoire, de modifier les mais aussi un moteur d’exploitation des tout en évitant la surcharge d’information comportements et de préciser les terres. Il décrit également la façon dont et les mauvais investissements. Des demandes des citoyens et des intervenants. les données peuvent être utilisées pour préoccupations subsistent en ce qui a trait L’émergence de l’influence numérique satisfaire aux changements des zones à l’accès, la transparence, le contrôle et sur les villes est accompagnée d’une d’emploi. L’urbanisme et l’engagement au l’environnement règlementaire, dans le responsabilité qui est celle de s’adapter sein des communautés peuvent se révéler cadre desquels ces nouvelles technologies à ces nouveaux modèles et d’y porter le meilleur moyen de constater comment sont amplifiées et renouvelées. Plusieurs également un regard critique. Il existe la technologie a transformé l’urbanisme urbanistes devront développer de nouvelles un juste milieu entre reconnaître un et continuera de le faire. Les résidents compétences ou devront pouvoir y accéder, changement fondamental et se laisser et les municipalités adoptent les médias afin de mieux comprendre comment réagir emporter par la « prochaine nouveauté ». sociaux de diverses façons pour recevoir et aux changements et exprimer la façon dont Les villes ont toujours été à l’avant-garde transmettre de l’information, ce qui permet nous pouvons bâtir un monde meilleur. de l’adaptation, et l’adaptation numérique de mobiliser des groupes électoraux qui sont Certains articles dans cette publication seront dans un domaine peut permettre d’élargir la peut-être jusqu’à présent, restés en marge. possiblement une source d’inspiration ou perspective et les approches dans d’autres. Shaker et Douglas ont décrit l’approche fourniront de précieux renseignements sur Prendre une longueur d’avance n’est pas de la ville d’Hamilton. Burquist et Fraser les futures possibilités au cœur de nos villes un objectif intrinsèque. Toutefois être en se sont penchés sur le hackathon, qui sert numériques émergentes. ¢
SPRING • PRINTEMPS 2017 | PLAN CANADA 5 By Aaron Baxter BA, MEnv
| LES VILLES DIGITALES Planning in the era of DATA SCIENCE DIGITAL CITIES DIGITAL and DASHBOARDS
Summary e live in an exciting are approached. In standard science, a time! It seems that hypothesis is developed and then tested. In this article, Aaron helps as each day goes To properly test the hypothesis data is describe ‘data science’ by, there are more generated or collected, evaluated, and and ‘dashboards,’ getting and more sources used to support the findings – a process of behind the buzzwords by Wof information we can draw on as planners deductive reasoning. In today’s world where providing definitions, as to help inform and assist our practice. there already exists a huge volume of data, well as examples of how The pace at which this additional information the possibility exists to collect and evaluate they can be used to assist becomes accessible can be staggering, even the data to identify patterns, which then in in the planning process. at times overwhelming. Indeed, following turn lend to the formulation of hypotheses from Moore’s law, which observes that the – a process of inductive reasoning. In other capacity of computers doubles every two words, with data science we have data and Résumé years, we can only expect the steady stream generate hypotheses as supposed to having of data available at our fingertips to grow hypotheses and generating data. Dans cet article, bigger and come faster. The question then At this point you may be wondering Aaron aide à décrire la is: how do we evaluate the utility of the sheer what this process could be used for, or « science des données volume of information and distill it into clear how helpful this concept of data science » et le « tableau de and actionable intelligence? Two approaches could really be for supporting planning bord » en fournissant (and buzzwords) that have been helping us work. I suggest that the real utility of des définitions et des are Data Science and Dashboards. this approach is the ability to explore, exemples sur la façon digest, and distill large and disparate data dont on peut utiliser ¢ DATA SCIENCE sets, which can then be interpreted and ces termes pour “Data Science” as a term has been around re-interpreted depending on the line of contribuer au processus for decades, first originating in the 1960s questioning desired. For example, from the d'urbanisation. used as a proxy for computer science. same collection of datasets such as census In recent years, however, we have seen information, open data portals, open the term used much more freely and street maps, and third party Application come to represent anything from business Programming Interfaces (APIs), one could analytics to regular run of the mill statistics. explore their ability to assist in a variety of The clearest way that I understand data applications, from location siting, modelling science to be separate from ‘standard’ land use, or identifying patterns in zoning science is the way in which problems bylaw conflict.
6 PLAN CANADA | SPRING • PRINTEMPS 2017 Figure 1: Bike share station potential surface.
One example of this is our recent work with annual or monthly passes) and casual in conducting a Feasibility Study for the users (those who purchase day or 3-day Expansion of Bike Share Toronto. This was passes) of the system. When using our We arrived at a data-driven spatial analysis of the City of regression model to predict the bike share hypotheses around Toronto, which sought to identify areas within station at a particular location, different the city of highest potential or least risk for indicators were more pronounced for individual factors expansion of the city’s bike share program. each user type, which resulted in different that drove bike We drew from a fountain of available Coefficients of Determination (Adjusted share ridership by information from both open and proprietary R2=0.54 for casual users, Adjusted R2=0.36 datasets. We combed through these for registered users). Figure 1 is a chart collecting, evaluating datasets looking for patterns and comparing illustrating one year of ridership information and re-evaluating those patterns against observed ridership for the casual and registered user types. information. We arrived at hypotheses This result illustrated that subsequent the plethora of data around individual factors that drove bike follow-up work should be done to more sources available.” share ridership by collecting, evaluating and deeply understand the various types of re-evaluating the plethora of data sources users of the system, insofar as the data available. Figure 1 is the final Bike Share allows us to confidently characterize Station Potential Surface and was one of the behaviour. Indeed, cursory analyses into main deliverables of the project. additional factors such as weather and A specific instance of hypothesis hours of sunlight suggest that casual and generating in this example is the distinction registered users may be affected by these in the data between registered users (those factors differently.
SPRING • PRINTEMPS 2017 | PLAN CANADA 7 | LES VILLES DIGITALES DIGITAL CITIES DIGITAL
Figure 2: Annual bike share ridership for casual and registered users.
¢ DASHBOARDS customized results. Initially, ESTPH will If data science allows us to evaluate the use this tool to manage and display their The dashboard, utility of information and generate meaning physical activity infrastructure (parks, to us, is an online from the data, there still requires a means cycle paths, etc.), though they do have platform that to represent and communicate the findings. plans to incorporate other sources of As planners, we are used to generating information in the future such as public brings together reports, and communicating our analyses health data and community amenities. information and and work in the context of presentation, To ensure that both the immediate and papers, and plans. In our work, we have future needs of ESTPH would be met, our functionality in one been increasingly turning to additional planning work was literally coded into the easy-to-use, easy- media sources to communicate our findings, final product. The result is a flexible and to-access place.” especially relying on online tools such as living deliverable as supposed to what portals or dashboards. The dashboard, to us, formerly would have been a series of is an online platform that brings together static PDF maps. Figure 3 is an indicative information and functionality in one easy-to- interface of the ESTPH dashboard. use, easy-to-access place. Users navigate the dashboard to recombine the elements of ¢ DIGITAL CITIES our work and use tools we develop to help As the sea of data wells around us, we themselves more fully leverage the results of need new tools to evaluate the quality our efforts. and utility of the information. We need One example of a dashboard we are data that is complete and standardized currently working on is an interactive to make it easy to access and work with mapping dashboard developed for Elgin the information. We need transparent St. Thomas Public Health (ESTPH). processes that are easily traceable so that This project will allow staff at ESTPH data analysis can still be participatory create and manage a repository of spatial and stakeholders remained engaged. information from both internal and external The future of our cities are increasingly sources. It provides means to combine digital, which is something as planners we different sources of spatial information will need to anticipate in order to continue and to combine custom maps to produce to serve the communities we work with.
8 PLAN CANADA | SPRING • PRINTEMPS 2017 Figure 3: Indicative design of the Elgin St. Thomas interactive mapping management application dashboard.
#6 Bunt & Assoc Aaron Baxter is a planner with WSP|MMM, specializing in spatial analysis and digital engagement. 1/4 H Drawing from his love and enthusiasm for numbers, web development, and GIS, Aaron is often called upon to apply his unique skill set to a wide range of assignments. ¢
SPRING • PRINTEMPS 2017 | PLAN CANADA 9 Summary "It’s like a science fair for grown-ups” is how a hackathon was described by one participant in City of Toronto’s TrafficJam. A hackathon turns By Michelle Berquist MScPl and Scott Fraser PEng, MEng the classic public meeting on its head: instead of inviting community members to participate in reviewing and evaluating research, analysis | LES VILLES DIGITALES and future options from the experts, Could your city at the hackathon experts review and evaluate ideas and options put forward by community teams that have conducted their own homework. at a During the TrafficJam, community HACK IT
DIGITAL CITIES DIGITAL members were invited to work with each other and with open data to inspire new ways of busting gridlock TRAFFICJAM? on Toronto’s streets. This is a good case study of what planning can look like when we unleash the potential of web-based technology and community capacity, through intensive collaboration and experimentation. s it a town hall? Is it a conference? Is it Toronto’s traffic troubles by getting up close an online tool? All of the above and and nerdy with civic data sets. The result none of the above, the hackathon is a was a great weekend, great ideas and great Résumé whole new animal in the jungle of public inspiration for any municipalities and public « C'est comme une expo-sciences engagement, and City of Toronto let it agencies looking for a way to tap the full pour les adultes ». Voilà comment un Iloose in October 2015. At the TrafficJam potential of their data sets and the members participant de TrafficJam, un hackathon hackathon, the City and Evergreen CityWorks of the community who are eager to dedicate organisé par la Ville de Toronto, a décrit invited 150 engaged citizens, digital creatives their talent and interest to confronting l'événement. Un hackathon est une and data detectives to team up and tackle challenges in their hometown. version modifiée de la traditionnelle assemblée publique : au lieu d'inviter des membres de la collectivité à participer à l'examen et à l'évaluation de recherches, d'analyses et d'options proposées par des experts, des experts examinent et évaluent des idées et des options proposées par des équipes formées de membres de la collectivité qui ont effectué leurs propres devoirs. Dans le cadre du hackathon TrafficJam, on a invité des membres de la collectivité à unir leurs efforts pour trouver de nouvelles façons d'éliminer les embouteillages dans les rues de Toronto à l'aide de données ouvertes. Il s'agit d'un bon exemple de ce à quoi peut ressembler la planification lorsqu'on exploite le potentiel de la technologie Web et les capacités de la collectivité par d'intenses efforts de Who’d have thought you’d get smiles this big when people get together to work collaboration et d'expérimentation. all weekend? Team TrafficJam Tacos meet one another and get to work on the first evening of the 48-hour event at Evergreen Brick Works.
10 PLAN CANADA | SPRING • PRINTEMPS 2017 Geeking Out. The hackers present their ideas to one another, community members, City staff and the panel of judges during the open house that closed out the weekend long event.
The planning profession is grappling with At an open house or public forum, what meaningful public engagement looks community members are typically presented a and feels like. It is well understood that the well-researched problem, and the framework The chance to bring best kind of change is a welcome change of several possible solutions and have a knowledge and and that it is too much to ask of a community chance to take part in evaluation. A hackathon expertise to bear on for it to welcome a change that comes turns that classic public meeting format unannounced or is simply announced as a inside out. This time the community members civic issues gives... fait accompli. are the ones who do detailed research into everyone involved With web-based technology, very often we a problem and sketch out several possible succeed in providing accessible conversation solutions, and the host is the one strolling a menagerie of channels and setting new standards for around the display boards, contributing to the possibilities and a mutual awareness and understanding evaluation. The chance to bring knowledge sense of hope for throughout the planning cycle. However, and expertise to bear on civic issues gives a opportunities for community members community member a sense of ownership the solution.” to be empowered to apply their skills and of the problem and gives everyone involved a experience and take on a creative role in menagerie of possibilities and a sense of hope confronting challenges remain rare. for the solution.
SPRING • PRINTEMPS 2017 | PLAN CANADA 11 in which it is still possible to land a summer We have seen a revolution in the job sitting at the roadside with a counter and a clipboard. Classic data sets like traffic way that data is collected, gathered, counts, collision reports, transit ridership | LES VILLES DIGITALES analyzed, and interpreted.” counts, and parking infractions are being gathered in increasingly sophisticated ways. At the TrafficJam, the community was They are now complemented by increasingly invited to roll up their sleeves with the sophisticated data sets, such as the live issue of traffic congestion in Toronto. vehicle location feeds that are displayed in We have seen a revolution in the way that transit apps, smart payment card records data is collected, gathered, analyzed, and (e.g., Presto), and Bluetooth/wifi probe data DIGITAL CITIES DIGITAL interpreted. Just imagine the leap between that are displayed as a measure of traffic in sale pricing at a farmer’s market stall and GoogleMaps. the computing power behind a national food At the TrafficJam hackathon, the City chain sending coupons for only the foods of Toronto asked skilled and interested you eat, directly into your pocket on your citizens to look at the abundance of phone, just as you enter one of their stores. information and answer one of two That incredible growth in computing power is questions: what can we do with all this? now revolutionizing the transportation field, Or what can we learn from all this?
Congratulations to the winners! The TrafficJam Tacos’ Team takes home the prize. (L-R): Jonathan Dursi, Simon Freedman, Amanda Chou, Michelle Berquist, Tawsif Khan, Cathl Smyth, and Kevin Branigan.
12 PLAN CANADA | SPRING • PRINTEMPS 2017 This code may look like nonsense to you, but to the City of Toronto this looked like a winning idea of how to derive insights into traffic management from the vehicle location data from surface transit that feeds transit planning apps.
