The neighbourhood unit concept was developed by Clarence Perry in 1929, and the formula has since been used by planners in the designing of residential communities in many parts of the world. The concept was based on existing examples of successful planning and on sociological writings and precepts; and it became a new point of contact for the sociologist and the planner. After the last war the planners set to work with increased vigour, and model neighbourhoods were created in many countries. At the same time the concept began to be seriously criticised, and by 1950 it had been virtually discarded by the theorists - although new neighbourhoods were still being designed in accordance with the supposedly outmoded concept by practising planners. The purpose of this thesis is to evaluate the usefulness of the concept in relation to present-day needs and to analyse its components - all the time keeping in focus contemporary practice in Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States. The neighbourhood is examined in both its sociological and practical aspects, and the historical developments which contributed to the concept are traced. The sociological theme weaves together the people in their roles as neighbours and as members of the family life-cycle; and relates them to their homes and to the local facilities which they require for the attainment of good living, in both a psychological and a physical sense. The desirability of homogenous sociological units is discussed, and the problem of segregation is untangled from its implied association with the concept. The practical aspects are concerned with the provision of schools, churches, shops, open space and recreational needs and local employment possibilities. The neighbourhood is then related as a geographic unit to the greater urban mass, and its pattern analysed into its component parts. In the final synthesis this thesis is seen to be a defence of the concept; and the author believes that the neighbourhood unit concept has been wrongly condemned and that it is as valid today as it ever was. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of / Graduate

Planning for development as a function of central government forms the general subject of this study. The purpose of the study is to demonstrate the hypothesis that, to be effective, such planning must be comprehensive in approach, that is, economic, social and physical planning must be integrated into one total process. Trinidad and Tobago, a territory of the West Indies Federation, is taken as an illustrative case study. The case study focuses on the more practical aspects of the problem and is meant to indicate how the different elements of the planning process could be integrated into one comprehensive system and be effectively applied to development. The approach taken in the study was, first, to discuss the problem in a general way by analyzing and evaluating planning for development as it is currently practised in a number of developing countries. The conclusions drawn from this analysis are that (1) planning for development as currently practised tends to emphasize the economic aspects of the development process, and ignores the social and, in particular, the physical aspects of development; and (2) while the planning function is rightly placed at the centre of the governmental structure, there is the tendency to concentrate only on the national level of development ignoring the implications of national policy on regions and local areas, and failing to give adequate recognition to the aspirations and requirements of these lower levels in development plans. It is further concluded that as a result of the above serious defects appear in development programmes: because of the lack of functional integration in the development process unexpected costs arise which may nullify the desired benefits; unplanned physical effects of development appear as the determinants of the ultimate success of the entire development effort; regional disparities in the settlement pattern and in the level of development are perpetuated; human, physical and financial resources are dissipated in costly and unnecessary remedial measures; and, the social benefits of development tend to be offset by the social costs. The shortcomings of current practice of planning for development and the resultant defects in the development effort, appear to be related to the conception of the nature of development that is generally accepted, that is, that development is largely a problem in economics and that all other elements will fall into place once the economic components are properly planned and rapid economic progress achieved. The revised conception of development as a complex series of interdependent changes in the society as a whole, leads almost naturally to the view that planning designed to promote development must be comprehensive. The brief outline and discussion of the important factors in the development of Trinidad and Tobago, focusing on the magnitude and the scope of the needs, provide the background for the consideration of the planning requirements in this territory. It is concluded from this discussion that Trinidad and Tobago needs a comprehensive planning organization which includes economic, social and physical elements to meet all the requirements of the anticipated development in the territory. The proposal for the planning organization is based on the general planning philosophy which emerges from the discussion of current practice in developing countries and from the appraisal of the comprehensive planning system in operation in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. The basic features of the proposed planning process and organization are as follows: (1) the planning process is divided into five stages -- policy, survey and analysis, design, control of development, and evaluation; (2) co-ordination of all functional elements is to be maintained throughout the process; and, (3) spatial integration is to be achieved by making the Central Planning Department responsible for planning at all levels -- territorial, regional and local. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of / Graduate

In this study, an attempt is made to discover evidence of the presence of a national strategy for urban growth during the period from 1945 to 1969. Data for this examination consists of the federal throne speeches of the period, a selection of major pieces of federal legislation, and the debates in the House of Commons concerning this legislation. A basis for discussion is laid by an examination of the nature of urban growth strategies, the state of theory explaining urban and regional development, and a brief discussion of the experience of selected foreign countries in national urban growth strategy. Results of the examination of the speeches, legislation, and debate are presented in detail in two appendixes, while more general summaries appear in the main body of the paper. A conception of the fragmented nature of the phenomena studied emerges in relation to both housing and urban development policy, and area and regional development policy. However, a steady broadening of the perspective of the federal government is noted in both areas, which is a prerequisite for an effective national strategy. It is concluded that these two areas of federal policy concerning the distribution of activity in space have yet to be merged into a comprehensive strategy, and that the government has not yet considered introducing a regional dimension into the entire range of its activities. Thus, the evolution of national urban strategy in Canada continues, and suggestions for future research are offered / Applied Science, Faculty of / Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of / Graduate

