CGC 1D
UNIT 2 URBAN SYSTEMS
CREATING A LIVEABLE OAKVILLE COMMUNITY
What will it be like to live in Oakville in 2025? You have been invited to participate in planning the
future of Oakville. What will the community have to offer young adults like yourself in 15 years?
Participate in the planning now, to invest in a liveable community in the future.
PART A – BUILDING A BACKGROUND TO URBAN PLANNING
1. DEFINE LAND USES, CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT
2. DEFINE ZONING. EXPLAIN HOW IT WORKS AND WHY IT IS BENEFICIAL TO COMMUNITIES.
3. DESCRIBE LAND VALUE
4. DELINEATE HALTON THE GREATER GOLDEN HORSESHOE GREENBELT ON A MAP.
5. CREATE SMARTGROWTH CONCEPT MAP
6. IDENTIFY LAND USES FROM AERIAL PHOTOS TAKEN DURING YOUR FLIGHT TRIP OR STREET LEVEL
PHOTOS TAKEN DURING YOUR WALKING TOUR.
7. COMPLETE THE PHOTO ESSAY ASSIGNMENT FOR ONE PHOTOGRAPH OF CHOICE. EACH GROUP
MEMBER MUST COMPLETE A DIFFERENT LAND USE.
PART B: PLANNING A LIVEABLE COMMUNITY
TAKE ONE AREA OF YOUR COMMUNITY THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO RE-PLAN or PLAN A BLOCK OF
SPACE TO BE CONSTRUCTED NORTH OF HIWAY 5. IF YOU ARE USING LAND NORTH OF HIWAY 5 BE
SURE YOU CHECK OUT OAKVILLE’S OFFICIAL PLAN (LINK ON WEBSITE) FOR A MAP OF DESIGNATED
LANDUSE, SO YOU DO NOT BUILD ON A DESIGNATED WILDERNESS SPACE OR RECREATION LINK. YOU
CAN USE THESE DESIGNATIONS TO YOUR ADVANTAGE IN A NEW DEVELOPMENT.
STEP 1: WHAT MAKES A GREAT PLACE?
COMMUNITY SCAVENGER HUNT
Here is a list of some key ingredients that make up a city. Identify a location in Oakville that fits the
Place in the chart on the back.
Use aerial photos from your flight or take photos of as many of these ingredients as you can find in
your neighbourhood. Alternatively cut out pictures from magazines, or download images that are
typical to your neighbourhood. Identify the picture by ‘key ingredient’ by printing it on the photo.
Keep the photos in your group’s portfolio.
WHAT MAKES A PLACE GREAT?
PLACE
Places where people live
Places where people work
Places where people shop
Interesting shops
Indoor and outdoor places where people go to
hang out, have fun, find entertainment, or
exercise
Ways that people get around
Art, monuments or structures that add beauty or
interest
Interesting or historical buildings
Places that reflect the city’s culture
Interesting streets
Places you don’t like, that need improvement
Places that you like, that should be protected and
not changed
LOCATION IN OAKVILLE
STEP 2: WHO SPENDS THEIR TIME HERE?
COMMUNITY SCAVNEGER HUNT REFLECTION
Think about people of different age groups and diverse backgrounds: i.e., families with little kids,
older people, new immigrants, people from different income groups, or people with disabilities. Think
about where they would live, work, shop, hang out, and spend their free time in this part of town.
Brainstorm some ideas/responses to the questions below:
• Who is this area for? What types of people spend their time here?
• Would this area be great for them? Why or why not?
• How could this area be improved, if at all, for the types of people that spend their time here?
• What needs to change in order to attract other people to this area, if anything at all?
STEP 3: SUBURBAN SPRAWL YESTERDAY…TODAY…TOMORROW
In this assignment we’re asking you to think about the history of your town, what you can learn from
the past, and what might need to be changed in the future. Along the way, you’ll learn more about
green energy and green design. Brainstorm your responses on this sheet. The Judges will be
evaluating your insights into these questions as they relate to your promotion.