From Friday night to Sunday afternoon, or “In 2013, this street flooded as high as the fuelled by delicious food and the inspiring windows at this house.” setting of the Evergreen Brickworks, teams The winning team offered up a more opened their minds to the possibilities. academic insight: that the reliability of traffic By Sunday afternoon, the room was ringed is as interesting as the speed. They proposed with over 20 projects. A panel of judges that in the GTA, we have accepted that traffic including Geoff Cape, CEO of Evergreen, will slow us down. Now we want to know Stephen Buckley, then General Manager how likely we are to hit traffic and how bad of City of Toronto Transportation, and Deb it is likely to be. They also showed that when Matthews, Deputy Premier of Ontario, had measuring reliability of traffic, instead of the difficult task of choosing a winner. speed of traffic, transit vehicle data can be Among the initiatives on display were used. Their analysis highlighted hotspots “It’s like a science fair for grown-ups,” software that can conduct real-time traffic in the road network where traffic is highly tweeted a participant. A panel of judges counts from live video feeds, a traffic forecast unpredictable, an early warning sign that it is make the rounds, at centre from left to to be reported on the morning news like a prone to gridlock. right: Geoff Cape, CEO of Evergreen; Deb weather forecast, and an app that lets walkers In an interview after the event, the Matthews, Deputy Premier of Ontario; leave tips and points of interest ‘hanging’ in winning team explained “it meant a lot to Stephen Buckley, then General Manager the air for another walker to find later. Just us to be awarded the grand prize because of City of Toronto Transportation. imagine Pokemon Go meets passing notes in statistical analysis and coding are not Photo Credit: Willy Wilson via Twitter. class – “watch out for gum 10 metres ahead!” usually considered super sexy, but to see
SPRING • PRINTEMPS 2017 | PLAN CANADA 13 DIGITAL CITIES | LES VILLES DIGITALES 14 that people want waysto engage at thehackathon. research similarto thewinningideas built aBigData Team to doadvanced traffic issues fulltime.TheCityhas type oftalent dedicated to solving recognized thevalue ofhavingthis their ideas.”TheCityofToronto has investment intheparticipantsand it willhighlighttheneedfor real #TJTO exists asaproof ofconcept, truly inspiring.We hopethatnow celebrated atanevent like thisis the relevance ofthesedisciplines PLAN CANADA |SPRING•PRINTEMPS 2017 location information from publictransit vehicles thatisnow usedbytripplanningapps. crunching andprojection, usingthebigdata setsthatcould begenerated byroutinely archiving thelive feed of The grand prizewasawarded to thisinitiative to maptraffic reliability through extensive andintensive number The TrafficJam hackathon proved gathered on a routine basis.” on aroutine gathered This type of ‘jam session for session ‘jam of This type for any information that is that anyfor information data geeks’ used be could data our imaginations. the possibilities are only limited by marriage license applications… recreation program signups, on aroutine basis.Library checkouts, for anyinformation thatisgathered session for data geeks’ could beused is just the beginning. This type of ‘jam and interests. Solving traffic trouble apply thefullrange oftheirtalents from makingspace for people to that theCitycan gainsomuchmore minute deputations. It alsoshows polls, publicmeetingsandfive- with theircitythatgobeyond opinion winning submission at the hackathon. the at submission winning their to Tacos’ ‘TrafficJam the led She Toronto. of aresident and Planning –Transportation Mississauga of City the Michelle Berquist hackathon. TrafficJam the coordinating magic, the behind man the was and Services –Transportation Toronto of City the at Manager aProgram is Fraser Scott ¢ is a Project Leader at at Leader aProject is By Indro Bhattacharyya MSc, MCIP, RPP and Derek Brunelle MES Data and analysis in the new EMPLOYMENT LANDSCAPE
Summary cross Canada, municipalities Approaches to protecting employment work to preserve space vary throughout the public sector. This article highlights changes for employment in order Efforts include protecting physical spaces, to employment opportunity to ensure that residents ranging from the designation of high-level and built form that are being can live, work, play, and land use categories, such as through driven in significant part by learnA within their community. The need Ontario’s Growth Plan,2 to new types of digital technological advances for employment space, however, can often zoning that better support start-ups across in Canadian communities. conflict with the need for residential space. various sectors. One example of this new It highlights not only the As such, good information is necessary for type of zoning is Vancouver’s mixed-use importance of data for planners to strike a balance, for the public designation PDR (production, design, and planners in responding to these interest, between these two demands. repair), initiated to support local economic changes, but calls for better With employment restructuring across diversity by permitting such uses as light engagement in order to deliver the country – facilitated by automation, manufacturing adjacent to residential a more resilient public realm in deregulation, and globalization1 – it is developments.3 There are also efforts by the face of these changes. important that planners have robust economic development programs to promote methods of data-collection, analysis, tech employment and start-up culture, such sharing, and engagement. as Toronto’s StartUpHERE, and Waterloo’s Résumé
Cet article met en évidence les changements touchant les perspectives d'emploi et l'architecture, dus en grande partie par les avancées de la technologie numérique dans les collectivités canadiennes. Il souligne non seulement l'importance des données pour les urbanistes pour faire face à ces mutations, mais aussi la nécessité de faire preuve d'un meilleur engagement afin d'offrir un environnement public capable de s'adapter à ces changements.
SPRING • PRINTEMPS 2017 | PLAN CANADA 15 DIGITAL CITIES | LES VILLES DIGITALES 16 advice on the needs on the advice PLAN CANADA |SPRING•PRINTEMPS 2017 of employers and employers of professionals to to professionals becomes more more becomes robust data, it it data, robust provide sound sound provide employment.” for planning for challenging challenging Without
employment surveys inthe Greater Toronto Research recently reported onthestate of by Ryerson University’s Centre for Urban employment surveys. Research undertaken communities are often reliant ontheirown and Census.Duringintercensal years, Statistics Canada’s LabourForce Survey, changes are generally understood through an era ofemployment changes. been usingto supportemployment growth in public sector, includingmunicipalities,have demonstrate thevariety ofapproaches the ‘innovation’ agendas. financial incentives, suchasso-called include policy-grounded programs, including Accelerator Centre. Otherapproaches For municipalities,local employment 4,5 Theseexamples landscape across theGTHA. understanding oftheregional employment businesses counts, resulting ina patchwork in thedata, andirregularities ofthe and irregular year-to-year variations geographic andtemporal coverage, volatile a numberofgaps,suchasincomplete Hamilton Area (GTHA). Thisreport found particular drawdown inmanufacturing data sources isthatthere hasbeena approximately 20%ofthenationaleconomy. in regions like the GTHA, whichrepresents employment. Thisisparticularly concerning advice ontheneedsofemployers and planning professionals to provide sound data, itbecomes more challenging for What iswell understood through these 6 Without robust 7 employment, both nationally8,9 and at local levels. For instance, consistent with Canadian trends, the Peel Region, in The impacts of automation are expected Ontario, recorded a retreat in the number to go beyond resource extraction and of manufacturing jobs. However, it saw a nearly equal increase in services-orientated manufacturing, and become pervasive employment from 2006 to 2011. Despite this throughout the logistics and services employment diversification, the Region of Peel was approximately 80,000 jobs short of industries, including in office-type jobs. the provincially forecast general employment estimate for 2011.10 More concerning is that this was not unique. In fact, across the Greater Toronto Hamilton Area, this general employment deficit was approximately to a consumer base, often with storefronts increasing automation.20 The impacts of 300,000 jobs short of the provincially or easy transit access.18 This has invariably automation are expected to go beyond forecast employment estimate for 2011.11 meant locating in a mixed-use environment. resource extraction and manufacturing, Further, within the Region of Peel, a reduced The needs of these kinds of contemporary and become pervasive throughout the rate of new jobs created per new population small and medium-scale manufacturing logistics and services industries, including was deduced: the rate at which new jobs enterprises are somewhat different than in office-type jobs. In fact, some research were created for new residents decreased the automobile-reliant suburban business has highlighted that millions of jobs rapidly by 50%, after decades of stability.12 park model that supported more traditional are susceptible to automation.21, 22, 23 In addition to these trends, there is manufacturing operations. While some With particular reference to manufacturing, also evidence of employment-related built municipalities like Vancouver have worked to it is clear that firms already have the ability form changes in the Greater Toronto Area. encourage light manufacturing in new mixed to make do with fewer local employees Industrial development is now both taller use developments, there is a significant gap thanks to automation.24 and larger than it has been,13 facilitated in in knowledge as to how these businesses In Ontario, municipal planning occurs part by automation. There is also evidence will function, and whether prospective within a context of provincial employment that employment densities in industrial tenants can afford to locate in these spaces. and population projections via Places to lands, at least within the Region of Peel, Alongside the trend toward new employment Grow. Presently, communities are expected decreased with the decline in manufacturing options in mixed-use areas, technological to plan towards forecast population and employment.14 Further, new trends in changes are also making it possible for employment projections for the year 2041.25 office development have demonstrated a manufacturers to become more efficient Having this ‘target’ makes it possible to concentration in the urban centre of Toronto, in existing suburban industrial spaces right-size decisions and investments. not in the suburbs,15 potentially facilitated that can be retrofitted for new uses.19 However, in light of the missed 2011 jobs by high degrees of mobility and connectivity Current approaches for employment space forecast, a slowdown in the rate of job to other major urban centres through planning are challenged. This expanded growth as compared to population, and information technology.16,17 opportunity for manufacturing to survive in the likelihood of further significant labour Additionally, advances in information and spaces where it might not have once before, efficiencies through continuing automation, technology are making it possible for certain and the need to maximize employment there are challenges to be assessed in the high-tech manufacturing operations, like opportunities wherever possible in light current Ontario forecast-driven planning custom apparel, additive manufacturing, of the labour efficiency implications of paradigm. Beyond Ontario, this challenge food manufacturing, or niche consumer automation, deregulation and globalization, to assumptions about job growth should goods, to locate in downtown cores or challenges current approaches for be taken into consideration when planning mixed-use neighbourhoods in spaces employment space planning. for employment. where traditional manufacturing operations In addition to recorded trends in Changes in employment directly impact could not ordinarily operate. In particular, employment opportunity as well as changes the health and wellbeing of communities, organizations like the Urban Manufacturing in employment space demands and built- and therefore must be considered within the Alliance have highlighted a movement form, some observe that now, perhaps context of planning for a more complete, toward locally made products that emphasize more than ever, employment patterns inclusive, and equitable public realm. the need for intrinsically affordable could be subject to even further rapid and Such changes will invariably affect the workspaces, and the need to locate close unprecedented change, largely through manner in which communities plan for space
SPRING • PRINTEMPS 2017 | PLAN CANADA 17 for employment, and the manner in which 4 Minister of Innovation, Science and Indro Bhattacharyya, M.Sc., MCIP, RPP, is a communities support individual residents Economic Development mandate letter, graduate of the Universiteit van Amsterdam’s as they negotiate changes in employment Government of Canada. Retrieved from Master of Science International Development 26 | LES VILLES DIGITALES status. As job densities decrease in http://pm.gc.ca/eng/minister-innovation- program and Ryerson University’s Bachelor certain sectors, such as in logistics, science-and-economic-development- of Urban and Regional Planning. He is more space may need to be set aside for mandate-letter currently employed with the Region of those uses to realize job forecasts. As job 5 Government of Newfoundland and Peel as a Principal Planner, working on densities increase in other sectors, such Labrador. Innovation Newfoundland and understanding changes in employment and as in offices, less space may need to be Labrador: A blueprint for prosperity. their implications for planning. Previously, preserved for those uses. On the other Retrieved from http://www.btcrd.gov.nl.ca/
DIGITAL CITIES DIGITAL as a planner with the Toronto District School hand, in some communities, it may not innovation/pdf/full_report.pdf Board he was involved with the development be possible to have a substantial office 6 Centre for Urban Research and Land of the world’s largest kindergarten-only sector absent the kind of connectivity Development (Ryerson University). What school in the Thorncliffe Park community that is required. Further, as it becomes municipal employment surveys tell us in Toronto. possible for certain manufacturing jobs to about recent employment growth in the
locate within mixed-use areas, planners Greater Toronto Area, 3 October 2016. Derek Brunelle, MES, is a graduate of should develop new strategies on how to Retrieved from www.ryerson.ca/cur/ York University’s Master of Environmental integrate such employment uses alongside publications/reports/ Studies and University of Toronto’s Bachelor residential ones. Lastly, as the opportunity 7 Greater Toronto Marketing Alliance, 2011. of Arts in History program. He is currently to become more labour-efficient increases Economic Overview. Retrieved from employed with the City of Toronto as an through automation, communities www.greatertoronto.org/why-greater- Assistant Planner in Etobicoke, a community need to plan for the possibility that toronto/economic-overview experiencing significant pressure to participation rates in the economy may 8 Statistics Canada, 2011. Manufacturing. convert employment lands to residential fall, impairing the livelihood and security Retrieved from www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/ and mixed uses. Previously as the Founder of their residents. 11-402-x/2011000/chap/man-fab/ of TorontoMade, and a Fellow with the In today’s shifting employment man-fab-eng.htm Pratt Center in New York, he developed a landscape, access to good information 9 Statistics Canada, 2015. Employment by strong understanding of the needs of small – such as employment and land use industry. Retrieved from www.statcan. manufacturers in urban settings. ¢ data, along with information about the gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/ changing needs of employers, including econ40-eng.htm new building requirements – will allow ¢ REFERENCES 10 Prasad, Arvin. Growth Management planners for cities and regions to 1 Gunderson, Morley. Employment insurance Workshop, 5 March 2015, Region of Peel. better plan for employment. Canadian in the new world of work, Mowat Centre EI Retrieved from www.peelregion.ca/ communities need to ensure that they can Task Force, 2011, School of Public Policy & planning/officialplan/pdfs/ more nimbly address the challenges of a Governance, University of Toronto. Retrieved ContextPresentation.pdf rapidly changing employment landscape, from https://mowatcentre.ca/wp-content/ 11 ibid. often facilitated by so-called technological uploads/publications/22_employment_ 12 ibid. disruptions. They will need to go beyond insurance_in_the_new.pdf 13 Cushman & Wakefield,Peel industrial and mere data collection by measuring and 2 Ontario Ministry of Infrastructure. Growth office market trends analysis, 15 May 2015. monitoring, toward action, driven by plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, 2006 Prepared for Region of Peel. Retrieved effective, informed analysis and local (Office Consolidation, June 2013).Retrieved from www.peelregion.ca/planning/ contextualization. From collaborative, from https://www.placestogrow.ca/content/ officialplan/pdfs/Analysis.pdf action-oriented community research ggh/2013-06-10-Growth-Plan-for-the-GGH- 14 Region of Peel, Employment trends and that involves employees, businesses, and EN.pdf forecast study, 2014. Appendix to The developers, to continuing to protect space 3 Bula, Frances, “Industrial grit meets Regional Municipality Of Peel Growth for employment, and creating awareness residential glass in Vancouver.” The Globe Management Committee Agenda, around this challenge, planners can and Mail. 19 January 2015. Retrieved from 15 May 2014. work to achieve equitable outcomes www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on- 15 Cushman & Wakefield, 2015 so that communities remain resilient, business/industry-news/property-report/ 16 Fraser, Laura, “Silicon Valley North? as employment opportunity continues industrial-grit-meets-residential-glass-in- Toronto, Waterloo position themselves to change. vancouver/article22520073/ as next tech hub,” CBC News Kitchener