Until relatively recently the pedestrian has been largely ignored in the planning process. It was therefore decided to focus in this study on the pedestrian. The setting was confined to low and medium density residential areas for three reasons: (1) most pedestrian planning has been done in the central business district; (2) much of it in the past has been ad hoc but emerging analytical techniques useful for high density areas were considered beyond the scope of this study to employ; and (3) many of the solutions appropriate for high density areas are not applicable in areas of lower density. The objective was to formulate preferable alternatives and improvements to the typical pedestrian system in low and medium density residential areas from an analysis of scientific and design literature. As this suggests, the study was concerned with an aspect of the design portion of the planning process. It was proposed to formulate a number of patterns in order to arrive at the objective. Patterns are a recently evolved design method. Each pattern has four components: (1) a context or specific setting, (2) a specific problem which reoccurs in the described context, (3) a prescription describing a physical or functional relationship or design image which will prevent the problem from occurring, and (4) discussion which describes the problem more fully and presents the data--empirical, if available-- upon which the prescription is based. Hence patterns are reuseable design ideas or images; from them actual designs are generated for use in any situation with the same context. The use of patterns had important implications for this study, their formulation constituted the basic methodology, and the patterns formulated were the product or results. The major groups of pedestrians--pre-school and school children, housewives and retired persons--were isolated as a result of two surveys, and major pedestrian planning objectives--convenience, activities and comfort--were defined in order to have a concise basis from which to formulate the patterns. Each of the patterns formulated was of a broad, generic nature applicable to all user groups, although concerned with only one or two objectives. As a test of their validity the patterns were applied to two residential areas in metropolitan Vancouver. While some of the patterns were able to be applied to the built environment, it was considered that the inability to apply all of them did not render them invalid for reasons inherent in the application process. It was concluded that the empirical data used in the formulation of the patterns together with the application of the patterns to the existing environment gave strong indications that the objectives had been met. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of / Graduate

In practice, the neighborhood unit concept has fallen short of its theoretical promise. However, one of its major goals -- attempting to produce a more satisfying social life for the inhabitants of a residential area -- is still valid. To attain such a goal, it now appears to be more valid to attempt to assess the attitudes of people towards each other rather than to attempt to manipulate locations of facilities in order to attempt to develop more satisfying residential environments. One relationship that appears to have relevance for attaining such a goal is that of the neighbor. If it were possible to assess an individual's attitudes towards his neighbors, it would be possible to use such information as one input in the design of future residential developments. By attempting to assess an individual's concept of the ideal role of neighbor, planning would be taken one step away from corrective action based upon behavior observable in an existing environment, towards assessment of attitudes towards residential environments that may provide a more sound basis upon which to predicate changes to produce more satisfying residential environments. T his thesis attempts only to develop a tool by which it may be possible to elicit an individual's concept of the ideal role of neighbor. The construction of the tool follows directly from the theory of what a neighbor is and how a neighbor acts. Testing of the tool is limited to attempting to discover problems of administration . / Applied Science, Faculty of / Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of / Graduate

