Introduction

 

Since the 19^th century, various planning concepts have been put forward as alternatives to the standard practice of the day.  These concepts have emerged as a result of concerns put forth by the public questioning the liveability and sustainability of our communities.  Current conventionally designed communities seem to lack many necessities that children, single, married, or widowed people seek to find when they are looking to integrate into a community.  There is a growing concern that contemporary development standards are excessive, outdated, contribute to an expensive and land consumptive pattern of development, and constrain innovation to community design (Hodge, p. 121).  There is a need to critically examine existing standards, assess their intent, current relevance, and seek to explore alternative styles that may be more beneficial to the liveability and uniqueness of a community. The purpose of this paper is to introduce the site, its limitations, physical inventories, ecological and environmental considerations, and potential ideas as to how to plan if given carte blanche rule over the political and economic boundaries we all currently live by.  Our report discusses two alternatives to site development: Neo-Traditional design and Conventional design.  The Neo-Traditional design incorporates sound environmental planning ideals that account for the site's features; the Conventional design essentially overlooks all the existing ecological aspects of the site and places emphasis on full site development for maximum residential, commercial, and industrial use of space.   This project will examine these two approaches to subdivision design, conventional and Neo-Traditional, and discuss the design concepts of each approach. The two contrasting subdivision plans, will then be examined and compared to identify the advantages or disadvantages of each style.  

 

Background

The City of Prince George is fortunate to lay claim to an area of land that is not only historically significant but also economically vital, enjoyed recreationally, bounded by two mighty salmon spawning rivers, and is within a stones throw of the downtown core.  Over time the land at the confluence of the Fraser and Nechako Rivers has changed its utility many times; Aboriginal communities first called this area home and hence conducted their traditional social and sustenance way of life before the early settlers arrived.  Then as forestry became the dominant industry in this early century the river confluence once again proved its worth to the paddlewheelers and traders along both rivers bringing wealth and a substantial population explosion into the region. Trains however most notably altered the face of Prince George.  The land at the confluence of both rivers is large and flat while also being in close proximity to the centre of the town making it a logical site for a rail yard. Our site plan area will deal directly with a portion of this land at the river confluence. 

This site will consist of all the property located east of River Road from First Avenue to the Cottonwood Island Park parking lot bounded by the Fraser and Nechako River.  The only exception to this is the small vacant parcel of land to the immediate east of First Avenue and north of River Road at the First Avenue/River Road overpass.  Our goal is to develop two site plans for this area; one will incorporate conventional planning ideals; the other will embody Neo-Traditional, ecological, and environmental design.

 

Site Analysis and Baseline Information

Before any plans can be developed it is important that a full understanding of the site be developed.  This contributes to the overall viability of any design and ensures that it is unique and well suited to its individual site.  The following background report discusses physical data (topography, climate, ecology, existing structures, zoning) and cultural qualities of the development site, looks at some site development challenges, and also identifies potential development/non-development opportunities in this area.

The following background information formed the basis and outline that shaped and moulded into our Neo-Traditional design alternative.  Unlike the "cookie-cutter" style of development that the conventional design resembles, the Neo-Traditional design plan alternative is site specific and takes the challenges and opportunities that the site has to offer into the design.

 

Physical  Data - Site and Adjacent Land

 

Soils and Water

The development property lies at the confluence of the Fraser and Nechako Rivers.  This site's proximity to the riverfront provides both an excellent opportunity and also presents some obstacles that are associated with this location.

Prince George is located on an old glacial lake bottom, and on a series of riverbed terraces that were formed as the glaciers retreated.  The Fraser River was formed at this time, carrying the melt waters into the main river channel which once flowed North into the Arctic Ocean (North of Soda Creek) (Christensen, 1989). 