18 PLAN CANADA | SPRING • PRINTEMPS 2017 Waterloo, 4 April 2016. Retrieved from http://events.crei.cat/live/files/647- Canada’s workforce. Brookfield Institute, http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ michaelspdf June 2016. Retrieved from kitchener-waterloo/silicon-valley-toronto- 20 Brynjolfsson, Erik and Andrew McAfee. http://brookfieldinstitute.ca/wp-content/ waterloo-1.3519032 Race against the machine. Retrieved from uploads/2016/06/TalentedMrRobot.pdf 17 CityAge, Build the Future (Agenda), 6 & 7 http://raceagainstthemachine.com/ 24 Schneider, Rick. Robotics and automation October 2016. Retrieved by http://cityage. 21 Frey, Carl Benedikt and Michael can save your factory, Productivity Inc. org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/CityAge- Osborne. The future of employment: How Retrieved from http://www.productivity. Toronto-2016-Draft-Agenda-Oct.-3.pdf susceptible are jobs to computerisation? com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Article- 18 2015 Regional gatherings: Making 17 September 2013. Oxford Martin Robotics-and-Automation-Can-Save-Your- Connections to Fuel the Urban Programme on Technology and Factory.pdf Manufacturing Renaissance, Urban Employment, University of Oxford. 25 Ontario Ministry of Infrastructure, 2006 Manufacturing Alliance, summary of the 22 World Bank, Digital dividends, World (Office Consolidation, June 2013). Annual Convening. Retrieved from Development Report 2016. Retrieved from 26 Johal, Sunil and Jordann Thirgood. Working www.urbanmfg.org/annual- http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/ without a net: rethinking Canada’s social convening/2015-regional-gatherings/ en/896971468194972881/pdf/102725-PUB- policy in the new age of work, 22 November 19 Graetz, Georg and Guy Michaels, Robots Replacement-PUBLIC.pdf 2016. Mowat Centre, Ontario’s Voice on at work, Centre de Recerca en Economia 23 Lamb, Creig. The talented Mr. Robot: Public Policy. Retrieved from https:// Internacional (CREI). Retrieved from The impact of automation on mowatcentre.ca/working-without-a-net/
#3 #1 Urban Weston Strategies 1/4 V 1/4 V
SPRING • PRINTEMPS 2017 | PLAN CANADA 19 Summary
Data-driven participatory planning is helping policy makers and civic leaders better engage the public in local decision-making. Robust By Paul Shaker MCIP, RPP and Graeme Douglas MA engagement improves public planning outcomes, strengthens local communities, and promotes
| LES VILLES DIGITALES greater civic pride. PlanLocal, a participatory planning process designed and implemented in the PLANLOCAL: city of Hamilton, is an example of innovative engagement that leverages the knowledge and needs Data-Driven of local citizens when allocating DIGITAL CITIES DIGITAL infrastructure investments. participatory planning PlanLocal is designed to use data effectively to create more successful engagement. It does this by using data to reach a variety of communities and to adjust, in real- t is increasingly important for However, skepticism or apathy can be time, techniques and strategies to city builders to leverage data to wrongly fingered as the cause of poor improve engagement. boost public engagement in their engagement, when it’s likely more a participatory planning efforts.1 symptom of poorly executed engagement. Used intelligently, policy makers and Public participation in decision-making Résumé Icivic leaders can employ data to improve is vital to thriving communities and healthy community-planning outcomes and political cultures. We need more, not less, L'urbanisme participatif axé sur strengthen local participation. engagement, and we need it to empower les données aide les décideurs et Unfortunately, all too often, many local local people and provide direct, visible les dirigeants communautaires à leaders struggle to engage significant results for their communities. favoriser une meilleure participation numbers of citizens in important planning In the city of Hamilton, where citizens du public dans la prise de décisions projects. Most of us will have been to a have been engaging in a variety of new à l'échelle locale. Une forte public meeting where there were more approaches to participatory government over participation améliore les résultats city staff and consultants present than the last half a dozen years, the need to better en matière d'urbanisation publique, there were members of the public. engage local people has become increasingly renforce les collectivités et Worse, weak engagement can create a important.3 Since 2012, citizens have taken favorise la fierté civique. PlanLocal, ‘false consensus’ on issues, which can a direct role in allocating over $10 million processus d'urbanisme participatif result in poor community planning.2 toward infrastructure improvements in conçu et mis en place dans la To some extent, this is the result of their communities. ville de Hamilton, constitue un an increasingly skeptical citizenry who The question facing local leaders in this exemple de participation innovante wonder whether city leaders and staff resurgent post-industrial community is how qui prend en considération les care about their opinions, or are just best to engage a diverse range of people, connaissances et les besoins asking so they can tick off the ‘public in significant numbers, to help guide urban des citoyens locaux lors de la engagement’ box on their project report. development and public spending? répartition des investissements dans les infrastructures. PlanLocal est conçu pour utiliser efficacement les données afin d'assurer le succès The question facing local leaders in this de la participation. Pour ce faire, resurgent post-industrial community is how le processus utilise les données en vue d'atteindre une variété de best to engage a diverse range of people, collectivités et d'ajuster, en temps in significant numbers, to help guide urban réel, les techniques et les stratégies pour améliorer la participation. development and public spending?”
20 PLAN CANADA | SPRING • PRINTEMPS 2017 PlanLocal Charette
¢ PLANLOCAL civic challenges, resulting in a better mutual To address this question, Civicplan has understanding of municipal processes and developed and implemented a new community issues alike. Establishing a approach to participatory planning called Effective participatory planning needs process whereby PlanLocal. Hamilton’s downtown city to connect citizens, city staff, and political councillor, Jason Farr, approached us with leaders in a shared process that is understood political leaders a challenging project: help him engage his by all three stakeholder groups. Establishing a can channel public residents to identify and prioritize where process whereby political leaders can channel $1 million in ward specific infrastructure public knowledge into actionable projects knowledge into funds should be spent in 2016-17. for city staff is a vital tool for building vibrant actionable projects This request led to the development of local communities. for city staff is PlanLocal, a managed public engagement PlanLocal achieves this dialogue through process that makes the most of citizens’ on- a clear and focused process designed to be a vital tool for the-ground knowledge of their communities. accessible, inclusive, and actionable. building vibrant local It is based on the belief that no one knows a community better than the people who ¢ STEP BY STEP communities.” live there. PlanLocal allows local leaders The first crucial step in developing this process to capture this knowledge to help prioritize is selecting a targeted, concrete theme as initiatives in a given community. the focus for engagement. Residents and The PlanLocal process involves more business owners have busy lives and multiple than a one-way survey, or a typical Public priorities, so it’s important for the process to Information Centre (PIC), to gather residents’ be as straightforward and clear as possible. thoughts about an issue. Rather, it allows for For PlanLocal in downtown Hamilton, the a two-way dialogue on how to best address Councillor selected the theme of safe streets.4
SPRING • PRINTEMPS 2017 | PLAN CANADA 21 | LES VILLES DIGITALES DIGITAL CITIES DIGITAL
Map of PlanLocal Hotspots
The second step is to launch a The third step is to analyze and broad-based outreach initiative to translate the ideas data into a shortlist In the downtown the community, asking citizens to that is easy to understand, reflects Hamilton process, identify unsafe locations in their the priorities of the public, and has neighbourhoods. However, engagement been vetted by City staff to ensure all the outreach included goes a step further and asks citizens to proposed projects are viable. 17 distinct avenues propose solutions to improve the status In the final step, residents vote of engagement, quo. In the downtown Hamilton process, on the shortlist of ideas generated the outreach included 17 distinct from the community. The process from traditional avenues of engagement, from traditional can be available to residents and public meetings public meetings and charrettes to stakeholders of all ages, with voting interactive online tools. Furthermore, available online or at physical locations and charrettes the range of citizens engaged was across the community. Using a variety to interactive intentionally broad and included of methods, the PlanLocal process residents, business owners, and reaches out to every home and online tools.” school-age children, who could bring an business in the project area during this invaluable dimension to the discussion.5 phase. As the process in downtown
22 PLAN CANADA | SPRING • PRINTEMPS 2017 Hamilton unfolded, we monitored data from voting activity and used this information to expand voting locations from 6 to 19 in The results are a concrete list of actionable, order to target specific underrepresented publicly supported projects that can be submitted communities, such as seniors. The results are a concrete list of into the municipal budget. Implementation actionable, publicly supported projects of the successful projects can begin that can be submitted into the municipal budget. Implementation of the successful as soon as the following year.” projects can begin as soon as the following year.
¢ PUTTING DATA TO WORK Throughout Hamilton’s PlanLocal implementation, hard data was used to better understand how the process unfolded. For example, by using data gathered from people describing the safety issues in their neighbourhoods, ‘hotspot’ maps were developed showing who was engaging in the process and where they were located. This data was then used and shared in real-time to adjust the targeting of outreach activities and to challenge communities to participate on the same level as their neighbours. For example, in the case of PlanLocal in downtown Hamilton, over 700 locations were identified and over 8000 votes were cast for various solutions.6 The data behind these numbers reveals a great deal about neighbourhood participation, the demographics of participation, and the consensus around street safety at various locations. Furthermore, given the level of public participation, the outcomes from PlanLocal had a high degree of legitimacy, which is important to combating skepticism and apathy. Data collection also helps improve the process moving forward. Civicplan uses the data generated from various sources, including web and social media channels, to better understand what elements of the campaign are effective. Alternatively, we can learn which media have not worked well and use that information to improve Map of PlanLocal Projects our approach.
SPRING • PRINTEMPS 2017 | PLAN CANADA 23 | LES VILLES DIGITALES DIGITAL CITIES DIGITAL
¢ ONGOING COMMUNICATION previous process. What the PlanLocal 1 Public Agenda. Public spending by the AND PRIVACY experience in downtown Hamilton people: participatory budgeting in the Another key element of PlanLocal is demonstrates is that, by using data to united states and Canada in 2014–15. providing ongoing communications with create and manage a thoughtful, inclusive, Accessed at: http://www.publicagenda.org/ citizens who have chosen to participate. engagement process, civic leaders and files/PublicSpendingByThePeople_ People want to know where their input the public can work together to address PublicAgenda_2016.pdf has gone and what will happen with the challenges effectively. Finally, when citizens outcomes. Thus, an important part of the can see the results of their engagement 2 “Hamilton's apathy towards public process is communication in various forms, directly in their neighbourhoods, it reinforces consultations breeds false 'consensus'” while the process is unfolding, not just at the value of their participation and the Editorial. Ancaster News, July 21, 2016. the end. positive role local government can play in 3 The flip side of this ongoing their lives. Leduc, L. Participatory budgeting: communication involves concerns over Hamilton builds community through the privacy of any personal data collected. Paul Shaker, MCIP, RPP, is a Principal citizen engagement. Municipal World, The PlanLocal process also asks citizens with Civicplan, which provides innovative April 2016, p. 19. specific questions on how their private data community planning, public engagement 4 Farr, Jason. PlanLocal aims to make may, or may not, be shared. This robust and and research services to the public, non- Ward 2 streets safer. The Hamilton transparent approach to privacy is a further profit, and private sectors. Inquiries can Spectator, May 10, 2016. step in building public trust that, in turn, be sent to [email protected] helps build engagement. 5 Cragg, Samantha. “Kids voted on how to spend $1M on Hamilton street projects.” ¢ RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS Graeme Douglas, MA, is an Associate CBC Hamilton, September 15, 2016. The success of PlanLocal was clear, with Civicplan. Inquiries can be sent to 6 with the measured level of engagement [email protected] ¢ Civicplan. PlanLocal Ward 2 safe streets: doubling in 2016 as compared to a similar Results report. August 2016, p. 23, 32.
24 PLAN CANADA | SPRING • PRINTEMPS 2017 RETURN TO OUR ROOTS: The case for planning with multi-disciplinary data
By Lori Flowers and Jim Helik
s planners we are taught to take employer, which can help us solve specific There are two challenges here. a holistic view of cities. Part needs, such as traffic counts, housing The first is finding access to this A of this comes from our own surveys, land use mapping, business information and the people who can backgrounds. Planners typically have surveys, and property assessment data. help us in these fields. We can look undergraduate and graduate backgrounds All of these sources of data are useful. at universities, through libraries, in geography, environmental science, However, there are other sources of data open data web portals, and our own urban geography, architecture, the social used less frequently by planners that may contacts. The second is pulling out the sciences, engineering, and sometimes even also help us in our work. These data, and data that is of interest to us. It may in planning. the theories built from them, come from not easily be clear how something The data to which we are drawn reflects disciplines that are only tangentially related is applicable, and large sections of the data from our own discipline. When to planning. They are far less familiar to us, these disciplines may have little to we speak of data, we typically think first of yet they can be sources of both information offer planners. two sources: the “big data” sources such and inspiration for our work. But these alternative data sources as Statistics Canada and CMHC; and the The following list is not meant to be can answer specific planning more proprietary data available through our exhaustive, but rather illustrative. questions we already have, or help us to identify new areas of concern DATA SOURCE INFORMATION THAT CAN HELP US that we had not yet considered. Brokerage information on industrial, commercial, and These data can help planners conduct investment market, vacancy rates, geographic trends across a Real Estate Brokers more inclusive community meetings, region or a municipality, possible projects being discussed in the medium or longer term. better understand the needs of
Forecasting and projections, the impact of broader forces on cities, local populations, anticipate future Economic Academics or reports on emerging ways of doing business (such as touchdown Consultants development demands, and plan for offices or the sharing economy) that may impact land use needs. economic changes. Facilities Management The usage of built space, building ages, and cycles, floor Data is now easier to collect and Department (within a public space per worker ratios used for translating employment sector organization) data into space usage. store than ever before. With more groups producing data that is relevant Human Resources (within a public Journey to work, work/live trends, employment trends sector organization, or human to planning, the profession only stands (full- time/versus part-time work). resource consulting firms) to benefit from increased exploration Decision Theory (which explains the key drivers for firms of non-traditional data sources. Let us Management Academics or to move or stay in their current locations); supply chain take a step back from our tendency Consultants management (which also affects location decisions and choices and suburban versus core decisions). to specialize and remind ourselves
Build/not build real estate decisions, views to the future, of our fundamental responsibility, Financial Academics or key financial drivers of different forms of development (low which is at the very heart of our Consultants rise, mid-rise, high-rise housing; mixed-use development; redevelopment of any type). Code of Professional Conduct: to “acknowledge the interrelated nature Economic Development Ability/timeframes to redevelop areas, necessary tools Departments (within a public of planning decisions.” (policies as well as financial) to aid this redevelopment. sector organization)
Consultation to enhance affordable housing policies, lengths of Lori Flowers is a planner in the Social Housing Providers social housing wait lists and their demographic characteristics, geographic areas with high social housing demands. Research and Information Unit in the
Immigrant Support Organizations Community event listings to identify opportunities for public City Planning Division at the City of and Neighbourhood Leagues engagement, community demographics and concerns. Toronto. She is a candidate member User experience narratives, consultation to enhance of CIP and OPPI. Accessibility Advocacy Groups accessibility policies, information on how to hold accessible (for persons with disabilities) community meetings.