Planners have generally failed to prevent the urban strife (including civil disorders, housing shortages, visual blight and rising pollution which characterizes so many North American cities. While they cannot necessarily be blamed for these occurrences, they cannot entirely be exhonerated. Planning techniques for guiding and controlling urban development have not kept pace with the rapid growth of our modern cities. Certain techniques have been borrowed from other fields, notably simulation modelling, but their use has frequently been hampered by a lack of data and by the high cost of implementation, furthermore, these techniques have generally failed to filter down to the Profession at large, with the result that they have largely remained the preserve of the technical expert who may not be in the mainstream of broader planning principles. The sophisticated nature of these techniques has promoted their isolation from the day-to-day planning processes. One alternative to a rigourous computer simulation is to employ a gaming simulation. The latter may permit a considerable simplication of the model by allowing the players (in this case, planners) to become ' simulation actors' who emulate the behavior of various interest groups or institutions in response to carefully selected rewards. This format has the advantage of precipitating the direct involvement of planners in the model and of facilitating their understanding of problems through the process of abstracting from reality. Such an abstraction is often conducive to the achieving of an overview; this may permit planners to be less distracted by the routine problems of planning administration, which are short term in nature, and to redirect their focus to longer term considerations. The purpose of this Study is to develop a gaining simulation framework for the analysis of planning problems which are not readily amenable to many quantitative techniques and for the evaluation of alternative planning strategies. This framework or tool is capable of incorporating a series of very simple interrelationships into a recursive process which will ultimately generate the implications of various decision alternatives and which will permit planners to identify optimum strategies. The framework incorporates the simulational features of a 'gaming simulation' and the strategy evaluating features of 'game theory'. The former have generally constituted abstractions from reality which were merely assertions in mathematical form but which were not particularly useful for either rigourous analysis or accurate forecasting. The lack of mathematical rigour in their structures has tended to inhibit their use for any but educational purposes, notably prediction and research. The latter have been confined to the identification of optimum strategies in only the most simple exchanges, which cannot generally be related to the complexities of the real world. This Study represents a step towards combining these two approaches. The gaming simulation framework, when 'primed' with appropriate data, will generate optimum strategies which may be followed by the participants. Its mathematical structure constitutes an amalgam of Markov processes, network analysis and Eayesian decision analysis. This technique is primarily designed to be used in the day-to-day planning process in large cities rather than in the cloistered research context, although it may later prove to have even wider applications. The null hypothesis is presented in the Study which states that the framework is not capable of generating an optimal solution. It was then refuted using probability theory to demonstrate that an -optimal solution was attainable. The use of the framework in the planning context was then illustrated by applying it to the specific public/private negotiations preceding major urban landmark developments in Canada. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of / Graduate

Despite the presence and growth of urban planning, urban problems persist and in some instances are worsening. A major problem of urban planning appears to be an inability to achieve a high level of accomplishment. Urban planning in Canada was examined by the Federal Task Force on Housing and Urban Development in 1969. They found it to be reactive, negative, without sociological or ecological concerns, and lacking in vision. These judgments are intuitive and require verification, but no empirical evidence is available on the practice of Canadian urban planning. The objective of this study, therefore, is to provide empirical evidence on the practice of urban planning in Canada in 1970 as a basis for its further assessment. To guide this study, the following hypothesis was tested: that the practice of urban planning in Canada follows the traditional model (physical orientation, reliance on long range plans, and an apolitical stance). A three stage approach was adopted to test the hypothesis and describe the practices examination of 1. procedural variables, 2, external variables, and 3. planning decisions. Procedural and external variables were identified from theoretical literature and empirical studies done in the U.S.A. Data was collected through a questionnaire mailed to the 7k urban planning directors in Canada of which 53 responses were received. For further understanding of the practice, three hypotheses about the determinants of the practice were tested using the Chi-square statistic (the practice is determined by 1. location of the agency, 2. local power structure, and 3. a complex of variables). In search of a more definitive explanation, a multivariate statistical technique was applied to the data. Lastly, an analysis of the important planning decisions over the past five years was made. This study has found that the traditional hypothesis cannot be accepted. Rather the practice has been modified in a complex way which de-emphasizes comprehensive planning, new ideas and the apolitical stance, and places new emphasis on physical development, zoning and subdivision regulations. Furthermore, Canadian, urban planning has not met urban problems because it has a limited approach. This limited approach has not been fully recognized or appreciated which leaves a void in the total planning spectrum. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of / Graduate

Increasingly, where, how and when growth occurs has far reaching consequences for the health of the city and planet. In the past, many growth decisions have been made at the local level largely within land use terms. In today's highly interrelated and ever-expanding urban regions, it is recognized that these decisions must be made in a more comprehensive and consistent intergovernmental manner if the long-term health of all communities is to be protected. The planning structures as defined by the legislative and governance frameworks that are in place in many cities often do not address the need for improved growth management. Some state/provincial governments are taking an active role in determining the regional and local planning framework in which the management of growth takes place. In Canada, many of the initiatives are a refinement of existing planning legislation and regional governance structures. In the United States, many of the initiatives are the result of growth management legislation. This study explores the positive and negative attributes of Ontario's Planning Act and Washington State's Growth Management Act with respect to adoption and implementation of a regional growth strategy in the Greater Toronto Area and the Central Puget Sound Area and in facilitating or challenging the efforts of the cities of Toronto and Seattle in realizing their growth goals and objectives. Data sources for this study were libraries, government offices, and individuals active in municipal and intergovernmental relations. The focus of the data search was to determine what were the major urban issues facing Toronto and Seattle and whether the planning system was designed to provide effective solutions and expand their capacities to create the results they desire. The study contends that planning legislation can play an effective role in growth management if it embodies three essential characteristics. Firstly, it must facilitate the adoption and implementation of robust official or comprehensive plans. The plans must contain clear goals about the distribution, location and quality of future growth and explicitly detail the steps required to reach these goals. While the plans produced must integrate all planning functions related to the use of land to allow the development of cities that are economically, socially and environmentally balanced, the integration of land use and transportation planning is a prerequisite of effective growth management. Secondly, the local official or comprehensive plans that are adopted must be tied to a regional plan that expresses the collective aspirations and responsibilities of the various cities that constitute today's city-regions. The actions of local as well as senior governments must be consistent with the vision and policies contained in the regional plan. Thirdly, the legislation must be effective in promoting the development of intergovernmental planning relationships that allow all parties to continually learn and act strategically to realize the local and regional visions. The implementation of the plans is particularly dependent on the development of complementary governance and financial arrangements. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of / Graduate

