PLANNING THE COMMERCIAL STRIP: A Case Study of Pembina Highway, Winnipeg, Manitoba w Raymond James Duhamel A Practicum Subrnitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of City Planning Department of City Planning University of Manitoba Winnipeg O May 1997 National Library Bibliothèque nattonale ofCanada du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibiiogiaphiic Services services bbliographiques The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive licence dowing the exclusive permettant a la National Library of Canada to Bibliotheque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distniiute or sell reproduire, prêter, distri'buer ou copies of this thesis in microform, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous paper or electronic formats. la fonne de microfiche/nlm, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format électronique. 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The autbor rcscrves other pabtication rights, and neither tbb îhe5is/practïc~mnor extensive estracts hmit may be priateâ or otherwise reprodaccd withoat the author's writtea permission. There are a number of people who have greatiy aided in the production of this practicum. First, I would like to thank my advisor, Dr. Tom Carter of the University of Winnipeg. Tom provided encouragement and invaluable advice at those points when I feit I needed it the most. I would also like to thank my readers; Dr. Geof Bargh, Acting Head of the Department of Cw Planning at the University of Manitoba, and Christine Knoll, Senior Planner at the City of Winnipeg. Both were particularly helpful in this pradicum's final stages. I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to al1 those at Shindico Realty. including; Mr. Sandy Shindleman, Robert Shindleman, Allan Okabe and the leasing representatives. Andy and Kelly, who helped me in my exhaustive researching and data collection stages. I would like to thank my wife, Usa, for her continuous support, peer editing and brain storrning, who helped tum a difficult task into a welcomed challenge. Than k-you all, Raymond Duhamel A city's commercial structure plays an important role within the overall urban frarnework. Even though commercial use accounts for only a small percentage of land use, it has significant impacts in temis of employment levels and economic development. In addition, commercial use has the ability to stabiiize neighbourhoods, attract tourïsm and stimulate physical growth in new areas of a city. However, ail of these positive attributes are sometimes overshadowed by the rnany negative connotations sometimes attached to commercial areas. Terms such as blight, vacancy, and overbuilding are only a few of the common impressions of these areas of ouf cities. One veiy obvious component of a city's commercial structure is the commercial strip. The objective of this practicum is to address the fundamental question "How do we plan for a successful commercial strip?". A Case Study will be used as one method in which to address this question. However, for the purposes of clarification, it is important to mention that this practicum is not intended to be a vehicle to provide the ultimate solutions for successful planning for commercial areas. In contrast, this practicum is an analysis tool for providing a better understanding of the role of planning and plannen with respect to one aspect of a city's commercial structure, namely, the commercial strip. This practicum is largely based upon field research in the form of a land use analysis and a questionnaire of a sampling of businesses along Pembina iii Highway, a major commercial strip located within Winnipeg. Manitoba. The field research is strengthened by more detailed analysis on certain individual properties located along this strip that are owned or managed by Shindico Realty, who agreed to provide detailed information on their propertïes. The field research and individual property analysis has been supplemented with a Iiterature review. All told, the findings of this practicurn provide insight into the functional role of Pembina Highway within the overall commercial structure of Winnipeg, as well as addressing current issues and future considerations with respect to planning for a successful commercial stnp. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................. i .. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................. II ... LIST OF FIGURES .................................................... ,,., ..., .VIII LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................ ix LIST OF MAPS ............................................................................................................ x GLOSSARY OF TERMS ...........................................................,-, .......................... xi CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ........................................................................... 1 1-1 Objectives and Rationale ....................................................................................... 2 1-2 Study Limitations.... ........ .................................................................................... 5 1-3 Chapter Highlights ................................................ .......... 7 1.3.1 Chapter One .................................................................................................... 7 1.3.2 Chapter Two ................................................................................................... -7 1 .3.3 Chapter Three .................................................................................................. 7 1.3.4 Chapter Four......................................................................................... .......... 8 1.3.5 Chapter FÏve ........................ ... ........................................................... 8 1 .3.6 Chapter Six .............................................. ....................................................... 9 1.3.7 Chapter Seven ............................................................................................... 10 2.1 Methods and Data Collected ................... ..,.. ..,.., ........................... 14 CHAPTER 3: REVIEWING THE LITERATURE .~.mm.~...m.~..~.......m.......m..m.....m..m....18 3-1 Land Use Models: The lntemal Structure of Cities ............................................... 19 3.1 -1 Emest W . Burgess: Concentric Zone ........................................................... 20 3.1 -2 Homer Hoyt: Sector Theory .......................................................................... 21 3.1.3 Chauncy D. Harris 8 Edward L. Ullman: Multiple Nudei Model..................... 21 3.2 Central Place Theory .................................................................................... 22 3.2.1 Sumrnarizing Christallets Central Place Theory ........................................... 23 3.3 ldentifying & Classifying The Retail Environment .............................................. 25 3.3.1 City Retail Structure: Malcolm Proudfoot ..................... ..... ............................. 25 3.3.2 Urban Land Economics: Richard Ratcliff.. ..................................................... 26 3.3.3 Nature and Function of Retail String Development: Merry ............................. 28 3.3.4 Business Structure and the Retail Hieranhy: Berry ....................................... 29 3.3.5 Alternative Retail Classifications ...................,. .............................................. 32 3.3.5.1 Boal 8 Johnson, 1965.............................................................................. 32 3.3.5.2 Davies, 1976 .................... ,. .................................................................. 32 3.3.5.3 Jones, 1984 ............................................................................................. 34 3.4 Chapter 3 Surnmary ............................................................................................. 35 v CHAPTER 4: PLANNING AND TRENDS ......................................................... 36 4.1 Historical Growth of the Commercial Strip ............................................................ 37 4.1 -1 The Extension of Main Street (1900 - 1940) .................................................. 37 4.1 -2The Classic Automobile Strip (1948 - 973) .................................................. 40 4.1 -3 The 'Superhighway" or 'Corponte" Strip ......................................................