False Creek is a distinctive neighbourhood in the centre of Vancouver where you would expect to see high density, perhaps high rise development; instead you can see a low and medium rise and low density development with large public open space. It contrasts to the nearby Fairview Slopes and the West End. This thesis tries to investigate and explain what made this land development so different from others. In the 1960s, liberal ideology emerged in Canada. Its influence was felt here in Vancouver. It was embraced by the upcoming new "class" of professional, technical and administrative workers. This new liberal ideology gave new meanings to the ideas of "growth" and "progress". It promoted social equity and livability in urban development; its priority was placed on people not property.Vancouver was transforming from an industrial city to a service oriented post-industrial city. A political party founded at this time, The Elector's Action Movement (TEAM), was liberal-oriented and won the municipal election in 1972. Its election co-incided with the False Creek south development. TEAM innovatively administered the development. It broke away from the former administration, the NPA, and innovatively implemented measures to secure a livable and socially mixed community. The implementation of False Creek south in the first two phases was achieved with the commitment of the TEAM City Council and with the blessings from the federal and provincial government. The result is an innovatively designed and socially mixed neighbourhood in downtown Vancouver. What we can see today in False Creek south shore phase I and II is a legacy of what this party achieved in urban development. With the deterioration of economic situation and the return of a conservative movement in the late 70s and early 80s, TEAM faded away from the municipal politics. Conservative NPA was back to the municipal administration. Urban development was left to the private sector to manipulate.The later two phases became profit driven development with very little concern of social issues. To provide a socially mixed community was not an objective in the later phases in False Creek south. The result is high density, high rise development of the later two phases. This thesis investigates the False Creek south shore development in and after TEAM administration; compares the policies of the two administrations, and the perception of the role of the administration during and after TEAM control; examines the demographic and physical design differences in the same development between different phases. This helps to reveal the inter-relationship between urban development and civic politics and provides a valuable insight into the effects of policy and ideology on the nature of urban development.

For my graduation project, I endeavored to meet the challenge of designing affordable residences for the distinct population of single parent families within a heterogeneous urban environment. Issues of family, house and community were explored in order to ascertain how the needs of this particular group differed from that of the typical nuclear family. Single parents in general have excessive demands made on their time and energy and feel a greater lack of support when attempting to meet these demands. Often times involvement with another adult is either transitory or of a very limited nature. Therefore they must be more self-reliant than usual. The provision of child-care and supervision can be very difficult to accommodate in any family situation and is even more pronounced for the single parent. Other than financial worries, they may also experience a sense of isolation and loneliness. The presence of children does not compensate for the lack of adult companionship and emotional support that most adults need. Also, because a single parent often has to make frequent stops on the way to and from work or school picking up children from child care, shopping for groceries, etc., transportation and amenities ideally should be extremely accessible. Provision of convenient child care services, proximity to work, an affordable and secure environment, accessible social and support services and minimal housekeeping and maintenance responsibilities are but a few of the necessities that the single parent requires in order to attain a reasonable quality of life. Single parent's require more than just shelter. They need a supportive community as well. The site that was ultimately selected to accommodate the needs of this particular group was a half city block situated between 8th and 9th Avenue and Sasamat and Trimble Street in Point Grey, Vancouver. Amenities such as elementary and secondary schools, churches, shopping, transit routes, parks and access to downtown were primary considerations for this site selection. Daycare, teen centre, corner store, guest suites, rentable community space, office space and storage needed to be accommodated on site to address the missing amenities within the community, as well as becoming a means in which to offer something to the community in order to soften the political nature involved with densifying the area. A standard grid of 10m/35m was conformed to within the urban fabric, with the continuation of the lane as a means of relegating parking to the inner core, freeing up the Street from extra traffic. The context of single family homes was recognized with respect to the character of the neighbourhood. Actual density was doubled by 1) utilizing a smaller setback of 4-6m from the sidewalk, 2) duplexing the Street dwellings in a subversive manner 3) occupying the attic space & 4) use of a lanehouse typology whereby the parking was accommodated for while at the same time inhabiting the area with one and two bedroom homes. This facilitated a heterogeneous environment with extended family members, singles, couples or single parents with one child ideally occupying these residences and activating the lane. All residences have separate entrances as well as private outdoor space, with each residence given access to at least one parking space. Inner pedestrian lanes were conceived of in order to heighten the possibility of socialization occurring among the immediate residents, as well as increasing the accessibility to each residence, parking space and garbage/recycling area. Nodes occur between clusters of four dwellings to allow for gathering, playing and pathway undulation. Familiarity of the site within the neighbourhood would help to activate the nostalgic walk through the site in recognition of the existing diagonal path with its spectacular view of Vancouver's skyline. Public amenities were relegated to the west end of the site where a link could occur with the commercially active 10th Avenue and Safeway. Each pedestrian path feeds onto this public space. Because the site has a .75m/10m drop in elevation, this slope was utilized as a means to sculpt the outdoor space in order to define a given area..ie, a node may be carved with a stairwell on either end as a means to define the space. Brick planters were utilized as buffering as well as greening devices. Please see the Architecture reading room in the basement of Laserre, U.B.C. for the written thesis and colour details.