This thesis is a study of contemporary urban design in North America. The physical aspects of the architecture of the city are examined in the light of the history of ideas and of urban design. While most studies show the development of modern architectural and urban design as a chronology of ever new trends and discoveries in a continuous line of progress, this work shows that many essential features of design are not new and have not been changing. On the contrary, ideas developed in the eighteenth century can be regarded as the essential source of inspiration of many aspects of contemporary design. The central theme of the thesis is that the body of thought developed in the late eighteenth century - defined as romantic thought - is still at the origin of the motivation of contemporary urban design. The study identifies the essential traits of the prevailing style of urban and architectural design and relates them to the main themes of the romantic tradition. The point made is that this tradition has become a very uncritical one and that the establishment of alternative and new traditions is thus made very difficult, if not impossible. The method followed in the thesis is to make hypotheses of influences between eighteenth century thought and contemporary notions affecting the physical design of cities. The hypotheses are supported by the evidence of the thoughts and projects of representative thinkers quoted and by the attitudes, the laws and the patterns of physical design found in our days. Among the sources used in this thesis the reader will find passages ranging from Edmund Burke and Immanuel Kant to Jane Jacobs, Frank Lloyd Wright and Arthur Erickson. A large body of thoughts from famous and less famous people who spoke and worked in a representative way is used throughout the thesis. Illustrations of "prophetic" designs from the age of Boullee and Ledoux and of many existing projects are introduced to clarify the arguments. Many examples were chosen from Vancouver, British Columbia, but typical examples from the entire North American continent are included. Most of the aspects influencing design are considered. The reader will find an examination of established patterns of existing urban design in North America, an analysis of the attitudes toward the city and architecture observations on the by-laws and the economic system influencing design decisions. This material is used to show that there is a great inertia of old styles and ideals which prevent the establishment of alternative life styles and of truly new canons of design, despite a general consensus about the need for some truly new approach in the physical design of our cities. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Architecture and Landscape Architecture (SALA), School of / Graduate

This thesis addresses the problem of determining urban park and facility requirements. Traditionally, the standards approach has been used, however not only does it oversimplify the problem it also fails to reflect the diverse characteristics of urban populations. Standards are insensitive to the availability of community land and financial resources, and often lead to park and facility requirements which are unrealistic, uneconomical and unattainable. Furthermore, they are inadequate for determining development priorities and for making allocation decisions among facilities and planning areas. Although there has been a growing interest in developing methods which determine space needs for non-urban parks, little of this research has been directed toward urban settings. Methods which have been developed translate recreation participation into space required to accommodate expected peak users, taking into account capacity factors. They attempt to estimate space demands which reflect the diverse characteristics, interests and resources of communities. Although an improvement on standards, deficiencies still exist. Participation is used as a measure, thereby producing requirements which reflect the status quo. Imbalances in supply are perpetuated. Severe limitations for determining priorities and making allocation decisions also result from these methods. This thesis has developed an alternative method; a hybrid of methods previously developed. Recreation activities have been classified into parks and facilities which are accommodated in a hierarchy of service areas. A process then translates participation into unit and space requirements for parks and facilities by service areas. A computer program was written to demonstrate the method's applicability in a practical situation and the method applied to data collected in Richmond, B.C. Determined for Richmond service areas was: amount of space required for parks and facilities, parkland and facility deficiencies, and land and facility costs, cost per peak hour user and the number of peak users which can be accommodated in individual parks and facilities. As a planning tool, this method determines requirements which reflect specific activity participation and interests of populations in various service areas and available land resources. Development costs for parks and facilities are provided which enable a realistic assessment of the feasibility of development according to available financial resources. Development priorities and allocation decisions can also be made. The approach developed in this thesis has a number of uses in recreation system and site planning. However, rather than a panacea for decision making, it provides information to aid decision making. It is nevetheless, far from perfect. Several limitations could be improved upon. For instance, more research is needed to enable the development of a comprehensive park and facility classification system for urban areas. The measurement of participation and use patterns could be improved. Also capacity estimates should consider the impact of use on site deterioration while operating cost impacts of recreation development should be considered in addition to capital costs. Although imperfect, the method developed in this thesis is a useful planning tool for determining urban park and facility requirements. The author hopes it may find practical application. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of / Graduate