I. Neighbourhoods (before and after the 1950s)
YESTERDAY…
What did your city and its neighbourhoods look like in the first half of the last century (1900 to 1950
East and Old Oakville)? Go online to city archives and historical societies to dig up photos and stories.
You can also interview an older person in your community who remembers what your city was like.
Describe the key information that you find out. If you find any cool photos, include them.
What do you like about neighbourhoods during this time? What would it be like to live in your city
during this time?
What don’t you like about neighbourhoods during this time?
• What aspects of these older neighbourhoods do you think were good for the environment? What
aspects were not?
TODAY…
Now, think about your city today (downtown, neighbourhoods and green spaces) and how it looks.
Think of a couple of buildings or places, or a neighbourhood that has been recently built or changed.
Describe this recent development or change and compare it to the older neighbourhood you
described previously. What looks different? How has the community design changed between the
1950s and now?
What recent changes are moving in the “right” direction? What factors do you think have contributed
to these changes?
What recent changes, if any, are moving in the “wrong” direction? What factors do you think have
contributed to these changes?
STEP 4: HOW DO PEOPLE GET AROUND IN OTHER CITIES?
The ways that people get around in daily life has to do with much more than just moving from A to B.
It has to do with how our cities are designed, and how we can create streets that people want to
spend time in, rather than just move through. Cities throughout history and all over the world have
been shaped by the customs and habits of their residents. In this part of the assignment, we are
looking for your insights and opinions on how people can, do and should get around. In particular,
what does this mean for how we live, what our cities look like and how to make great places?
For this assignment, you will have the chance to look outside your own city for inspiration on ways
that your city can be improved and made more livable. First, we’re asking you to take a trip from the
comfort of your chair, to get inspired…
Describe a city, street or neighbourhood that you like. This can be somewhere you’ve been or
somewhere you’d like to visit. It can be anywhere in the world. And it should be a different place than
the one you explored in WHAT MAKES A GREAT PLACE? because we are looking for new ideas. Be as
creative and descriptive as you can in explaining why you chose this place and what you like about it.
Then, upload two or three photos of the place you just described, which represent why you like that
particular place. (They don’t have to be your own photos – you can find some photos online if you
haven’t been there).
• Look at how people get around in the place that you’ve chosen. Do these ways of getting around
make the place better or worse? Why?
Biking, walking and transit through the Web
Now, we’d like to get your thoughts about places that have good spaces for cycling, walking, other
active ways of getting around, or transit. Check out these websites or any others like them that you
may come across:
• http://www.ibiketo.ca/
• http://www.copenhagencyclechic.com/
• http://www.pps.org/imagedb/
• http://www.streetsblog.org/
• http://www.walk21.com/charter/default.asp
• http://spacing.ca/wire/cycling/
• http://www.streetfilms.org/archives/bus-rapid-transit-bogota/
After browsing those sites for awhile, tell us what makes different places good for transit, cycling
and/or walking. Be sure to include a few pictures that stood out to you to help illustrate your opinion.
When writing about this, here are some important things to consider:
Judges will be evaluating your insights into alternative transportation at the Promotion.
How do the places described or pictured on these websites compare to your city or town?
What would you consider innovative, interesting or “cool” about the places on these websites?
Explain why.
Were there any ideas that you didn’t like? Why were these ideas less appealing?
Now that you’ve browsed some websites to see how people in other cities get around, we’d like you
to come up with ways to encourage people in your community to walk, bicycle, or take transit more
often.
• How could the trips people take by walking, cycling or taking transit be made better, more
interesting, easier, safer, or faster in your community? What are some changes that could be made in
your city to encourage people to get around without their cars?