Behavioural Psychologists Crowd Behaviour (explaining the leasing-up of new areas, the role Jim Helik was a columnist for the (in Academia) of economic clusters); First Mover Advantage (the importance of attracting a major name tenant to a new building or area). Ontario Planning Journal for over a
Risk Management Experts The types of builders, developers, or owner/occupiers willing decade. He is a planning, market, and (from Academia or Accounting to undertake new forms of development, or development in economic consultant in Toronto. ¢ and Consulting Firms) new locations.
SPRING • PRINTEMPS 2017 | PLAN CANADA 25 By Morgan Boyco BA, MsPl and Bruce Cory BA, MA
| LES VILLES DIGITALES Planning and DESIGN through the DIGITAL CITIES DIGITAL LOOKING GLASS
Summary magine a future where you can immerse The promise of VR could make for yourself in a story. Picture yourself the provision of important new tools for With recent advancements in interacting with someone’s imagined those involved in planning, designing the technology, Virtual Reality environment, or creating and sharing and communicating changes to the built (VR) may finally be living up your own virtual world. That future is, of environment. The technology allows us to visit to its promise and potential. Icourse, already here as virtual reality (VR) spaces we can’t otherwise access, explore There are two ways that VR technology continues to make its ascent into places that don’t yet exist, toggle through could fundamentally change the mainstream. The technology is already various options or scenarios, communicate the game for city builders: (1) having major impacts on industries beyond visions of the future, tell powerful stories, gaming and entertainment and it stands and illustrate our imaginations. It moves us as a powerful communications poised to influence the world of planning, from strictly intellectualizing the future to platform and (2) as a design and community engagement. planting ourselves in a visceral immersion collaborative design tool. For those who haven’t yet experienced VR, of possibilities. it is a computer-generated simulation of a As VR moves from futuristic and expensive real or imagined environment, immersing a gaming platforms to everyday consumer Résumé user visually, and even audibly, in a digital devices, the technology is getting into the realm. Typically, the hardware utilizes a hands of more and more people. VR content Grâce aux récents progrès wide-angle, head-mounted display that consumption and content creation are réalisés en technologie, la shows stereo images in 3D – offering full becoming increasingly accessible. What will be réalité virtuelle pourrait visual immersion. Sensors in the hardware the impact of this technology for planners and finalement tenir ses track your movements and change your view urban design professionals? How will it change promesses et répondre aux accordingly. They can simulate your physical the conversation with the public? What do attentes. Il y a deux façons presence, allowing for exploration and planners need to know about this new frontier qui pourraient radicalement interaction with a digital world. of the ‘digital city?’ changer la donne pour les bâtisseurs de ville : (1) une plateforme de communication puissante et (2) un outil de The promise of VR could make for the provision conception collaborative of important new tools for those involved in planning, designing and communicating changes to the built environment.”
26 PLAN CANADA | SPRING • PRINTEMPS 2017 “IMAGINATION CREATES REALITY.” Richard Wagner, Composer, 1813-1883
¢ VR AND PLANNING First, on the lower end of the complexity becomes more of a dialogue between Research into, and discussion about, how VR and engagement scale, VR can be architects, planners and the public, fostering might impact city planning has been around used as a presentation and evaluation a deeper knowledge and providing a platform as long as the technology itself. But only tool. The technology offers the ability for shared understanding, even the creation recently has the discussion progressed from to interactively visualize projects and of empathy. largely hypothetical to applied, as advances proposals in context, with all sorts of VR is already being used in these ways by in 3D modelling and GIS have successfully relevant information layered on top. We planners, design professionals and public combined with more powerful and more can foster better understanding and ready engagement practitioners. Architecture accessible VR technology. We are finally comprehension of designs concepts, and design firms have been using VR to witnessing how VR can create interactions compared to sharing traditional flat rendered obtain buy-in on design proposals from capable of opening up new realms of images or cross sections of streetscapes. their clients and to help stimulate internal collaboration, discussion, arguments The presentation and implications of design discussions and public dialogue. and debate in modern city zoning, urban alternative scenarios is, for example, Architecture and planning firm SOM took planning and design. VR offers planners greatly simplified. Making information more their designs for Philadelphia’s 30th Street an unprecedented opportunity to build accessible and comprehensible in this way Station District Plan into VR to share their our cities in advance, virtually – and much could allow for broader more meaningful vision with the public. At the same time, VR more collaboratively. public participation. By enabling full, self- video is being used as a civic outreach tool in Twenty years ago, researchers predicted directed exploration of a model or planning Los Angeles to allow anyone to explore the that planners and designers would utilize scenario in context, planners can minimize history and ecosystem of the LA River. VR in two key ways that could fundamentally misconceptions and build trust between Second, a more technically-complex alter their work. Today, we are seeing that the public and the professional. Through exercise involves using VR as a real-time, prediction realized first-hand: immersive visualization in VR, city building collaborative editing, design and design
SPRING • PRINTEMPS 2017 | PLAN CANADA 27 review tool. Compelling advancements are being made in processing technology,
| LES VILLES DIGITALES networks and the quality of visualizations that allow immersion and interactivity in a 3D spatial model by multiple users in multiple locations. Although these solutions are still in their infancy, collaborative VR platforms could allow planners to analyze, experiment with, and review proposals interactively and DIGITAL CITIES DIGITAL efficiently, accelerating the design cycle and providing for more informed decision- making. Opening up this collaborative space to the public will also allow more people to visualize, imagine, ask informed questions and contribute in the midst of design.
THIS IS REALITY ¢ THE PROBLEMS AND THE PROMISE Despite VR’s rapid advancements in irtual Reality is here in a big way. In fact, 2016 was considered “The year recent years, the technology still faces of virtual reality” when VR technology — which has been around for some various technical, aesthetic and practical V time — went from outlandish to accepted. Technology has caught up with challenges. Cost and technical complexity sci-fi vision, and VR is going mainstream (if not mass market quite yet). Last year’s still hamper its widespread use (although consumer launches brought VR to more people than ever before, from full-featured both of these issues will diminish over high-tech systems like the HTC Vive, Facebook’s Oculus Rift, and Playstation VR to time). And while we have seen enormous mobile headsets that strap a smartphone to your face for an inexpensive tether-free strides made in the quality of graphics 360° virtual experience. Combine new VR technologies with advances in the parallel field rendering and display technology, the of Augmented Reality (AR) – i.e., the digital augmentation of a real-world environment process of creating a true sense of — and we have an entirely new way of looking at, and interacting with, real and immersion or what VR developers call imagined spaces. “presence,” is beyond the budgets of many. Even content creation is becoming more accessible. Kids are already using VR to With head-mounted displays from various walk around their creations in the ever-popular and creative building game Minecraft. technology providers now widely available, SketchUp and other 3D modelling creations can be converted to VR allowing users to and the VR sector in acceleration mode, it tour their creations immersively at a 1:1 scale. And with the parallel rise of 360° video is uncertain where planners should invest cameras, we can create live action, VR compatible videos capable of transporting users their resources and what VR solution anywhere in the world. Combined with aerial drone technology, content producers can might best fit their existing workflows. now immerse users in an unprecedented 360° bird’s-eye view. Meanwhile, workflows Ultimately, cost of entry and the amount of in Esri’s CityEngine and 3D GIS modelling allow content creators — from planners to effort required to activate VR technology Hollywood producers — to render highly-detailed, realistic models of entire cities, both for use in a planning context must be real and imagined, for VR. balanced with results. Industry forecasters continue revising their projections upward for the VR sector. More fundamentally, the current Some analysts predict that the worldwide VR and AR market will grow to more than single-user headsets preclude the $162 billion by 2020, up from around $5 billion in 2015. Though some may dispute how real person-to-person communication quickly the VR market will actually grow, the consensus is that we stand poised at the needed for meaningful collaboration and brink of significant innovation in this space, with more powerful technologies on the engagement on projects (although shared horizon creating even more amazing experiences. experience possibilities are opening Although gaming and game engine technology has driven much of VR’s evolution up). And, not insignificantly, some users to this point, new VR applications beyond gaming and entertainment are constantly experience eyestrain from extended use emerging. And these applications are well positioned to have a substantial impact on while others find the immersive nature several industries. For city builders, VR and AR are emerging as valuable design aids of the technology disorienting or even and powerful communication tools. ¢ nausea inducing.
28 PLAN CANADA | SPRING • PRINTEMPS 2017 Morgan Boyco, BA, MScPL The technology has the power to elevate Planning and Engagement Specialist, stakeholder engagement, promote Dillon Consulting Limited. Based imagination and creativity, and improve out of Dillon’s Kitchener office, Morgan focuses on bringing bring overall access to the planning process.” innovative participatory tools and methods, including digital civic There are countless other questions With the recent exponential growth engagement technologies, to complex one might ask pertaining to VR’s of VR computing technology, and the community dialogues. role in the planning profession, such corresponding arrival of consumer as: What will be the impact of more accessible devices, we are now starting to immersive and experiential participation realize the transformative potential of VR as Bruce Cory, BA, MA in the planning and design process? an engagement, planning and collaborative Chief Executive Officer, Sprockety What happens when we use powerful, design tool. The technology has the power Ventures Inc. Bruce is CEO of Sprockety interactive visualizations to open up to elevate stakeholder engagement, Ventures Inc., a Saskatoon-based tech the design and design review process promote imagination and creativity, and firm. Sprockety is working with Dillon to more and more non-technical improve overall access to the planning Consulting to explore the application of participants? What does this mean for process. How planners choose to harness VR for planning, engineering and public the role of planners and urban design this potential could have a profound and engagement. ¢ professionals in the future? fundamental impact on the profession.
#7 Dillon Consulting 1/2 H
SPRING • PRINTEMPS 2017 | PLAN CANADA 29 THE GROWTH OF SUBURBAN POVERTY:
30 PLAN CANADA | SPRING • PRINTEMPS 2017 A rental apartment complex near Eglinton and Jane intersection SOURCE: Eleni Taye.
SUMMARY The number of low-income people WHAT ARE in the inner suburbs is growing, and planners must prepare to meet changing needs in these areas. In ONTARIO PLANNERS this article, provincial and municipal land use policies were assessed to understand how suburban poverty DOING ABOUT IT? is being addressed in the Greater By Eleni Taye MUP and Raphaël Fischler MCIP, OUQ Toronto Area. A review of policy documents revealed that provincial and municipal government address the issue of suburban poverty to a varying but generally limited extent. Certain policies of the City of Toronto address the problem directly, but more attention needs to be paid at the city and provincial The idea of homogenous, middle- How governments chose to finance level to make for a socially resilient class suburbs is ebbing. It is being replaced public infrastructure and services, and sustainable Toronto. by a less serene view of the urban periphery. or chose to levy fees and provide Due to structural changes in the economy subsidies, can influence the trajectory and shifts in public policy, income inequality of this phenomenon. They must RÉSUMÉ is growing. At the same time, the spatial understand the changing needs of Le nombre des personnes à faible distribution of wealth and poverty is their constituencies but also the revenu vivant dans la banlieue shifting, too. changing geography of these needs proche augmente. Les urbanistes Suburbs in Canada have grown poorer and adjust their plans and policies doivent se préparer à répondre aux and more disadvantaged in the past 30 accordingly. In this article, we look nouveaux besoins dans ces régions. years, becoming home to a growing number at how the province of Ontario and Dans cet article, les politiques of people with limited access to public the City of Toronto are responding d'utilisation des terres provinciales transit, employment opportunities, social to growing suburban disadvantage et municipales ont été évaluées services, and housing that meets their needs. in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). pour comprendre comment on Research has shown that the ‘inner’ suburbs We investigate their policies and plans s'attaque à la pauvreté dans les of the amalgamated City of Toronto have on transportation, housing and the banlieues situées dans la région increasing levels of poverty and are becoming distribution of services and amenities du Grand Toronto. L'examen des more unequal (Hulchanski 2010; United Way to see whether they recognize the documents relatifs aux politiques 2004). In 1981, these suburbs contained 50% issue and, if so, how they propose to a révélé que les gouvernements of high-poverty neighbourhoods; in 2001, they address it. We do not discuss dollar provinciaux et municipaux ont réglé held 77% (United Way 2004). The city has also amounts or financing mechanisms le problème de pauvreté dans les become more polarized: over time a larger but examine the projects and policies banlieues à des degrés divers, mais share of neighbourhoods can be categorized put forward as indicators of possible généralement limités. Certaines as having ‘high’ and ‘very high’ poverty levels. future expenditures. We hope that politiques de la ville de Toronto The former City of Toronto is the only part of by highlighting the strengths and ont abordé le problème de front, the new city that saw a reduction in poverty weaknesses of current approaches, mais il faut porter une attention rates. The social, economic and spatial we can help decision-makers rethink plus grande à l'échelle municipale disparities between central and suburban their plans for provincial and municipal et provinciale pour rendre la ville areas are becoming increasingly difficult expenditures in light of growing résiliente et durable socialement. to ignore. challenges in the inner suburbs.
SPRING • PRINTEMPS 2017 | PLAN CANADA 31 SUBURBAN POVERTY
NEIGHBOURHOOD INCOME CHANGE: CITY OF TORONTO, 2005 VS. 1970
Change in Average Income in Toronto, 1970-2005. Source: Hulchanski, D. (2010). The Three Cities Within Toronto.
TRANSPORTATION acknowledge the role that transit plays in access to transit and to opportunities are Regional and municipal transportation plans securing an inclusive, cohesive and healthy important first steps in tackling the problem of by Metrolinx, the Government of Ontario society. These issues are rather obscured in suburban decline. agency in charge of regional transportation the main body of the plan, where support for The inner suburbs are not a major object of planning, and by the City of Toronto do not economic prosperity and competitiveness concern in current municipal transit policies direct much attention to inner suburban and preparation for resource shortages either. For example, Mayor John Tory’s plans areas in Toronto. In The Big Move, its plan and environmental uncertainty are more for Smart Track (which would link Mississauga for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area dominant goals. The main focus is how outer in the west to downtown Toronto and to (GTHA), Metrolinx recognizes the social suburbs will be connected to economically Scarborough and Markham in the east) and importance of transit but does not act significant locations in the GTHA, which the Scarborough Subway Extension focus on that principle in a significant manner. are mostly in the central areas of Toronto. on improving existing links between urban In Section 1.3, a “lack of options in areas However, the inclusion of transit routes centres and enhancing the competitiveness of of higher need” (page 8) is identified as originally identified in the 2007 City of central areas. This strategy makes sense, as a challenge for the region going forward; Toronto Transit City plan in Metrolinx’s higher-order transit service requires higher the authors explain the social rationale for conceptual plans and the very fact that urban densities to be financially viable. The fact providing transit to marginalized groups and Metrolinx identifies the challenge of unequal that Toronto’s low-income inner suburbs are
32 PLAN CANADA | SPRING • PRINTEMPS 2017 WHAT ARE ONTARIO PLANNERS DOING ABOUT IT?
not well served by higher-order transit HOUSING Official Plan and Affordable Housing can be explained by the fact that people The provincial Long-Term Affordable Action Plan allude to the importance of and activities are dispersed in these Housing Strategy and Housing Policy affordable housing in creating healthy and environments. However, low-income Statement confirm that affordable and social prosperous neighbourhoods. To an extent, people depend on transit more than others housing are primarily the responsibility of they also recognize the role that rental and they are concentrated in the inner municipalities. These documents do not offer housing and public housing play in the suburbs. Yet no plans exist at the provincial specific guidelines to address the issue of supply of affordable housing. The Affordable or municipal level to increase transit housing affordability in the inner suburbs. Housing Action Plan provides an important services in a significant manner in these Municipal policy documents, on the foundation for addressing the issue of areas, while very important investments other hand, reveal that officials are aware suburban poverty, but it is fairly timid in its are being made in middle-class areas and of the lack of affordable housing in the proposals. It does not spell out specific goals economic hubs. Greater Toronto Area. The City of Toronto with regards to the diverse housing needs
The City of Toronto Official Plan and Affordable Housing Action Plan allude to the importance of affordable housing in creating healthy and prosperous neighbourhoods.