The Fraser River trench is noteworthy for extensive floodplains between Prince George and the Salmon and Willow Rivers.  This ‘Fraser Soil Complex’ is derived from the fine textured post-glacial deposits of rivers and streams as well as the undulating topography except where broken by abandoned arms of rivers or streams (Kelley & Farstad, 1946).  Classes of texture in our study area for the soils range greatly from sandy loam to clay.   Originally this area supported a heavy stand of tall spruce, with many trees two feet or more in diameter at the trunk, and some large cottonwood and birch.  Today, most of the area has been burned over and the land supports a variable but generally heavy growth of deciduous trees, with scattered groves of spruce that escaped destruction. 

There at one time was a natural side channel that flowed through the site.  This channel was filled in order to provide a larger land base (Sedgwick, 1999).  The existing channels other than the main river channel, are littered with large woody debris and silt and generally have extremely low flow. 

Throughout Prince George’s history ice jams have often developed along the river confluence.  The Nechako River’s width varies as it enters our local area and hence creates a climate where pieces of ice wedge themselves against the river banks causing a chain reaction effect with other chunks of ice further upstream.  Eventually the entire channel blocks with ice and the water below has less area to move; the water rises and then spills its banks – this is a major design concern for our plans.

There have been recent efforts to restore the existing side channels that flow through Cottonwood Park in order to create and enhance the salmon habitat, which is crucial for spawning and rearing.  Part of this channel has since been reactivated. However,  it does not flow since there is only one entrance and exit to the channel.  High water levels from the Nechako and backed up water from the Fraser are the only two ways that water is able to penetrate the channel.  (see Flood Zone Map in Appendix)

The area at the present time in undeveloped, and therefore there is little impermeable surfaces that would limit drainage.  The ground provides adequate surface drainage and holds the ability to filter pollutants out as it penetrates through the permeable layers of soil, sand, and gravel.  In addition, there are two natural wetland areas on the site that act as natural filters for polluted ground water. (See Natural Features Map in Appendix)   It is recommended that these natural wetlands be preserved to increase the environmental integrity of the site.

One major limiting characteristic of the site is soil contamination.  According to a recent report done by Keystone Consulting out of Calgary, Alberta, contracted by CN Rail,  the entire area of the CN Rail yards and surrounding drainage areas along the shorelines of Nechako and Fraser Rivers are  severely polluted.  The main pollutant being hydrocarbons i.e. diesel, oil, cleaners, solvents from use on the railway.  This  limitation poses a challenge to the site land use capabilities due to these main points:

 Unknown amounts of contaminants in site soils,

 Continuous adding of pollutants to site soils from rail yard and fuel bulk plants

 High economic cost of site improvement to overcome soil contamination liabilities to enable public use

 Soil stability is unknown due to past years of soil deposition from various sources including sawmills, gravel pits, street snow removal storage sediment, and flooding deposits.

 

Having said this however, the location of the site being near the Nechako and Fraser Rivers heightens development and economic potentials as well as provides for quality recreation and wildlife uses.  Given suitable resources this site could be developed  to offer the city of Prince George a positive addition to the city's already existing recreational infrastructure.  To state it again, cost is the biggest limiting factor to development and/or rehabilitation of this site.

Manners by which to overcome some cost obstacles i.e. contaminated site rehabilitation costs,  may be in the form of restrictive covenants, easements, or  special governmental funding via the Contaminated Sites Act 1997.  Perhaps such actions  would act as incentives for commercial and residential development within the site, in addition to restoration of adjacent areas such as along First Avenue. 

There are two major rivers within our study area; the Fraser and Nechako.  The Fraser River is a very large, pacific flowing, muddy river that carries silt year around.  The Fraser soil complex was probably built up by silts and fine sands deposited during the greater freshets.  The Nechako river is a fast flowing clear river that carries very little silt, even in the freshet stage; Its terraces are gravely with only a very thin overlay of silt. 

