03-31-2022, 09:49 PM
I think the general challenge with holistic urban planning is that it can be very difficult to do when you have so many different interested parties ranging from upper levels of government who have their own planning priorities, local governments who have their own priorities, local interest groups (ie transportation or heritage advocates), and then individual property owners (ranging from large landowners to single houses). I know that the Region and the Cities have been working hard to come up with unified strategies over what seems like forever. Unfortunately, it also feels like as soon as they get close, something changes beyond their control and things have to start over.
Unless you have a blank slate urban area (say London, UK after the Great Fire of 1666; or much of Germany after World War II) or someone like Emperor Napoleon III who decides the completely redevelop downtown Paris, it is always going to be a piecemeal approach. Even large projects take a long time. Redeveloping Paris took 17 years (1853-1870) and much of the post-war rebuilding of Europe took almost as long, if not longer.
Add to that, many grand visions are launched, a few buildings are built according to plan, and then priorities change and that vision dies. I read a great book a few years ago that identified orphans of nearly a dozen 'grand plans' in Toronto.
I think is also difficult to consider that when a large suburb is developed, it is often under the control of one developer. Even should the City or Region have their own thoughts, the overall development has a somewhat unified look because it was likely a very small design group that came up with the vision. Forty or fifty years later, new landowners arrive and have the opportunity to change their small corner of the suburb without being able to necessarily influence other developments in same area.
Perhaps the closest area in the Region where there was an opportunity for a wholesale neighbourhood reimagining that was largely driven by heterogenous private interest was the Northdale neighbourhood, for better or for worse.
Unless you have a blank slate urban area (say London, UK after the Great Fire of 1666; or much of Germany after World War II) or someone like Emperor Napoleon III who decides the completely redevelop downtown Paris, it is always going to be a piecemeal approach. Even large projects take a long time. Redeveloping Paris took 17 years (1853-1870) and much of the post-war rebuilding of Europe took almost as long, if not longer.
Add to that, many grand visions are launched, a few buildings are built according to plan, and then priorities change and that vision dies. I read a great book a few years ago that identified orphans of nearly a dozen 'grand plans' in Toronto.
I think is also difficult to consider that when a large suburb is developed, it is often under the control of one developer. Even should the City or Region have their own thoughts, the overall development has a somewhat unified look because it was likely a very small design group that came up with the vision. Forty or fifty years later, new landowners arrive and have the opportunity to change their small corner of the suburb without being able to necessarily influence other developments in same area.
Perhaps the closest area in the Region where there was an opportunity for a wholesale neighbourhood reimagining that was largely driven by heterogenous private interest was the Northdale neighbourhood, for better or for worse.