SPRING • PRINTEMPS 2017 | PLAN CANADA 33 SUBURBAN POVERTY
of low to moderate-income people, nor does is demonstrated in City policies which City of Toronto, Toronto’s municipal it contain an implementation strategy or target issues specific to the inner suburbs. policies and plans show the greatest funding assurances to achieve affordable For example, the Tower Renewal Program awareness of the issue and the housing goals. The geographic dimension of aims to improve living conditions in high- greatest inclination to act. Yet at both the housing problem is given little attention, rise apartment complexes, while the new the municipal and the provincial level, and yet needs are becoming or will soon RAC (Residential Apartment Commercial) more could be done in transportation, become critical. zoning designation, which allows for a housing and land-use policies to broad range of small-scale commercial and address a growing problem. LAND-USE PLANNING community uses in and around apartment Public transit can play a significant Provincial documents such as the Provincial complexes, should foster increased role in countering inequality and Policy Statement (which puts forward opportunities for local entrepreneurship socio-spatial division. While it is Ontario’s priorities in land-use planning) and employment and help to provide arguably not feasible to invest in and the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden much-needed services and amenities higher-order transit in most of Horseshoe (which shapes growth for the to communities. the inner suburbs, it is possible Southern Ontario conurbation) contain and necessary to identify certain policy proposals that can help to address corridors (as in the 2007 Transit City suburban decline. The policies of building plan of Toronto) where light rail or complete communities, encouraging Existing public even bus rapid transit could enhance intensification and supporting economic accessibility and spur development. development can help to create healthy housing units must Toronto’s Official Plan policy on the and vibrant communities in the inner be rehabilitated, intensification of development along suburbs. Provincial policies do touch on designated avenues could be applied land use issues related to the lack of inclusionary to address suburban decline. services in the inner suburbs, but they do zoning laws must With gentrification in central areas, not make equitable service distribution an an increasing share of affordable explicit goal. be adopted, and housing in the GTA is concentrated The clearest references to the inner in the inner suburbs, mostly in suburbs and their evolution are found in incentives must be private, multi-unit rental buildings. the City of Toronto’s land-use policies. provided for the To counteract the concentration of The Official Plan and its amendments poverty in these areas it is important have directives specifically for ‘priority construction of to finance affordable housing neighbourhoods’ and ‘apartment rental units. construction throughout the city and neighbourhoods’ which can serve to region. Existing public housing units enhance living conditions in the inner must be rehabilitated, inclusionary suburbs. The Official Plan shows that zoning laws must be adopted, and the City does recognize the importance CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS incentives must be provided for of providing social infrastructure and There is a growing awareness in academic the construction of rental units. of increasing community services in circles and, to a lesser extent, in policy The government of Ontario has an neighbourhoods that are currently circles, that Canadian cities, especially important role to play in this respect, not well served. While this goal is not Toronto, are undergoing major changes for instance in supporting inclusionary tied specifically to the inner suburbs, in the spatial distribution of poverty. zoning policies. These could require it should translate into investments in This awareness does not translate developers to set aside a percentage these neighbourhoods. in policies and plans to the extent of the new units in their projects In general, officials at the City of Toronto that is needed if we want to avoid the for lower-income households or to are aware of the issue of suburban decline marginalisation of significant segments contribute financially to the provision within the city’s boundaries; the issue of the population and the social problems of affordable housing by public or is topical public discourse, with media that this would likely create. Because community actors. discussing contrasts between wealthier and the pauperisation and polarisation of The Province should also work with poorer areas of the city. This awareness neighbourhoods is most acute in the municipalities to adapt the principle
34 PLAN CANADA | SPRING • PRINTEMPS 2017 WHAT ARE ONTARIO PLANNERS DOING ABOUT IT?
of mixed-use centres, a key principle 6. City of Toronto, Social Policy (2006). Growth Plan for the Greater in its Growth Plan for the GGH, at the Analysis and Research. (2014). Golden Horseshoe. neighbourhood scale. The centres TSNS 2020 Neighbourhood equity index 11. Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and could take the form of corridors as well methodological documentation. Housing. (2010). Building foundations, as nodes, and support investments Toronto: City of Toronto. building futures: Ontario’s long-term in public-transit service, affordable 7. Hulchanski, D. (2010). The three cities affordable housing strategy. housing and community amenities. within Toronto: Income polarization Toronto, Ontario. Promoting economic prosperity is among Toronto’s neighbourhoods, 12. Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and presented as justification for Provincial 1970–2005. Toronto: University of Housing. (2011). Ontario Housing Policy Policy Statement policies – although Toronto Cities Centre. Statement. Toronto, Ontario. further justifications, such as pursuing 8. Metrolinx. (2008). Mobility hubs: 13. Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs equity, could serve to enhance many of Development of a regional transportation and Housing. (2014). Provincial Policy the policies. plan for the Greater Toronto and Statement. Toronto, Ontario. Emphasizing equity in policies Hamilton area, Green Paper #2. 14. Stewart, G., and Thorne, J. (2010). and investments is key to supporting Toronto: Greater Toronto Transportation Tower neighbourhood renewal in the a resilient and sustainable city. Authority (Metrolinx). Greater Golden Horseshoe: An analysis of Investments toward economic and 9. Metrolinx. (2008). The big move: high-rise apartment tower neighbourhoods environmental sustainability are clearly Transforming transportation in the developed in the post-war boom (1945- highlighted in policies and plans, but Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. 1984). Toronto: E.R.A. Architects. the threat to social sustainability – and Toronto: Greater Toronto Transportation 15. United Way of Greater Toronto. (2004). therefore to prosperity – that lies in Authority (Metrolinx). Poverty by postal code. Toronto: growing inequality and polarization is 10. Ontario Ministry of Infrastructure. National Library of Canada. ¢ not sufficiently acknowledged.
ELENI TAYE, M.U.P., is a Researcher at the McGill School of Urban Planning.
RAPHAËL FISCHLER MCIP, OUQ, is Associate Professor in the School of Urban Planning at McGill University, a member of the Comité Jacques-Viger (the Montréal planning and design review committee) and a planning consultant.
REFERENCES 1. City of Toronto. (2009). Scarborough Centre Secondary Plan. #5 Toronto, Ontario. 2. City of Toronto. (2010). Toronto Official Plan. Toronto, Ontario. McNaughton 3. City of Toronto. (2013). Next 10 years of tower renewal: Achieving city-wide 1/4 H improvement. Toronto: City of Toronto. 4. City of Toronto. (2013). Zoning By-law 569-2013. Toronto, Ontario. 5. City of Toronto, Housing Opportunities Toronto. (2008). An affordable housing action plan, 2010 – 2020. Toronto, Ontario.
SPRING • PRINTEMPS 2017 | PLAN CANADA 35 “THE TIME IS RIGHT TO EXPLORE IMPLEMENTATION DIFFICULTIES CONFRONTING THE GROWTH PLAN.”
36 PLAN CANADA | SPRING • PRINTEMPS 2017 PEER REVIEWED
By Pierre Filion MA, PhD, Neluka Leanage MUDS, PhD, Michelle Lee BES, MSc, and Kent Hakull BA, MA
Planners’ Perception of Obstacles to Sustainable Urban Development: REACTIONS TO THE ONTARIO GROWTH PLAN
ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION Campsie, 2013; Blais, 2015; Burchfield The article presents findings from ounting awareness of the adverse and Kramer, 2015; Neptis, 2015). interviews with 59 planners involved in consequences of low-density, By concentrating on obstacles to the the implementation of the Greater Golden dispersed and car-oriented achievement of its objectives, the Horseshoe (an extended region focused on urban development translates present study shares the concerns of Toronto) Growth Plan. Respondents were Minto growing enthusiasm for alternative the Neptis reports about obstructions asked to identify and comment on obstacles urban models (Nelson, 2013; Wheeler, to the successful implementation of the to the achievement of the sustainable urban 2000; Ye, Mandpe and Meyer, 2005). But Growth Plan. development objectives of the Growth Plan. urban observers have noted the wide gap Obstacles most often mentioned in the between proposals for alternative urban THE GROWTH PLAN interviews fall into two categories. There are development and their materialization Among North American planning those that relate to an insufficient capacity (e.g., Downs, 2005). Implementing efforts at shifting the trajectory of urban of the institutional structure responsible for these proposals in a fashion that will development towards more sustainable the implementation of the Growth Plan and make it possible to reach their urban forms (which reduce their environmental those associated with the entrenchment of transformation objectives is thus key to impact and cost especially as regards prevailing car-oriented dispersed patterns efforts at departing from dispersed forms infrastructure, while improving the health of development. of development.1 The paper relies on and quality of life of residents as well as interviews with planners involved in the economic competitiveness), the Growth RÉSUMÉ implementation of the Greater Golden Plan stands out by the ambition of its L’article présente les résultats d’une Horseshoe (GGH) Growth Plan. The GGH proposals, which explains its attribution of enquête menée auprès de 59 urbanistes is an extensive Toronto-centred region, the 2007 American Planning Association prenant part à l’exécution de Place à la which is about one-third the size of Nova Daniel Burnham Award (Dale, Dushenko croissance, un plan visant à contrôler la Scotia and has a population of 8.7 million, and Robinson, 2012; Ontario, 2006). More croissance urbaine dans la grande région de more than the Province of Québec, the than those of other North American Toronto. L’enquête a porté sur les obstacles second most populous Canadian province metropolitan plans, its objectives are entravant l’atteinte des objectifs reliés au (see Figure 1). Planners were asked embedded in norms concerning the développement durable mis de l’avant dans about their views on the objectives of density and location of future growth le plan. Ces obstacles appartiennent à deux the Growth Plan and actual or foreseen (Filion, Kramer and Sands, 2016). What is catégories. Il y a d’abord ceux qui ont trait obstacles to its implementation. The more, unlike most of these plans, the à une capacité insuffisante des institutions time is right to explore implementation Growth Plan has been enacted into law by chargées de la mise en œuvre du plan. La difficulties confronting the Growth Plan. the provincial government, which forces seconde catégorie groupe les obstacles First, the Growth Plan is undergoing a compliance with its directives of all GGH qui sont associés à l’enracinement de 10-year review. Second, its performance is regional and municipal planning. Main l’étalement urbain et de la dépendance à investigated in a number of recent reports features of the Growth Plan include: l’endroit de l’automobile. from the Neptis Foundation (Allen and higher density for new developments than
SPRING • PRINTEMPS 2017 | PLAN CANADA 37 “TO EXPLORE THIS MATTER WE INTERVIEWED GGH PLANNERS, WHOSE PRACTICE BRINGS THEM IN CONTACT WITH GROWTH PLAN OBJECTIVES AND DIRECTIVES, IN ORDER TO SEEK THEIR VIEWS ON ACTUAL AND POTENTIAL OBSTACLES TO THE FULFILLMENT OF THE GOALS OF THE PLAN.”
“Without putting dollars in transit, and getting efficient connections between work and residence, the Growth Plan will not work.”