Flowing Water Feature	Length (km)	Drainage Area (km2)	Mean Discharge (m3/s)
Fraser River	1 370	232 300 (800)	3 540
Nechako River (to head of Eutsuk Lake)	462	47 100	-

Natural Resources Canada

The National Atlas of Canada Online

http://www-nais.ccm.emr.ca/defacto/english/rivers.html

The banks of these rivers are a dynamic system.  Depositional and erosional processes are continuously occurring.  Bank stabilization efforts have generally minimized the erosional processes.  In some areas, west of the site, the banks have been built up and secured with large rock embankments.  Because there is some threat of continued erosion, a buffer zone between development and the river bank should occur.  This buffer zone will protect both the riparian ecosystem that lines the banks of the river as well as the future development.

 The development area has been historically prone to flooding.  Major floods typically occur periodically in the area.  The risk of flooding has generally reduced since the Nechako has been controlled by the hydroelectric development by Alcan (Sedgwick, 1999). 

Nevertheless, the flood levels are 2-3m above the water table (Sedgwick, 1999).  Because this area is situated in the flood plain it is crucial that a substantial focus be put on drainage and ground water levels when the future development is designed.

A water supply for our developments could be obtained easily near river level in the second bottom soils, gravel stratum, more so then in many other soil types found elsewhere in the area. It may be possible to drill wells that would supply the new development with water or connect to the city water supply. The depth of the well depends mainly on the height of the building site above river level. The city water supply runs along First Avenue, but at present is not extended into the site.  In addition, Canfor has developed a water system and currently supplies water to various industries on the opposite bank of the Nechako, providing an alternative source (Sedgwick, 1999).

 

 Topography

The study area is lower in elevation than most of the city of Prince George, including downtown.  The contours in the study area are fairly uniform.  However, there is a general decrease in elevation towards the waterfront.  The flatness of the area is due to the regular flooding of the river. (See Contour Map in Appendix)

Cottonwood Park, a forested area of the riparian ecosystem, has some more variations in its contours than the adjoining site.  Currently, the development site is mainly graveled and unused, giving an unfavorable impression.  The waterfront is natural in the study area and has not been stabilized to reduce stream channel erosion.

The landform patterns of the study area are defined by the flow of the river.  The study area in confined by an irregular shape due to the curving of the Nechako and Fraser Rivers, and the winding of River Road. 

Access to the study area is possible by the River Road, which stretches East-West, connecting Cameron Bridge with First Avenue / Yellowhead Bridge.  

 A pedestrian walkway passes through the study area, coming from Cameron Bridge and leading to Fort George Park. The access to the area is limited in the north by the river and in the South by the Canadian National (CN) railway tracks.  The study area is visible when entering into town over the Yellowhead Bridge, and is one of the first impressions visitors will get of Prince George.  The Canfor pulp mill and adjoining industries dominate the view from the study site to the Northeast. Both of these facts will pose a special challenge to the project.

 

Climate

The regional climate patterns are summarized on the climatic chart (See Appendix).  It gives information to the average temperature, precipitation, humidity, hours of sunshine, and wind direction and wind speed.  This information was collected outside the bowl area of Prince George and is therefore not precise for the study area itself.  Nevertheless, it gives the general climatic patterns for the study area.

The local microclimate is mainly defined by the river, the forest, the cutbanks on the other side of the river, and its location in the bowl area.  Compared to the main bowl area, the temperatures on the study site will be lower during summertime and higher during wintertime due to the near location to the river and the forest.  The forest and the river’s cutbanks will slow the wind, acting as a natural windbreak.  However, the location near the opening of the bowl area to the east on the Yellowhead Bridge allows west winds to blow in relatively strong, which can create snow drift problems during wintertime.  The snowfall in the study area will be comparative to this of the city of Prince George.

 Air quality  sound levels are of concern in the study area.  The pulp mill on the opposite of the river diminishes the air quality immensely and exerts an unfavorable odour.  The sawmills, which are located near to the study site, pollute the air with wood dust. The railway and the highway, which cross the river near the study area, as well as the train switching station, create a high level of sound pollution.