False Creek is a distinctive neighbourhood in the centre of Vancouver where you would expect to see high density, perhaps high rise development; instead you can see a low and medium rise and low density development with large public open space. It contrasts to the nearby Fairview Slopes and the West End. This thesis tries to investigate and explain what made this land development so different from others. In the 1960s, liberal ideology emerged in Canada. Its influence was felt here in Vancouver. It was embraced by the upcoming new "class" of professional, technical and administrative workers. This new liberal ideology gave new meanings to the ideas of "growth" and "progress". It promoted social equity and livability in urban development; its priority was placed on people not property.Vancouver was transforming from an industrial city to a service oriented post-industrial city. A political party founded at this time, The Elector's Action Movement (TEAM), was liberal-oriented and won the municipal election in 1972. Its election co-incided with the False Creek south development. TEAM innovatively administered the development. It broke away from the former administration, the NPA, and innovatively implemented measures to secure a livable and socially mixed community. The implementation of False Creek south in the first two phases was achieved with the commitment of the TEAM City Council and with the blessings from the federal and provincial government. The result is an innovatively designed and socially mixed neighbourhood in downtown Vancouver. What we can see today in False Creek south shore phase I and II is a legacy of what this party achieved in urban development. With the deterioration of economic situation and the return of a conservative movement in the late 70s and early 80s, TEAM faded away from the municipal politics. Conservative NPA was back to the municipal administration. Urban development was left to the private sector to manipulate.The later two phases became profit driven development with very little concern of social issues. To provide a socially mixed community was not an objective in the later phases in False Creek south. The result is high density, high rise development of the later two phases. This thesis investigates the False Creek south shore development in and after TEAM administration; compares the policies of the two administrations, and the perception of the role of the administration during and after TEAM control; examines the demographic and physical design differences in the same development between different phases. This helps to reveal the inter-relationship between urban development and civic politics and provides a valuable insight into the effects of policy and ideology on the nature of urban development. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Architecture and Landscape Architecture (SALA), School of / Graduate