has been the case over the last decades these planners. First, interviewed planners which led to their classification under 26 and an overall intensification of the existing are well acquainted with practical issues themes. Each statement was attributed to built perimeter, destined to accommodate stemming from the implementation of the its respondent, making it possible to observe 40% of the forecast GGH growth; the Growth Plan. Second, they possess a fine- how many respondents identified each structuration of the urbanized territory grain knowledge of conditions specific to the theme. Given the focus of the interviews, around 25 high-density and multi-functional different jurisdictions that are the object of each theme represents a different ‘urban growth centres,’ intended to be the Plan. obstacle to the achievement of sustainable pedestrian- and public transit-oriented; an development. In this paper, we concentrate urban growth boundary; and the setting up METHODS on the nine themes that were raised by of an extensive green belt. Additionally, in A total of 59 planners were interviewed more than a quarter of the respondents conjunction with the Growth Plan, Metrolinx, between 2010 and 2013. They were selected (see Filion et al., 2015). the transportation agency for the Toronto so as to represent public and private sector region, has produced a public transit plan, employment as well as different zones OBSTACLES PLANNERS IDENTIFIED focused on commuter train service and within the GGH. Forty-seven respondents The obstacles raised by the planners are subway expansions, as well as new LRT lines were employed by the public sector and 12 presented in Table 1. They fall into two (Metrolinx, 2008). worked as consultants in large, medium and broad categories: 1) the insufficient capacity How favourable are the conditions for the small firms operating within the GGH. The of institutional structures, and 2) the achievement of the objectives of the Growth workplace of ten respondents was in the entrenchment of urban dispersion. Plan? To explore this matter we interviewed territory of the City of Toronto; 16 in outer The most cited Category 1 obstacle is the GGH planners, whose practice brings them suburbs (those outside the City of Toronto); deficient funding capacity of governments. in contact with Growth Plan objectives 14 in self-standing GGH urban areas; and This obstacle has been raised in the context and directives, in order to seek their views 19 in rural parts of the GGH (the Outer GGH) of inadequate public transit funding, which on actual and potential obstacles to the (see Figure 1). makes urban intensification objectives fulfillment of the goals of the plan. There are Our analysis of the findings involved difficult to attain. Without sufficient public two main reasons for probing the opinion of coding all statements in the interviews, transit, intensification risks becoming a
38 PLAN CANADA | SPRING • PRINTEMPS 2017 self-defeating proposition as it contributes this situation to an inadequate dialogue to traffic congestion and, therefore, fans between local and regional administrations, “The Growth Plan is really ‘not in my back yard (NIMBY)’ sentiments. on the one hand, and the province, on the Toronto–centric or big city- A City of Toronto planner presents the other. Note that grievances in this matter situation in these simple terms: “Without originate from Outer GGH locations, centric, and for rural places, putting dollars in transit, and getting self-standing cities but mostly rural parts efficient connections between work and of the region. It is the obstacle whose some of the directions residence, the Growth Plan will not work.” geographical distribution of respondents are just not appropriate – Respondents also complained about an is most skewed (see Table 1). An Outer insufficient tailoring of directives from the GGH planner (Peterborough) encapsulates not achievable. plan to specific circumstances encountered these grievances: “The Growth Plan is really They’re unrealistic.” in different parts of the GGH. They attributed Toronto–centric or big city-centric, and for
City of Outer Self-standing Rural Parts Total Obstacles Toronto Suburbs Cities in GGH of the GGH (59) (10) (16) (14) (Outer GGH) (19)
Category 1: Insufficient Capacity of Institutional Structure
Insufficient funding availability 6 (60%) 10 (63%) 8 (57%) 7 (37%) 31 (53%)
Growth Plan prescriptions are not adapted to the different circumstances 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 2 (14%) 15 (79%) 17 (29%) within different sectors of the GGH
Deficient coordination between levels of 5 (50%) 6 (38%) 3 (21%) 2 (11%) 16 (27%) government and government agencies
Political sensitivity to pressures from the public (NIMBY) and 4 (40%) 3 (19%) 6 (43%) 2 (11%) 15 (25%) from economic interests
Category 2: Entrenchment of Urban Dispersion
Dominance of automobile use; need 7 (70%) 8 (50%) 7 (50%) 9 (49%) 31 (53%) to accommodate high levels of car use
Preference for low urban density and 4 (40%) 3 (19%) 6 (41%) 7 (37%) 20 (34%) automobile use on the part of the public
Resistance to change on the part 5 (50%) 6 (38%) 2 (14%) 6 (32%) 19 (32%) of the public and developers
Tendency for low-density and automobile oriented employment and retail 5 (50%) 5 (31%) 6 (40%) 2 (11%) 18 (31%) developments
Interaction between automobile 4 (40%) 5 (31%) 6 (40%) 5 (26%) 17 (29%) dependence and land use
Table 1: Obstacles to the Achievement of Growth Plan Objectives Mentioned Most Often by Interviewed Planners (by more than 25% of the 59 interviewed planners),
SPRING • PRINTEMPS 2017 | PLAN CANADA 39 “... you’re dealing with people who expect to drive everywhere and want to drive everywhere, and I think that can be hard for planners to understand.”
rural places, some of the directions are just of stuff. What our school boards are doing “... complete communities not appropriate – not achievable. They’re is consolidating schools – one big school unrealistic.” Another obstacle involves over here and we’ll just bus all the kids in.” kids would be able to walk wanting coordination between institutions The final obstacle within this category is the to school – less obesity responsible for the implementation political sensitivity of planning administrations of the Growth Plan, such as levels of to opposition, especially in the form of NIMBY and heart disease and all government or agencies within a same and pressures from economic interests, to that kind of stuff. What our level of government. For example, Ontario efforts at advancing Growth Plan objectives. Municipal Board decisions have clashed with Not surprisingly, most Category 2 obstacles school boards are doing is Growth Plan principles (e.g., Regg Cohn, revolve around different impacts of the 2013). There is also the case of the Ministry automobile, the technology that abetted consolidating schools – of Education and School Boards ignoring dispersion. The first obstacle within this one big school over here Growth Plan objectives. A planner from the category concerns the difficulty to plan for Outer Suburbs (Peel Region) expresses intensification while accommodating high and we’ll just bus all the this situation: “… complete communities automobile modal shares. The second obstacle kids in.” kids would be able to walk to school – less refers to the preference on the part of a large obesity and heart disease and all that kind proportion of the public for automobile use and
40 PLAN CANADA | SPRING • PRINTEMPS 2017 “Even if you had high concentrations of people living in high-density areas, you need to have high-density work locations as well, so that you can support transit.”
points to difficulties in breaking from the to opt for sustainable built forms and interconnection between prevailing patterns life styles. The lessons of the study are of land use and high automobile modal relevant to the implementation of the shares. As a City of Toronto planner puts Growth Plan as well as to the metropolitan it: “Even if you had high concentrations of planning efforts of other urban regions people living in high-density areas, you need engaged in comparable strategies, such to have high-density work locations as well, as Vancouver and Portland. Findings also so that you can support transit.” yield information useful to the numerous Canadian and US metropolitan regions CONCLUSION that either are at an earlier stage of The message emanating from this study metropolitan regional planning, more is that the success of sustainable regional modestly engaged in this form of planning planning requires strong and durable or still considering the possibility of government commitment. Governments launching such a planning strategy. must indeed allocate vast financial resources, notably for public transit systems ENDNOTE needed to reduce dependence on the 1 We refer to ‘dispersed development’ automobile and support intensification. and ‘urban dispersion’ to connote the They must also achieve coordination around predominant North American urban form, low-density urban landscapes. In the words sustainable regional planning objectives which is characterized by low overall of a planner from the Outer Suburbs (Halton of all agencies having an impact on density, rigid land use specialization, Region): “… you’re dealing with people who transportation and land use, while fine- heavy reliance on the automobile and the expect to drive everywhere and want to tuning these objectives to the circumstances scattering of structuring activities (work, drive everywhere, and I think that can be specific to different sectors. Governments retail, institutions). hard for planners to understand.” There must finally stay the course in the face is some overlapping between the second of NIMBY pressures and interests vested ABOUT THE AUTHORS and third obstacles. However, the third in dispersed forms of development, for Pierre Filion is a professor of urban obstacle emphasizes the innate resistance the meeting of regional sustainability planning at the School of Planning of the to change of developers and the general objectives requires long-term consistency. University of Waterloo. Neluka Leanage public, rather than their attachment to a But requirements relating to government and Michelle Lee are doctoral candidates specific urban form as the second did. The capacity constitute only one side of the at the School of Planning of the University fourth obstacle concentrates on the tendency equation. The other side involves addressing of Waterloo. Kent Hakull is an urban for employment and retail to opt for low- the entrenchment of urban dispersion planner in Haugesund, Norway. At the time density automobile-friendly sites. Finally, by demonstrating the advantages of of the research he was an MA student at also emphasising the automobile theme, sustainable over prevailing urban patterns, the School of Planning of the University the last obstacle raised by respondents and providing opportunities for the public of Waterloo.
SPRING • PRINTEMPS 2017 | PLAN CANADA 41 REFERENCES Filion, P., Kramer, A., & Sands, G. (2016). Nelson, A. C. (2013). Reshaping Metropolitan Allen, R. & Campsie, P. (2013). Implementing Recentralization as an alternative to urban America. Washington, DC: Island Press. the Fundamentals of the Growth Plan. dispersion: Transformative planning in a Toronto: The Neptis Foundation. neoliberal context. International Journal of Neptis (The Neptis Foundation). (2015). Urban and Regional Research (in press). Understanding the Fundamentals of Blais, P. (2015). Planning for prosperity: the Growth Plan. Toronto: The Neptis Globalization, competitiveness, and Filion, P. & Kramer, A. (2012). Foundation. the growth plan for the Greater Golden Transformative metropolitan development Horseshoe. Toronto: The Neptis Foundation. models in large Canadian urban areas: Ontario (Government of, Ministry of Public The predominance of nodes. Urban Studies Infrastructure Renewal) (2006) Places Burchfield, M. & Kramer, A. (2015).Growing 49, 2237-2264. to Grow: Better Choice, Brighter Future. pains: understanding the new reality of Toronto: Queen’s Printer for Ontario. population and dwelling patterns in the Filion, P., Lee, M., Leanage, N., & Toronto and Vancouver Regions. Toronto: Hakull, K. (2015) “Planners’ perspective Regg Cohn, M. (2013). OMB has picked The Neptis Foundation. on obstacles to sustainable urban a fight it probably can’t win.Toronto Star development: Implications for August 27. Dale, A., W. Dushenko & Robinson, transformative strategies”, Planning P.J. (Eds). (2012). Urban sustainability: Practice and Research 30, 202-221. Wheeler, S. (2000). Planning for metropolitan Reconnecting space and place. sustainability. Journal of Planning Education Toronto: University of Toronto Press. Metrolinx (2008). The Big Move: Transforming and Research 20, 133-145. Transportation in the Greater Toronto and Downs, A. (2005). Smart growth: Why we Hamilton Area. Toronto: Metrolinx. Ye, L., Mandpe, S., & Meyer, P. B. (2005). discuss it more than we do it. Journal of the What is smart growth? – really? Journal of American Planning Association, 71, 367-378. Planning Literature 19, 301-315. ¢
42 PLAN CANADA | SPRING • PRINTEMPS 2017 OUR CONCERN FOR THE ENVIRONMENT IS MORE THAN JUST TALK As we continue to deliver valuable information through the pages of this magazine, in a printed format that is appealing, reader-friendly and not lost in the proliferation of electronic messages that are bombarding our senses, we are also well aware of the need to be respectful of our environment. That is why we are committed to publishing the magazine in the most environmentally-friendly process possible. Here is what we mean: • We use lighter publication stock that consists of recycled paper. This paper has been certified to meet the environmental and social standards of the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) and comes from responsibly managed forests, and verified recycled sources making this a RENEWABLE and SUSTAINABLE resource. • Our computer-to-plate technology reduces the amount of chemistry required to create plates for the printing process. The resulting chemistry is neutralized to the extent that it can be safely discharged to the drain. • We use vegetable oil-based inks to print the magazine. This means that we are not using resource-depleting petroleum-based ink products and that the subsequent recycling of the paper in this magazine is much more environment friendly. • During the printing process, we use a solvent recycling system that separates the water from the recovered solvents and leaves only about 5% residue. This results in reduced solvent usage, handling and hazardous hauling. • We ensure that an efficient recycling program is used for all printing plates and all waste paper. • Within the pages of each issue, we actively encourage our readers to REUSE and RECYCLE.. • In order to reduce our carbon footprint on the planet, we utilize a carbon offset program in conjunction with any air travel we undertake during the year related to our publishing responsibilities for the magazine. So, enjoy this magazine….and keep thinking green.
NOTRE SOUCI DE L’ENVIRONNEMENT, C’EST PLUS QUE DE SIMPLES PAROLES Nous continuons de diffuser de l’information utile dans les pages de ce magazine, dans un format imprimé qui est à la fois attrayant, agréable à lire et qui ne se perd pas dans la prolifération de messages électroniques qui assaillissent quotidiennement nos sens. Par ailleurs, nous sommes également très conscients de la nécessité de préserver l’environnement. C’est pourquoi nous nous sommes engagés à publier le magazine selon un processus qui soit le plus écologique possible. Voici en quoi cela consiste : • Nous utilisons un papier plus mince fait de fibres recyclées que nous obtenons d’un fournisseur certifié FSC. La norme adoptée par le Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) garantit que le papier provient de forêts gérées efficacement. Des programmes de reboisement appropriés font en sorte que la ressource demeure RENOUVELABLE et DURABLE. • Notre technologie directe de l’ordinateur à la plaque réduit la quantité de produits chimiques nécessaires à la création des plaques destinées au processus d’impression. Les produits chimiques issus du processus sont neutralisés de manière à pouvoir être rejetés sans danger dans l’égout. • Nous utilisons des encres végétales pour imprimer le magazine. Cela signifie que nous n’utilisons pas d’encres à base de produits pétroliers non renouvelables et que le recyclage ultérieur du papier utilisé pour ce magazine est beaucoup plus écologique. • Au cours du processus d’impression, nous utilisons un système de recyclage des solvants; l’eau est séparée des solvants récupérés et il ne reste qu’environ 5 % de résidus. Résultat : nous utilisons moins de solvants, et la manipulation ainsi que l’élimination des produits sont moins nocives. • Nous veillons à ce qu’un programme de recyclage efficace soit en place pour toutes les plaques d’impression et tout le papier mis au rebut. • Dans chaque numéro, nous encourageons nos lecteurs à RÉUTILISER et à RECYCLER. • Afin de réduire notre empreinte carbonique, nous adhérons à un programme de contrepartie de la fixation du carbone pour compenser les déplacements aériens que nous devons faire dans le cadre de nos responsabilités en lien avec le magazine. Alors, bonne lecture… et continuez de penser à l’environnement. Welcoming immigration in a changing urban environment
By Grant E. Moore BA, MPl
SUMMARY RÉSUMÉ Progress on social issues is often tenuous Les progrès sur les questions sociales sont souvent and subject to reversal of fortune, as fragiles et sujets à des revirements de situation, the gains made by the efforts of earlier car les gains acquis par les efforts des générations generations stagnate or are squandered. précédentes stagnent ou sont gâchés. Le Canada Although Canada can claim much success peut prétendre avoir réussi, au cours de son histoire over the course of its recent history on récente, en matière d'établissement des immigrants, immigration settlement there are now many mais il existe aujourd'hui beaucoup de tensions dans strains in the Western world around issues le monde occidental en ce qui a trait aux questions relating to immigration, multiculturalism, liées à l'immigration, au multiculturalisme, à globalization, religious tolerance, and la mondialisation, à la tolérance religieuse et à refugee settlement. Canada has not been l'établissement des réfugiés. Le Canada n'est pas immune to these developments and many épargné et les nombreux incidents qui se sont recent incidents challenge the comfortable produits récemment remettent en question l'idée notion that prejudice and discrimination rassurante que les préjudices et la discrimination have been eradicated and that respect, ont été éradiqués et que le respect, la tolérance et la tolerance, and sensitivity are universal sensibilité sont des valeurs canadiennes universelles. Canadian values. These occurrences have, Ces événements se sont malheureusement produits unfortunately, come at a time when the easy à un moment où la capacité d'accueillir un grand ability to accommodate large immigrant nombre d'immigrants touche à sa fin. populations is at an end. On fait valoir que le Canada a besoin d'une It is argued that what is really needed in politique nationale en matière de population. Canada is a national population policy. At the Parallèlement, le Canada devra faire de plus grands same time, Canada must do a much better efforts pour tirer pleinement profit des avantages que job of leveraging the benefits of immigration représentent l'immigration et le multiculturalisme, and multi-culturalism and engaging the ainsi que pour sensibiliser le public en vue d'éviter public if conflict is to be avoided. In the age des conflits. À l'ère des médias sociaux, la télévision of social media, mainstream television, grand public, la radio et les journaux ne contrôlent radio, and newspapers no longer control the désormais plus la véracité des informations ni veracity and dissemination of information leur diffusion, et les idées non conventionnelles et and unconventional ideas and extremist extrémistes peuvent se propager comme une traînée views can spread like wildfire. de poudre.