A development adjoining Cottonwood Park, will have little effect on the humidity as any vegetation removal will be compensated by the addition of landscaping.  We also do not predict any significant change in wind patterns that may result from the proposed development.  The project itself will not cause any radiation or toxic hazards and any negative impacts should remain minimal if it is designed in an ecologically sound manner.

A positive result of a development of the study area will be an increase of citizens' attention to the industrial area near Cottonwood Park.  At the present, Canfor pulp mill and other industries are very well hidden behind the CN railway yard.  This increase of people’s attention and visitation of the area may pressure industry to decrease their output of pollutants.  Thus, new development in the area may actually improve the quality of the environment.

 

Ecology

Our development proposal lies on what has been historically a cottonwood riparian habitat.  The site also contains large cleared vacant areas with a graded gravel surface currently used for storage.  This section will focus on the cottonwood riparian habitat.

a.)        Dominant plant & animal communities

This site is predominantly characterised by a Cottonwood riparian ecosystem.  The riparian habitat's dominant species, the pioneering black cottonwoods (Populus balsamifera), are in their senescent stage and a mass die off has begun.  This forest was in a climax state until Alcan placed the dam on the Nechako River and greatly reduced the flow.  The result, a restricted water flows without the volume, regularity or timing that a cottonwood riparian forest requires for regeneration (Braatne et al, 1996).  No new cottonwood seedling recruitment has occurred in the area and as such, a cottonwood forest in the area will no longer be viable once the senescent stand dies off.   Rehabilitation (suckering via root scarification or simply replanting black cottonwood) would not be successful due to the reduced flow (Ritchie, 1999).  If left to natural succession, this site will eventually shift to a spruce forest, but will remain low shrub for a considerable time after the cottonwoods die.  Currently, accompanying the dominant cottonwood is the pioneering willow and alder.  Examples of other vegetation on site are black hawthorn, black twinberry, red-osier dogwood, and highbush cranberry.

 

 Riparian habitat in North America makes up less than one percent of the landscape and is home to more species of birds than all other forested habitat combined (Braante et al, 1996).  The riparian habitat in our location currently feeds and houses, yellow warblers, tanagers, redstarts, hummingbirds, woodpeckers, sandpipers, kingfishers, cedar waxwings, osprey and bald eagles.  The woodpeckers create hollows in snags and dying trees which are used for shelter by martens, squirrels, bats, weasels and wood ducks.  Hollows at the base of senescent trees are also utilised by foxes as dens.  There is evidence of beavers in the site area as well as black bears.  Fish that utilise the confluence area of the Nechako and Fraser rivers by our proposed development are sturgeon, rainbow trout, suckers and squawfish.  Also, the area provides important salmon habitat that must receive particular care and attention.  Chinook salmon spawn in near-by areas and make use of the small streams and pools created by the minor flood episodes that still do occur in the area. 

As noted above, this habitat is in its senescent stage and due to Alcan's dam, will not regenerate into a cottonwood forest.  The number of snags will increase in the next few years, creating more nesting possibilities for bald eagles and osprey, but as the thick cotton wood canopy disappears, much of the protective cover for many other species will also disappear.  Thicker, low lying, dense shrub growth will provide cover for new species, including pest species such as mice and rats.  Considering the latter information, the cottonwood forest should not be considered as an integral part of any design without considering intensive and costly ongoing rehabilitation.

 This site, as mentioned above, is home to a diverse array of species.  It is therefore essential that special care be given to ecological impacts that future development may have on the riparian habitat.

 

Man-Made Structures

 a) Networks

River Road acts as the planning site boundary.  Therefore, everything east of River Road to the river, excluding the heavily forested area of Cottonwood Park, has been considered in the overview inventory.

 Wide ditches on either side of River Road.  Ditches have patchy cover: Cottonwoods 5 to 30 yrs old; a variety of grasses i.e.Tall Fescue, Orchard grass.

 Various vacant spaces with remnants of soil fills (initially for purpose of raising land levels and /or filling drainage areas).

 Crushed gravel holding area.