STEP 5: GREEN BY DESIGN
Green design and green energy are hot topics these days. We’d like to get your thoughts about what
green design and green energy mean for cities. The websites listed below talk about innovative
neighbourhoods, cities and other places that use different types of green design and green
technology. While you are browsing these sites, keep an eye out for good ideas that could be used in
your own town. Check out at least two of these websites, or any other interesting ones on this topic
that you may come across:
Article on Freiburg, Germany and energy efficiency
http://postcarboncities.net/node/2680
Project description of Dockside Green (Victoria, BC) by Busby, Perkins & Will
http://www.busby.ca/clients/DocksideGreenResidential/index.htm
Green Roofs for Living
http://www.nextnature.net/?p=2105
Article on planting urban trees in Ontario
http://urbanenergy.blogspot.com/search/label/Canada
Book excerpt: Mayor's Tower Renewal Project
http://era.on.ca/blogs/towerrenewal/pdf/Opportunities_Book/6_Opportunities_Book_The
_Opportunities.pdf
Now that you’ve browsed some of these sites or others, we’d like your opinions. Judges will be
evaluating your insights during the Promotion.
• Which are your favourite green energy/green design ideas, and why?
• What ideas do you think should be implemented in your city?
• What ideas are the most inspirational to you personally?
STEP 6: CITY LIVING IN THE FUTURE
You told us about places you liked and why. In this assignment you’ve thought about the history of
your city and you’ve looked into a range of green design technologies. Now it’s time to pull it all
together and give us your views on creating better cities in the future!
Think WAY ahead to the year 2025 and 2040. If you are 16 or 17 years old now, then by 2025, you
and your peers will be in your early 30s – that means you could be establishing your careers, raising
or starting a family, choosing where and how to live, and buying homes. In 30 years, by 2040,
neighbourhoods will have changed even more (remember the aerial photo of your neighbourhood
hanging in the classroom??).
Keep in mind, it is estimated that about half of the buildings where we will live, work and shop in
2030 haven’t been built yet. What do we want to do to make sure these new buildings are
environmentally friendly for the future?
As you complete this exercise, describe what your city will look like, how it can be better,
and what this means for your enjoyment of life.
Your group needs to consider the following so take a few minutes to discuss these ideas with your
group. Feel free to keep dot-jots in your portfolio as you proceed.
In 2025…
• What type of area would you like to live in 16 years from now? Why?
• downtown?
• in a suburban neighbourhood?
• in the country?
• Something else?
• What does this type of area look like? What are some of the most important factors for your future
neighbourhood? Why are these elements important to you? Consider…
• cool design
• green space
• safety
• view
• interesting neighbourhood
• something else…describe these other important elements
In 2040…
• What do you think neighbourhoods will look like in the 2040s? Describe any changes to community
design that you think will have changed from today’s neighbourhoods. Be as specific as you can …
here are some thought starters:
• how the streets and buildings look
• how people get around
• where people spend their time
• anything else…?
Right now!
• What issues or challenges should your city be aware of today so it can be prepared for tomorrow?
• How will these things impact your enjoyment of life?
NOW THE FUN PART:
DESIGN YOUR OWN NEIGHBOURHOOD OR STREETSCAPE BY INCORPORATING MANY OF THE IDEAS
YOU HAVE LEARNED ABOUT IN THE TASKS ABOVE. YOU WILL BE GIVEN 2 PIECES OF CHART PAPER
ON WHICH TO DEMONSTRATE YOUR COMMUNITY DESIGN PROJECT. EVERYTHING MUST BE
INCLUDED ON THIS SHEET(S). INCLUDE AT LEAST ONE ANNOTATED PIECE FROM EACH OF YOUR
TASKS ABOVE. IN YOUR PROMOTION YOU MUST BE ABLE TO SPEAK TO YOUR COLLEAGUES ABOUT
THE PROCESS YOU PARTICIPATED IN TO REACH THE DECISIONS ABOUT YOUR COMMUNITY’S
DESIGN.