44 PLAN CANADA | SPRING • PRINTEMPS 2017 “Vancouver has run out of developable land, hemmed in as it is by mountains, agricultural reserves, and the Pacific Ocean. Opportunities for new low-density development now exist only in the Lower Mainland’s distant suburbs. Similar conditions prevail in Greater Toronto and environs where a Greenbelt protects 800,000 hectares from development with plans for 9,000 more hectares to be added and density targets for designated Greenfield development areas increased to be at least 80 people and jobs per acre.”
INTRODUCTION immigrants, on a per capita basis, and from rogress on social issues is as many different places. Canadians generally often tenuous and subject support federal policy in this area, respecting to reversal of fortune as the both the idea of providing foreign nationals gains made by the efforts of with the economic opportunity for a better earlier generations stagnate life as well as the compassionate principles Por are squandered. There are many underpinning family reunification and the reasons for this: public apathy, short- refugee program. Also evident is an apparent term enthusiasm, loss of dynamic and valuing of ethno-cultural diversity for its committed leadership, shifting government own sake. funding priorities, and over-burdening the But there are now many strains in the committed few in groups and organizations Western world around issues relating to that rely heavily on volunteers. An immigration, multiculturalism, globalization, example familiar to Canadians is the religious tolerance, and refugee settlement. status of the French language outside The blowback against Syrian refugees of Quebec. While enrollment in French in Germany, outrage over acts of radical Immersion remains strong in elementary terrorism in France and elsewhere, and schools, bilingualism has stagnated for Britain’s vote to exit the European Union francophone’s in Quebec and is on the (Brexit) reflect a growing anger with the decline for anglophones outside the status quo that has resulted in a resurgent province. As the threat of separatism nationalism in many European countries. has receded in recent years, and as On November 8, 2016 the United States multiculturalism has simultaneously been concluded the most rancorous and poisonous embraced, it is increasingly difficult to presidential election in its history, as identify bilingualism as a central feature President-elect Donald Trump successfully of Canada’s identity. The enthusiasm and appealed to many so-called ‘forgotten hope of the Privy Council’s goal in 2003 – to Americans,’ those who feel that America is make 50% of those aged 15 to 19 bilingual less and less one country and one people by 2013 – now seems like a naive dream. and more and more a nation separated along What then of immigration and religious, racial, cultural, political, ideological, multiculturalism? Canada can claim much social, and economic lines. One clear success here over the course of its recent lesson of the American election is that history. No country brings in as many opposition to multiculturalism has become an
SPRING • PRINTEMPS 2017 | PLAN CANADA 45 extraordinarily powerful organizing tool for were “not big enough” with over 90% while simultaneously maintaining perennially the political right. believing there were “the right number of high immigration levels: Ontario alone Canada has not been immune to these people” or “too many people.”5 accommodates over 100,000 newcomers developments. Political philosopher Hannah each year, most of whom settle in the Greater Arendt wrote in 1963 that, “once a specific WHAT TO DO? Toronto area. While the principles of Ontario’s crime has appeared for the first time, its What is really needed in Canada is a national growth management plan for the region might reappearance is more likely than its initial population policy, one based on objectives appeal to planners (i.e., infill, redevelopment, emergence could ever have been.”1 She was, that identify how large a population Canada and new construction at higher densities) it of course, writing about the Holocaust but needs and in what areas of the country is doubtful that many married couples with her point is instructive here. Like other newcomers are needed and prepared to young children view this as anything but a western nations, Canada has a legacy of settle. At a minimum, at least, there needs to dystopian future of apartment life and mass racism, sexism, anti-Semitism, and other be a frank and meaningful dialogue between transit. Bryan Tuckey, president and CEO of acts of exclusion. Much effort and expense the federal and provincial governments BILD (Building Industry and Land Development has been directed at combating this in our on these issues, with a view to adjusting Association) was right when he commented schools, workplaces, and other areas of immigration levels to changing conditions to a Globe and Mail journalist in May 2016 the public realm. Many recent incidents, in the economy and labour market. It is that changes to the Greenbelt policies means however, challenge the comfortable notion disingenuous and ultimately dishonest to “more intensification, more cranes, more that prejudice and discrimination have been assume that quality of life can be preserved congestion, less housing choice and fewer eradicated and that respect, tolerance, and sensitivity are universal Canadian values. Examples include: foreign buyers being blamed for soaring housing prices in Vancouver and Greater Toronto; resentment at Mandarin-only signage in Richmond, BC; a Conservative party leadership candidate calling for immigrants to be screened for ‘Canadian values;’2 the appearance of alt-right posters in a Toronto public park;3 and the rise of the anti-Islamic secret organization La Meute (the Wolf) in Quebec.4 These occurrences unfortunately come at a time when the easy ability to accommodate large immigrant populations is at an end. Vancouver has run out of developable land, hemmed in as it is by mountains, agricultural reserves, and the Pacific Ocean. Opportunities for new low- density development now exist only in the Lower Mainland’s distant suburbs. Similar conditions prevail in Greater Toronto and environs where a Greenbelt protects 800,000 “Planners should hectares from development with plans for 9,000 more hectares to be added and advocate for as much density targets for designated Greenfield development areas increased to be at least parkland as possible 80 people and jobs per acre. There is also as our cities grow and redevelop. The public parks evidence that the local resident populations are dissatisfied with endless growth: and open spaces that native-born Canadians a 2011 survey conducted by the Canadian tend to take for granted are highly-prized by Association for Canadian Studies found immigrants, and parks are excellent venues for that among residents of Vancouver (GVRD), ethnic, religious, and racial groups to intersect in Greater Toronto, Calgary, and Montreal, an informal atmosphere with low expectations.” fewer than 10% believed that their cities
46 PLAN CANADA | SPRING • PRINTEMPS 2017 single family homes.”6 Clearly, with population growth of the magnitude experienced in Greater Toronto, there “Canada will have its hands full can never be enough land for low-density housing. Indeed, housing affordability is in the years ahead if it is to maintain its status as a civil and now so dire in Vancouver and Toronto that welcoming society. We will need to do everything we can think some have advised would-be homeowners of to maintain what we have built.” to rent instead.7
WHEN THE WATER HOLE SHRINKS treatment modalities might be integrated views can spread like wildfire. Canada will Decreased tolerance for multiculturalism into mainstream medical practice and have its hands full in the years ahead if it is to coupled with the inability of our largest eventually covered by provincial health maintain its status as a civil and welcoming metropolitan areas to provide business- insurance plans. society. We will need to do everything we can as-usual urban form, settlement patterns, Planners should advocate for as much think of to maintain what we have built. and affordable housing choices could parkland as possible as our cities grow threaten the civic peace Canadians have and redevelop. The public parks and open REFERENCES come to expect. spaces that native-born Canadians tend 1 Arendt, Hannah. Eichmann in Jerusalem. Canada must do a much better job of to take for granted are highly-prized by New York: Penguin Books USA; 1994. leveraging the benefits of immigration immigrants, and parks are excellent venues 2 Trump win sends ‘exciting message’ to Canada: and multi-culturalism and engaging the for ethnic, religious, and racial groups to Conservative MP Kellie Leitch. The Globe and public if this is to be avoided. It is far intersect in an informal atmosphere with Mail. 09 November 2016. from obvious that diverse societies are low expectations. Off-leash areas for dogs 3 Racist posters promoting ‘alt right’ alarm intrinsically better off – countries such are important as well: responsible dog Toronto residents. CBC News. 14 November as Japan, South Korea, Switzerland, and ownership is a means by which people can 2016. Retrieved from: www.cbc.ca/news/ Sweden enjoy stability and prosperity with meet and break down barriers to social canada/toronto/east-york-alt-right-racist- little diversity – so a stronger case needs interaction in local neighbourhoods. posters-1.3850386/ to be made beyond the usual celebrations As regards governance, term limits at 4 Montpetit, Jonathan. Inside Quebec’s far right: of song, dance, ethnic clothing and food. the municipal level would result in regular Take a tour of La Meute, the secretive group One argument that should be made turnover of elected officials and would with 43,000 members. CBC News Montreal. forcefully is that as a trading nation re-invigorate local democracy by ensuring 04 December 2016. Retrieved from: cbc.ca/ Canada cannot afford to disengage itself a steady stream of new faces and new news/Canada/montreal/quebec-far-right-la- from major world economies such as ideas. As matters currently stand, name- meute-1.3876225. India and China and that immigrants recognition alone is enough to return most 5 Todd, Douglas. Nine of 10 Vancouver residents from these countries facilitate trade incumbents to office given the generally don’t want population growth. Vancouver Sun. relationships which otherwise would not tepid interest in municipal politics. There 24 March, 2015 be possible. It is noteworthy also that there is no reason why anyone should serve 6 Taber, Jane. Ontario proposes greenbelt is more than just anecdotal evidence of more than two terms (six years) as a expansion as urban growth intensifies. over-achievement among the school-age school board trustee, city councilor, or The Globe and Mail 10 May 2016. children of recent Asian immigrants: the mayor. Longer tenure is deleterious to 7 Seale, Andrew. First-time homebuyers in 2015 Program of International Student the public interest and invariably leads to Toronto, Vancouver advised to rent instead. Assessment (PISA) ranked Canada seventh factionalism, entrenched interests, empire Yahoo Finance Canada 28 October 2016. in the world out of the 72 participating building, and an attitude of entitlement. 8 PISA. 2015 Results in Focus. p.4 countries and economies and lauded Regular turnover would create many Canada in the 2016 summary report as more opportunities for new Canadians to GRANT MOORE is a graduate of the School achieving “high levels of performance participate fully in the democratic life of of Urban and Regional Planning at Queen’s 8 and equality in educational outcomes.” their new country. University, Kingston, Ontario. He worked Our school system could be more pro- for many years as a planner in the Ontario active in identifying the ways and means CONCLUSION public school system, most recently as the by which immigrant parents make this In the age of social media, mainstream Manager of Planning at the Halton District happen, to the benefit of the broader television, radio, and newspapers School Board. Grant lives in Mississauga school community. In a similar vein, the no longer control the veracity and with his wife Sally and he can be reached at practices of Traditional Chinese Medicine dissemination of information and [email protected]. ¢ (TCM) such as acupuncture and other unconventional ideas and extremist
SPRING • PRINTEMPS 2017 | PLAN CANADA 47 “To err is human. To really mess up, you need a computer.”1 FELLOWS' CORNER FELLOWS' David F. Brown PhD, FCIP, FOUQ
Today, as we move at what often seems warp speed toward smart cities that rely Clearly, the on an Internet of Things, it is instructive digital revolution to reflect how planning has changed for better or worse over these few decades. has opened up The progression from computer- new avenues free to ubiquitous use of computers for planning in planning began in earnest with the invention of microcomputers, such as and, used well, the IBM Personal Computer that became the new tools available in 1981. Earlier mainframe and minicomputers were beyond what most have improved planning offices could afford. planning.” At first, much of the utility of computers was related to word processing, data management, and spreadsheet software. The latter was particularly intriguing, as it opened the door to on-the-fly “what if” analysis. Simulations of all kinds, dealing with a wide range of planning magine, if you will, a planning office issues such as population projections, a mere 40 years ago that did not have noise propagation, sediment loads in a single computer, let alone access streams, traffic congestion, and the to high-speed Internet. Here you likely effectiveness of housing subsidies, I became more robust and widely shared would encounter a pool of secretaries typing up hand-written texts prepared between professional and academic by planners and, in the largest room, planning communities. As these basic draughtsmen perched over massive tools entered the mainstream, the tables converting rough sketches attention of planners shifted to the analytic into measured technical drawings. and modeling capabilities of geographic In such a place, White Out was always information systems – a progression that at hand to allow minor changes to took us from enormous digitizing tables be made without retyping entire and plotters using mini-computers to texts or redrawing plans. Moreover, desktop systems, such as PC ArcInfo, everyone came to the office to work – introduced by ESRI in 1987. because all information was stored in This activity led to general interest bulky files, and communication was on the part of practicing planners in limited to letters, or in-person, or computer technology that was met telephone conversations. in part through special issues of
48 PLAN CANADA | SPRING • PRINTEMPS 2017 Planners need to be fully informed about the nature of data and analytic routines being used so they can exercise good judgment in presenting the results.”
professional journals. For example, I guest And the plan implementation process can that readily available rather than most relevant. edited the first such issue ofPlan Canada be more: Sophisticated analytic routines effectively in June 1987. It contained articles on • Transparent – for the general population. create ‘black boxes’ that are not transparent to municipal information systems; computer- • Inclusive – accessible to most segments stakeholders – unlike the land use suitability based tools for generalist planners; of society regardless of time or place. analysis proposed by Ian McHarg in 1969, and computer applications in Calgary, • Engaging – supportive of a mutual which was designed to focus discussion and Toronto, and Halifax. The reception to learning approach. decisions. Proprietary search algorithms have these innovations was enthusiastic, and • Immediate – offering information in many ways replaced librarians as information professional planners were quick to adopt in “real time.” gatekeepers, effectively commercializing the technology. • Recursive – with integrated information access. Furthermore, all these All of this was only preparation for the monitoring and refinement during the issues are compounded when too much late-1990s when the Internet became widely planning and implementation processes. attention is paid to social media rather than accessible. Almost immediately, endless Still, we are not done. Indeed, as new a good population cross-section to measure opportunities emerged for e-government, hardware and software is rapidly improved, it social acceptance of a project or policy. data sharing, mashups, interactive public seems that we have barely begun to explore As analysts running routines may themselves participation, social media, virtual offices, computer applications in planning. Big data be unaware of a data or function error that is traffic congestion monitoring, shortest path analysis is being used for applications ranging compounded with each iteration, the saying, algorithms in real time, and a host of other from consumer tracking to predictive policing. “To err is human. To really mess up, you need a applications, both good and bad, many of Technological advances such as 3D printing computer,” resonates. which are now widely used by planners. hold much promise for the production of not Planners need to be fully informed about As a result, the plan preparation process only scale models but also full size objects. the nature of data and analytic routines being has become more: Our sense of place and time is challenged used so they can exercise good judgment • Flexible – allowing basic considerations by virtual reality software that is uncannily in presenting the results. While the new such as study area limits and time disorienting. Employment centers are and emerging technologies are enticing, periods to be readily adjusted as the dispersed as work nodes emerge wherever the cautionary note that I included in the plan progresses. Internet connections exist. Public consultation Editorial for the 1987 issue of Plan Canada • Accurate – through greater precision uses interactive websites to reach and engage remains relevant: “The full implications in measurement and data. the population. And urban systems, such as of these developments for planning are • Integrated – through access to water, sewerage, communication, and energy hard to anticipate. It is clear, however, that data provided by different professions consumption, are monitored and controlled in computer technology is a planning aid and and agencies. real time. not a substitute for skilled designers and • Interactive – allowing modeling for Clearly, the digital revolution has opened up specialized analysts. These technologies can ‘what-if’ analysis, simulation modeling, new avenues for planning and, used well, the no more create a good plan than eye glasses and land use suitability analysis. new tools have improved planning. But they can help an illiterate person to read.” ¢ • Strategic – focused on addressing also present serious dangers absent from the critical concerns in the immediate, computer-free planning era when original 1 Source unknown. First noticed by author short and intermediate term. data had to be collected, coded, and analyzed in a cartoon posed on the wall of the • Productive – providing easier access to in contexts where judgment prevailed. McGill University Computer Centre in the specialized analytic and design tools. Too often the data used today is restricted to mid 1980s.