 Tail-end of old river arm.

 Power lines along River Road; wooden poles with eight lines.

 Paved and graveled jogging, pedestrian, skiing, and biking trails.

 Some cable fences bordering parking lots and trail ways.

 Chicken wire protection around the base of some large cottonwoods.

 Car overpass spanning railway.

 Tracks and right-of-way to rail bridge.

 1st Ave. and River Rd. intersection.

 Pumps to control sewer and storm drain overflow.

 Welcome sign to Prince George at base of Yellowhead Bridge.

 Yellowhead Bridge.

 

River Road will remain the main access off the car over pass from 1st avenue and the Yellowhead Bridge.  However, further network developments along River Road and within the planning site will require substantial investment into roads and utilities.

 

b) Existing Buildings

The planning area has two sites with structures.  Located at the main parking lot nearest the river is a small, open log canoe shelter with metal roofing but no flooring or walls, but does serve as a good rain and sun shelter. 

The other buildings found on this site are located within the confines of the railway museum yard.  A heritage train station (not yet completed) can be found along with numerous large museum pieces consisting of train engines, rail cars, plows, and various other pieces of railway equipment.  At the far end of the museum yard stands an old rusty bee-hive burner.

 

Zoning

Within our site at the Fraser and Nechako river’s confluence there are only two zonings as designated by the City of Prince George (Refer to Zoning Map in Appendix).  The ‘Klein’property, see appendix map, has been designated as M-2 (Heavy Industrial) while the remainder of our study area is parkland, P-1.  The M-2 land is mostly vacant except for some heavy machinery and fill that has been brought in to presumably raise the land to the 200 year flood level. 

The parkland is the larger land base of the two zones.  Cottonwood Island Park makes up the majority of the land at this site.  Paved and gravel pathways, for cyclists and pedestrians, are located throughout the area as well as benches, parking lots, and a shelter are the other physical attributes of this P-1 zone. 

Some modification of the existing zoning will be undertaken so as to allow for residential and retail developments, changes necessary for  our final conventional and traditional site plans.  The zoning bylaws pertaining to development regulate the minimum elevation of residential buildings in the area to be above the flood level.  The zoning allows for non residential buildings to be constructed below this level at their own risk (Sedgwick, 1999).

 

Cultural Data, Site and Adjacent Land

 

1)         Resident and Using Population

According to Halseth’s book, Prince George A Social Geography of BC’s Northern Capital, there where no more than 100 residential dwellings within our study area.  Within this site the number dropped dramatically over time for three main reasons.  First, this area historically was too far away from Foley’s Cache where the majority of the residential, commercial, and industrial activities took place at the beginning of the nineteenth century.  Secondly, the area was never zoned for residential use by the city and thus land uses now occur in the area such as the rail yards and sawmills that are seen as non-compatible with residential neighborhoods.  Finally, a current lack of residential development in the area can be associated with perceptions of noise, crime, health concerns (pollution), and a lack of housing units.  Only one housing unit is placed within the study area that would need relocation, this is a mobile structure located on the Klein property.

Over the years the city has reduced the amount of land used for residential purposes in the Cache area and allowed apartments and townhouses to be built outside of the city centre.  (Halseth, 1998: pg. 84)   This has caused a trend of high vacancies in the bowl area and has caused many homebuilders and renters to leave the downtown, which ultimately leads to the deconstruction of the community social framework.  The perceptions of developing the study area are closely tied to the history of adjacent lands such as the downtown.  These social stereotypes will be dealt with differently in both the conventional and Neo-Traditional/ecological development plans.   

The realisation that private developers have chosen to avoid or ignore housing needs issues in Prince George shaped the Neo-Traditional/ecological plans goals to create a working social mosaic that addresses the unmet needs of disadvantaged people. 

“Discrimination by private sector landlords appears to be a significant concern to renters in Prince George.  The primary reasons for discrimination or unfair treatment relate to age (too young), race (Native), and financial circumstances (low income or on income assistance).”

