Quote:The City's current Zoning By-law came into effect in 1987 and is very restrictive and a barrier to housing. The current By-law places properties into discrete zones based on dwelling type and density. Currently, there are 16 unique residential zones, each with individual standards such as permitted dwelling type, maximum density, frontage, lot area, and setbacks.

City staff are working towards completing a new comprehensive Zoning By-law that will reflect current planning practices and community standards.

Part of this new approach is supporting what is referred to as "missing middle housing".

Form based zoning is intended to be incorporated into the new comprehensive zoning by-law in residential areas. Staff are considering the following 4 new zones which would apply City-wide:

RR - Detached, private services
R1 - Detached, attached and multiple (3 storey maximum)
R2 - Detached, attached and multiple (4 storey maximum)
R3 - Attached and multiples (5-15 storey maximum, subject to tall building standards)

Quote:Imagine waking up to the gentle noises of the city, and moving through your day with complete confidence that you will get where you need to go quickly and efficiently. Soft City is about ease and comfort, where density has a human dimension, adapting to our ever-changing needs, nurturing relationships, and accommodating the pleasures of everyday life. How do we move from the current reality in most cites-separated uses and lengthy commutes in single-occupancy vehicles that drain human, environmental, and community resources-to support a soft city approach?

In Soft City David Sim, partner and creative director at Gehl, shows how this is possible, presenting ideas and graphic examples from around the globe. He draws from his vast design experience to make a case for a dense and diverse built environment at a human scale, which he presents through a series of observations of older and newer places, and a range of simple built phenomena, some traditional and some totally new inventions.

Sim shows that increasing density is not enough. The soft city must consider the organization and layout of the built environment for more fluid movement and comfort, a diversity of building types, and thoughtful design to ensure a sustainable urban environment and society.

Soft City begins with the big ideas of happiness and quality of life, and then shows how they are tied to the way we live. The heart of the book is highly visual and shows the building blocks for neighborhoods: building types and their organization and orientation; how we can get along as we get around a city; and living with the weather. As every citizen deals with the reality of a changing climate, Soft City explores how the built environment can adapt and respond.

Soft City offers inspiration, ideas, and guidance for anyone interested in city building. Sim shows how to make any city more efficient, more livable, and better connected to the environment.

Quote:Hey /r/waterloo!
I hope you're all having a great long weekend. I figured it was time for me to post one of my projects - my 3D SketchUp model of the future skylines of Kitchener/Waterloo/Cambridge in Google Earth. More or less, this is what the region is going to look like skyline-wise in the coming decade.
This version of the model contains 125 new towers across all three centres. This is obviously a drastic change from what currently exists in much of the area, but it is not surprising given the growth of the region in the past decade, along with new transit investments through iON and GO. I have a lot of optimism for the region to emerge as one of Canada's dominant centres in the future.
I work on lot of other skylines across Canada and have many in the works. If you're interested in my work, feel free to give me a follow on Instagram @pancanadianskylines!