SPRING • PRINTEMPS 2017 | PLAN CANADA 49 « L'erreur est humaine, mais pour tout détraquer, on a besoin d'un ordinateur. »
DU CÔTÉ DES FELLOWS David F. Brown PhD, FCIP, FOUQ
La révolution numérique a clairement ouvert de nouvelles voies pour l’urbanisme. »
maginez, si vous le voulez bien, un bureau d’urbanistes, il y a à peine 40 ans. Il n’y avait pas un seul ordinateur, et encore Imoins un accès à Internet haute vitesse. Vous auriez trouvé un groupe de secrétaires tapant et rédigeant des textes préparés par Le passage d’un monde sans ordinateur les sédiments dans les ruisseaux, la les urbanistes et, dans la plus grande pièce, vers un monde où l’utilisation des congestion routière et l’efficacité probable des dessinateurs perchés sur d’énormes ordinateurs est omniprésente en urbanisme des subventions au logement, sont devenus tables en train de convertir des croquis en a vraiment commencé avec l’invention des des aspects de plus en plus importants, dessins techniques comportant des mesures. micro-ordinateurs, tels que l’ordinateur largement diffusés entre les professionnels Dans un tel endroit, le correcteur liquide personnel d’IBM arrivé sur le marché et les milieux universitaires en urbanisme. était toujours dans une main pour apporter en 1981 : les premiers gros ordinateurs Comme ces outils élémentaires sont de corrections mineurs sans devoir retaper et les mini-ordinateurs étaient au-delà devenus la norme dans le domaine, l’ensemble des textes ou redessiner les plans. de ce que les bureaux en urbanisme l’attention des urbanistes s’est orientée vers De plus, tout le monde venait au bureau pouvaient s’offrir. les capacités d’analyse et de modélisation pour travailler, car toute l’information était Au début, l’utilité des ordinateurs des systèmes d’information géographiques stockée dans des dossiers volumineux, et les résidait principalement dans le traitement – une évolution qui nous a conduit des communications s’effectuaient par lettres, en de texte, la gestion des données et les énormes tables de numérisation aux personne ou par téléphone. tableurs. Ce dernier était particulièrement traceurs en utilisant des mini-ordinateurs Aujourd’hui, alors que nous progressons, intéressant, car il a ouvert les portes aux ordinateurs de bureau, comme ArcInfo à une vitesse éclair dirons certains, vers les à l’analyse d’hypothèses improvisée. sur PC, lancé par ESRI en 1987. villes intelligentes qui reposent sur l’Internet Effectuer des simulations de tout genre, se Cette activité a suscité un intérêt général des objets, il est essentiel de montrer préoccuper d’un large éventail de questions de la part des urbanistes professionnels comment l’urbanisme a changé pour le mieux liées à l’urbanisme comme les projections concernant la technologie informatique, en ou le pire au cours des dernières décennies. démographiques, la propagation du bruit, partie satisfait par la publication de numéros
50 PLAN CANADA | SPRING • PRINTEMPS 2017 spéciaux de revues professionnelles. • transparent – pour le grand public; Par exemple, j’ai été rédacteur invité • inclusif – accessible à la plupart des du premier numéro de Plan Canada segments de la société, quel que soit le Ces technologies en juin 1987. Ce numéro contenait des temps et le lieu; ne peuvent pas articles sur les systèmes d’information • intéressant – favorisant une approche créer un bon plan municipaux; les outils informatiques d’apprentissage mutuel; pour les urbanistes généralistes; et des • immédiat – fournissant de l’information pas plus que des applications informatiques à Calgary, en « temps réel »; lunettes peuvent Toronto, et Halifax. Ces innovations ont été • récursif– grâce au suivi et à reçues avec enthousiasme et les urbanistes l’amélioration intégrés durant le aider une personne professionnels ont rapidement adopté processus de planification et de mise analphabète à lire. » la technologie. en œuvre. Il ne s’agissait en fin de compte Et ce n’est pas fini! En effet, la technologie que d’une préparation à la fin des en matière de périphériques et de logiciels années 1990 lorsqu’Internet est devenu évolue rapidement. Nous avons à peine — contrairement à l’analyse du potentiel largement accessible. On assista presque commencé à explorer les applications d’utilisation du sol proposé par Ian McHarg immédiatement après à l’émergence dans le domaine de l’urbanisme. L’analyse en 1969, qui a été conçue pour orienter les d’innombrables possibilités pour le de données massives est utilisée pour discussions et les décisions. Les algorithmes cybergouvernement, l’échange des données, les applications allant du suivi des de recherche brevetés ont sur bien des les applications composites, la participation consommateurs à la surveillance de plans remplacé les bibliothécaires comme interactive du public, les médias sociaux, les prévention. Les progrès technologiques tels gardiens de l’information, commercialisant bureaux virtuels, le suivi de la congestion que l’impression 3D sont très prometteurs efficacement l’accès à l’information. De plus, du trafic sur Internet, les algorithmes du pour la production non seulement de tous ces problèmes s’amplifient lorsqu’on plus court chemin en temps réel, et toute maquettes mais aussi d’objets de taille accorde trop d’attention aux médias sociaux une série d’autres applications, des bonnes réelle. Notre notion d’espace et de temps plutôt qu’à un échantillon représentatif comme des mauvaises, dont beaucoup sont est remise en question par des logiciels de la population pour mesurer le degré utilisées aujourd’hui par les urbanistes. de réalité virtuelle qui sont étonnamment d’acceptation d’un projet ou d’une politique. Ainsi, le processus d’élaboration des désorientants. Les lieux d’emplois se Comme les analystes exécutant des plans est devenu plus : dispersent à mesure que les connexions programmes pourraient ne pas avoir • souple — permettant de tenir compte Internet sont créées. La consultation du connaissance d’une erreur de données ou de considérations élémentaires comme public s’effectue par l’intermédiaire de de fonctions qui s’aggrave à chaque cycle, les limites de la zone étudiée et les sites Web interactifs pour atteindre et faire le dicton « L’erreur est humaine, mais pour périodes de temps qui peuvent être participer la population. De plus, les réseaux créer un beau gâchis, vous avez besoin d’un facilement ajustées à mesure que le urbains, comme le réseau d’alimentation en ordinateur » résonne dans l’esprit. plan évolue; eau, le réseau d’assainissement, le réseau de Les urbanistes doivent être parfaitement • précis – grâce à des mesures et des communication et la consommation d’énergie informés de la nature des données et données plus précises; sont surveillés et contrôlés en temps réel. des programmes analytiques utilisés • intégré – grâce à l’accès aux données La révolution numérique a clairement afin qu’ils puissent faire preuve de bon fournies par différentes professions ouvert de nouvelles voies pour l’urbanisme. jugement en présentant les résultats. et agences; Bien utilisés, les nouveaux outils ont amélioré Même si les technologies nouvelles et à • interactif – permettant la modélisation la profession. Cependant, ils représentent venir sont attrayantes, la mise en garde des analyses d’hypothèses, la aussi de graves dangers, absents de l’époque que j’ai rédigée dans l’éditorial du numéro modélisation des simulations et de l’urbanisme sans ordinateur lorsque les de 1987 de Plan Canada est toujours l’analyse du potentiel d’utilisation premières données devaient être recueillies, pertinente : « Il est difficile de prévoir toutes du sol; codées et analysées dans un contexte où le les répercussions de ces évolutions pour • stratégique – axé sur la résolution jugement prévalait. Trop souvent, les données l’urbanisme. Il est clair, cependant, que des problèmes critiques dans un délai utilisées aujourd’hui se limitent aux données la technologie informatique constitue une immédiat, et à court et à moyen termes; les plus rapidement accessibles plutôt aide et ne remplace pas des concepteurs • productif – facilitant l’accès à des outils qu’aux plus pertinentes. Des programmes compétents ni des analystes spécialisés. d’analyse et de conception spécialisés. analytiques sophistiqués créent efficacement Ces technologies ne peuvent pas créer un De plus, le processus de mise en œuvre des des « boites noires » qui ne sont pas bon plan pas plus que des lunettes peuvent plans peut être plus : transparentes pour les parties prenantes aider une personne analphabète à lire. » ¢
SPRING • PRINTEMPS 2017 | PLAN CANADA 51 PLANNER'S BOOKSHELF 52 Transformation America of North The Postindustrial Remaking the Rust Belt PLAN CANADA |SPRING•PRINTEMPS 2017 Pennsylvania Press; 2016: 270 pages By Tracy Neumann,University of I and Society and the second half ofthe20thcentury andcontinue to beusedtoday. of neoliberal urbandevelopment strategies thatgained traction throughout struggles ofHamilton andPittsburgh inthemid-20 appeal to awiderange ofreaders. Despite beingahistorical narrative, the a piece ofinvestigative journalism,making for acaptivating read thatwill from decades ofredevelopment strategies andprograms aimedatdiversifying to the1980s.Cityleaders, however, forged ahead,desperate to seeresults challenges for bothcities, andwhichwassubjectto publicbacklashthrough strategies ofdecentralization andprivatization inthe1970s created new development authorities(Chapter 2).Chapter 3considers how national private partnerships inthe1950sand1960sand,later, more formal regional which municipalleaders attempted to structure new, often ad-hoc,public- “Roots ofPostindustrialism” (Chapter 1),describingsomeofthewaysin development strategy: “citiesfor whom?” ultimate question abouttheconsequences ofaneoliberal planningpolicyas define contemporary discourse around urbanizationandframe Neumann’s to collectively shapetheirenvironments. Theseare allissues thatcontinue to (re)emergence ofthenotion“rightto thecity”–abilityofresidents private investment partnerships to drive urbandevelopment, aswell asthe insight into theongoingpervasiveness ofneoliberal policiesandreliance on estate developers. utopian visionsshared amonglocal decision-makers andprivate sector real beyond thisoverly simplistic view byaddingonthethickpolitical layers and business cycles andneutral market forces.” Shethentakes thereader post-industrial development asa“historic inevitability, theproduct ofnatural spaces ofcommerce. Neumannrightly criticizesexperts for positioning processes thatled to thespatialrestructuring ofindustrial spaces to new and relevant today incitiesthroughout NorthAmerica asthey were back then. disparity, andconstraints ofoverarching political andconditions –are asreal base, stagnant levels ofprivate investment intheurbancore, socio-economic Relying heavily onarchival materials, Neumann makes hercase over sixchapters. Shebeginsbylayingoutthe Neumann’s detailed account oftwo case studies provides worthwhile Neumann offers atransdisciplinary view onthetop-down thinkingand and Hamilton. Thislatest installment inthe experienced bytwo well-known NorthAmerican steel towns –Pittsburgh through thehighsandlows ofpost-industrial transformation as n Remaking the Rust Belt Rust the Remaking
series offers a rich historical and comparative narrative on the rise
, Professor Tracy Neumanntakes thereader
Reviewed by Remaking the Rust Belt Rust the Remaking American Business, Politics, Politics, Business, American th Matt Neville century –adecliningtax reads like MCIP, LPP the economies of both cities, from centres of manufacturing to service and financial hubs (Chapter 4). Relying heavily on archival Attempts by officials to attract the elusive “young professional” back to the city core manifested in the new convention centres, materials, Remaking the hotels, cultural and entertainment districts, and stadiums that often Rust Belt reads like a piece of came at the expense of social programs. Chapter 5 reveals how the spatial transition of the industrial lands themselves, from “spaces investigative journalism, making of production to spaces of consumption,” affected working-class for a captivating read residents, as rules were rewritten to attract private investment. that will appeal to a wide By the 1980s, however, the “urban project” was fully embraced as the new mechanism of renewal and regeneration, and any remaining range of readers.” commitments to former working class neighbourhoods waned. With projects completed or nearing completion, two key questions remained: how do we market this new city (Chapter 6), and; for whom local conditions and context. It is a warning of the shortcoming of is this new city built? (Epilogue). neoliberalism without a complementary and supporting effective Of particular interest to Canadian planners is Neumann’s contrast in social welfare strategy. Above all, Neumann’s story is a reminder approaches between the US and Canada, whereby Federal, Provincial, that in the end, it – planning and the public interest – is all political. and Municipal relationships and spheres of power prevented a more As planners, we cannot ignore these realities of the job and we aggressive form of public-private partnerships and regeneration shouldn’t be afraid of it, no matter how messy it gets. schemes that were used in Pittsburgh. In the case of Hamilton, the Province’s designation of the city as a “manufacturing centre,” Matt Neville MCIP, LPP is an Urban Planner with EDM (edm.ca) enshrined in growth policy, restricted the ability of politicians, planners in Halifax and a Contributing Editor to The Site Magazine and the public to adopt international redevelopment models and shape (thesitemagazine.com). He can be reached at and implement a shared vision for the future of the city. In this regard, [email protected]. ¢ Neumann’s account is as much about transformation of a post- industrial city as it is about the limits of planning as a mechanism for social and political change. The case studies highlight the importance of recognizing the nuances of local context and conditions when addressing global processes of post-industrialism. Reading Neumann’s rich narrative, I found myself frequently reflecting on our profession’s core, subjective concept of ‘public #2 interest’ (see J. Grant, Summer 2005 article in Plan Canada for a critical reflection on this topic). By implementing strategies and projects to transform their respective cities, the leaders of Watson Pittsburgh and Hamilton believed they were saving their cities. The consequences of this rescue mission, however, were, in part, 1/8 H the opening up of new tears in the social and spatial fabric of both cities. It is a reminder to avoid trying to “save the city” by blindly adopting trends, best practices and approaches that fail to recognize
SPRING • PRINTEMPS 2017 | PLAN CANADA 53 Read Plan The online version of Plan Canada features: 1. a realistic reading experience, with flip-through pages, the Canada sounds of turning pages, and even shading along the spine all enhance your reading experience; online. 2. mobile, iPad, and iPhone compatibility as well as eReader output for devices such as Kindle, Nook and iBooks;
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