(Housing Needs Research Project Steering Committee, 1993: pg. 4)

The conventional plan will centre its efforts towards creating a class and economic based community.  Segregating classes will ensure the developer and the buyer that property values will be high and they will be “protected” from negative social issues.  In contrast the Neo-Traditional/ecological plan will incorporate higher densities, social class mixes, economic diversity, and community centred values.  This plan will also be based upon sound ecological stewardship principles and sustainable development initiatives to allow future generations to enjoy this area as well.

 

2)         Behaviour Settings: Nature, Location, Participants, Rhythm, Stability, Conflicts

Cottonwood Island Park and the Heritage Trail attract people for its recreational uses such as boating, running, walking, picnics and other activities harmonious with the landscape.  These areas are not only valuable for their aesthetic purposes but for their ecological characteristics.  The Neo-Traditional/ecological plan will attempt to reduce conflict between man and nature, ensuring the park, trail, and surrounding natural settings are not only preserved but also expanded.  Integrating native plants into the settlement, restricting future growth of the settlement boundaries, and restoring natural water channels are a few examples of how the plan will overcome area conflicts.  This plan will minimise negative aspects of development by meeting the needs of both residents and the public. 

 

 

 

3)         Site values, rights, restraints

To increase sales the conventional plan may utilise a small portion of Cottonwood Park, the property closest to the heritage trail with the view of the rivers to construct the more expensive single detached housing units.    This in turn could restrict access to the park and decrease the natural aspects of the heritage trail.  The conventional plan does not allow for future development, because of zoning and bylaw regulations.  Furthermore river channels cannot be restored in the settlement area due to additional cost and safety concerns.

 

4)         Past and Future

The prehistoric past of the study area is undetermined due to the nature of past settlements.  The Carrier (Lheidli T’enneh Nation), and other aboriginal communities in the area used the site in the summer months as a non-permanent fishing village, and at other times for camping along the river during travel.  Historically the area’s use has been dominated by the settlement needs of a colonial society.  Before it was bought by the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway (GTP) this site was used as a reservation.  There are no visible traces of history at the site except for information displays along the Heritage trail depicting European settlement of the area, the presence of the Railway Museum, and the railway bridge over the Fraser River.  The Neo-Traditional/ecological and the conventional plan do not seem to disrupt any known archaeological sites, or historic structures.  The Neo-Traditional aspect of the Neo-Traditional/ecological plan promotes building design that mimics the historical characteristics of buildings in the area, utilising environmentally friendly products and processes.  Both planned communities facilitate the need for the relocation of the Canadian National switching station, to reduce noise and encourage non-industrial land uses.  Some zoning in the area is heavy industrial, thus the creation of a residential neighbourhood could conflict with any future plans for industrial or commercial endeavours that may support the larger economic community of Prince George.  However there are many positive aspects a residential community could bring to the area, such as a connection of downtown to the waterfront, increased commercial activity, tourism, and housing for disadvantaged groups; these all could prove to facilitate future change in a positive manner.

1.0  Is there a Need to Plan Differently

 

Continuous population growth in the past four decades, combined with economic and demographic change and rapidly rising car ownership has spread Canadian cities and towns across large areas of previously untouched land.  Between 1981 and 1986 alone, over 55,000 hectares of land was converted from rural to urban use (Arendt, 1996).  Much of the land converted over the years has been consumed by a standard suburban development pattern consisting of low-density, detached housing units.  This suburban model evolved during the post-war period when the North American population was growing rapidly (Arendt,1996). 

Conditions today are much different than they were in the post war period.  The low density pattern of post war suburban development, one time characterized as a model of achievement is now classified as urban sprawl.  This has brought upon many problems for society including, high infrastructure costs, loss of agricultural land, social problems (lack of public input in the decision making process) and inequalities, segregation, and over-dependence on the automobile that ultimately leads to a degraded environment.  Current developments also seem to lack any sense of place that its residents can identify themselves with, leading to communities that are unsure about where they live and who they really are. 

In response to these and other problems with post war developments, the standard suburban model has been modified only slightly over time.  The recognition and importance of preserving the environment is seemingly becoming more important and there is also more awareness and understanding of changing demographics and housing needs due to social inequalities (D’Amour, 1996).  Despite these incremental changes, current planning practices are still not adequately responding to today’s social, economic and environmental challenges.  A great deal remains to be done to address the changes occurring within households, municipalities and societies at large.  This project will provide an example of this inadequate conventional plan and then pose a viable alternative that will address some of the concerns that have resulted from our current development standards.

 

 

2.0  Current Development Standards

 

The shape and function of new communities in North America have become increasingly controlled by an accumulation of standards and guidelines.  These standards have evolved from a perceived need to ensure consistent levels of design, safety, and servicing.  Inadvertently, this practice has resulted in a ‘standardized’ vision of community form.  They cover a wide spectrum of elements ranging from road widths, size and location of parks, front and backyard setbacks, and size of housing units (Davidson, 1996).  As such, our current development framework has taken away the aspects of community that gave them a sense of place and identity.

The term most often used to characterize our current communities is ‘conventional development’.  This type of development usually consists of a large partial of land where all the land is divided into house lots and streets, with the only open space typically being undeveloped wetlands, steep slopes, floodplains, storm water management areas, and a token park (Kunstler, 1998).  In these types of development there is usually no nice places to walk, such as a green way, riverbank, or lakeshore.  There are no open meadows for wildlife or playing fields for children of any age.  Without any form of a meeting place where neighbors can easily engage in a causal conversation, the chances of gradually becoming better acquainted with your neighbors are very slim.  Residents of conventional subdivisions miss a lot of the social opportunities that should be incorporated into the community development process.    

Although no one ever sat down and derived this form of subdivision development, they have resulted due to our current societies greed and hunger for a higher standard of living.  Conventional developments gained increasingly popularity with developers due to the inexpensive costs associated with their creation and the large return that followed through maximizing the number of house lots in their site plan.

 

3.0  Neo-Traditional Subdivision Design

 

New development does not always have to follow conventional guidelines. 

This alternative approach aims towards enhancing and preserving existing site qualities: site ecology, heritage, viewscapes, infrastructures, and linkages to surrounding built and non-built environments.  Neo-Traditional ideas combined with an ecological approach to subdivision design is an alternative form of development that seeks to ensure a community is more livable from an economic, environmental and societal framework. Neo-Traditional design is an alternative form of development that incorporates better social, economic, and environmental conditions during the community development process.  The Neo-Traditional and Ecological design principles that were followed to derive this alternative design plan include:

1)      the town center be no more than a 15 minute walk from any house

2)      houses should be built closer together or side by side to the street to foster a tighter feeling of community

3)      streets should be constructed narrower and built in comprehensive patterns which  

      encourage walking instead of driving to destinations

4)      architectural style is based on a specific history

5)      building contracted out to many different architects and builders to ensure diverse patchwork as opposed to a formulate design

6)      civic, commercial, cultural, and recreational areas should be located as focal points within each neighborhood

7)   communities should be complete with housing, shops, parks, and civic facilities

8)   housing, jobs, daily needs and activities should be in close proximity of each other

9)   most activities should be located close to transit stops

10) housing should be diverse, enabling citizens from a wide range of social groups, age groups, and economic classes to live together

11) there should be opportunities for employment within the neighborhood unit

12) communities should have an ample supply of open space including parks, and green space

13) public spaces should be designed to encourage attention and use at all hours

14) each community should have a well defined edge such as park to ensure that sprawling development is protected against

15) streets and pathways should be fully-connected, interesting, and promote non vehicular transportation

16) whenever possible, natural drainage, terrain, and vegetation should be preserved

17) the community design should help conserve resources and minimize waste

18) street orientation, placement of buildings and the use of shading should contribute to the energy efficiency of the community

19) ecological, environmental, and cultural aspects of the site should be studied and regarded when designing future development.

Source: (Arendt, 1996 and Curry, 1999).

 

Neo-Traditional design also incorporate the concept of sustainability, in which communities are structured to preserve the livability, equity, and resource efficiency of a community for future generations to enjoy in the same manner we currently do.  Figure 1: Sustainable Community Framework outlines how society, the environment, and the economy can be integrated with one another to produce a place that is more beneficial for everyone.

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 1:  Sustainable Community Framework

 

 

Source: (Luttrell, 1997)

The Neo-Traditional Plan

            Using the baseline information that was collected, in addition to the Neo-Traditional and Ecological Design concepts researched, the following design plan was created.  This plan attempts to balance the economy, environment, and community.

The Central Square

            The subdivision is designed around the focal point of the community, the central square.  The central square will foster a sense of community among the residents, providing a social gathering space.  Located within the central square is a community centre, café/restaurant, Laundromat, post office, corner store and market.  The community is designed in a way that makes it a comfortable walking distance to the square from any point in the community.  This is extremely important to reduce vehicular traffic in the neighbourhood.

            In addition to the commercial area, there is also an area for local residents to gather for community barbecues and picnics.  This space is also centrally located to ensure equally opportunity for its use by all the residents.  The barbecue area is surrounded by open green space providing opportunity areas for community baseball, soccer, Frisbee games, and snowmen competitions; community events - craft fairs, bake sales, and festivals.

The community gardens are located in the central area, providing a place for residents of the multifamily complexes to garden.  In addition to the benefits that the communal gardens have for the residents that are enjoying gardening, it also provides an area for residents to take compostable materials.  This compost can then be used by the gardeners, thus reducing household waste and increasing the overall sustainability and self reliance of the community.  The gardens also provide an aesthetically pleasing landscape and view from the central square.  The attractive greenhouses create a refuge that can be enjoyed by everyone.

      The central square is also the place where residents can connect with the existing public transportation system.  It is within easy walking distance from each residence, make it a viable alternative to driving.

The children's playground is centrally located so it assessable for all the neighbourhood children.  In addition, its central location provides a safer environment for the children.  The playground is within direct view of many of the residences and the is also in an area of high pedestrian traffic.  This gives both parents and children more freedom as parents will be able to allow their children to play at the park unsupervised as the community itself will watch over the children.

 

 

4.0     Comparing the Conventional Subdivision to the Neo-Traditional/ Ecological Style

 

Compared to the conventional suburban development, the Neo-Traditional plan has notable strengths: its overall structure and distribution of land uses and amenities; the quality of its built environment, its green space, local economy, and it emphasis on pedestrian and public transportation, and overall resource efficiency.  Compared to our conventional style framework, the plan attempts to address the issues that citizens are looking for when they are thinking of entering a community.  Overall the Neo-Traditional  community attempts to define a unique place that gives its citizens a place that they feel comfortable, pleasant and satisfied to live in.

When comparing the two plans, it becomes apparent that the Neo-Traditional design is superior on all levels.  It is more desirable when considering all of the aspects associated with a new subdivision; the environment, community and economics.

 

 

7.0 Conclusion

            Society has made the decision that materialistic happiness, greed and wealth are goals that we as individuals should strive to attain at any cost.  As a result, communities built in the twentieth century have suffered dearly due to the lack of planning that has gone on during the design process.  Recently, we have begun to see a change in the guard as the public has begun to voice their opinion on what they feel should be incorporated into the places they have to live in.  Through this, planners have begun to create new, innovative ways of equipping a community with all the necessary amenities that should have been included since day one.  Neo-Traditional design compared to our current conventional style framework is a much more effective development that creates an overall better community socially, economically, and environmentally.  Indeed, the process of developing a Neo-Traditional subdivision may take longer due   to  compared to a conventional subdivision, however, as exemplified through this project, the end result is one that citizens of the twentieth century are seeking to find.