For my graduation project, I endeavored to meet the challenge of designing affordable residences for the distinct population of single parent families within a heterogeneous urban environment. Issues of family, house and community were explored in order to ascertain how the needs of this particular group differed from that of the typical nuclear family. Single parents in general have excessive demands made on their time and energy and feel a greater lack of support when attempting to meet these demands. Often times involvement with another adult is either transitory or of a very limited nature. Therefore they must be more self-reliant than usual. The provision of child-care and supervision can be very difficult to accommodate in any family situation and is even more pronounced for the single parent. Other than financial worries, they may also experience a sense of isolation and loneliness. The presence of children does not compensate for the lack of adult companionship and emotional support that most adults need. Also, because a single parent often has to make frequent stops on the way to and from work or school picking up children from child care, shopping for groceries, etc., transportation and amenities ideally should be extremely accessible. Provision of convenient child care services, proximity to work, an affordable and secure environment, accessible social and support services and minimal housekeeping and maintenance responsibilities are but a few of the necessities that the single parent requires in order to attain a reasonable quality of life. Single parent's require more than just shelter. They need a supportive community as well. The site that was ultimately selected to accommodate the needs of this particular group was a half city block situated between 8th and 9th Avenue and Sasamat and Trimble Street in Point Grey, Vancouver. Amenities such as elementary and secondary schools, churches, shopping, transit routes, parks and access to downtown were primary considerations for this site selection. Daycare, teen centre, corner store, guest suites, rentable community space, office space and storage needed to be accommodated on site to address the missing amenities within the community, as well as becoming a means in which to offer something to the community in order to soften the political nature involved with densifying the area. A standard grid of 10m/35m was conformed to within the urban fabric, with the continuation of the lane as a means of relegating parking to the inner core, freeing up the Street from extra traffic. The context of single family homes was recognized with respect to the character of the neighbourhood. Actual density was doubled by 1) utilizing a smaller setback of 4-6m from the sidewalk, 2) duplexing the Street dwellings in a subversive manner 3) occupying the attic space & 4) use of a lanehouse typology whereby the parking was accommodated for while at the same time inhabiting the area with one and two bedroom homes. This facilitated a heterogeneous environment with extended family members, singles, couples or single parents with one child ideally occupying these residences and activating the lane. All residences have separate entrances as well as private outdoor space, with each residence given access to at least one parking space. Inner pedestrian lanes were conceived of in order to heighten the possibility of socialization occurring among the immediate residents, as well as increasing the accessibility to each residence, parking space and garbage/recycling area. Nodes occur between clusters of four dwellings to allow for gathering, playing and pathway undulation. Familiarity of the site within the neighbourhood would help to activate the nostalgic walk through the site in recognition of the existing diagonal path with its spectacular view of Vancouver's skyline. Public amenities were relegated to the west end of the site where a link could occur with the commercially active 10th Avenue and Safeway. Each pedestrian path feeds onto this public space. Because the site has a .75m/10m drop in elevation, this slope was utilized as a means to sculpt the outdoor space in order to define a given area..ie, a node may be carved with a stairwell on either end as a means to define the space. Brick planters were utilized as buffering as well as greening devices. Please see the Architecture reading room in the basement of Laserre, U.B.C. for the written thesis and colour details. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Architecture and Landscape Architecture (SALA), School of / Graduate

The concern of this study is with residential location. It is contended that while consideration of economic and broad social variables will explain general patterns of segregation, finer differentiation exists which can only be revealed when detailed household characteristics are taken into account. The hypothesis under examination is that the social character of an individual or household has a significant effect on the choice of residential location, people with similar social characteristics grouping together in the same residential area. The hypothesis was tested in two upper income areas of Vancouver, British Columbia - Shaughnessy and British Properties - the expectation being that two distinct groups might emerge, representing an old elite group and a new upper class. Such a distinction was sought in terms of three main variables - mobility, family ties and social background. After interviewing thirty households in each area it was found that two distinct groups did emerge, the Shaughnessy group displaying characteristics attributable to the old upper class - stability, strong family ties and a prestige social background common to all the members - while the British Properties residents were highly mobile, had weak family ties and varied social backgrounds lacking the prestige elements present in the other group, such characteristics being typical of a new elite. These distinct social groups are shown to be spatially segregated with households of similar characteristics occupying the same residential area. / Arts, Faculty of / Geography, Department of / Graduate

Since the late 1960's, fundamental changes in Canadian immigration policy, encouraging more middle-class/professional immigration in an effort to create employment and to boost the nation's skill profile, have precipitated a shift in orientation of population and capital flows into Canada. In particular the countries of the Pacific Rim have risen in relative importance as source regions of both international finance and migrants. These trends have had an uneven impact across Canada, and Vancouver in particular has come to play a significant role as a "gateway city". This thesis considers some of the ramifications of the emerging social geography of this elite portion of the wide spectrum of immigrants entering Canada. In focusing on neighbourhood change within the upper middle-class suburb of Kerrisdale, situated on Vancouver's elite West Side, it examines the cultural politics surrounding perceived social change. It explores a contested sense of identity and place, showing how these are informed and invigorated by a diverse set of social struggles evident in conflicting landscape 'tastes' in the neighbourhood of Kerrisdale. / Arts, Faculty of / Geography, Department of / Graduate

Since the mid-sixties, and more particularly, since the beginning of 1972, housing prices in major urban centers across Canada have risen so sharply that it has become almost impossible for most Canadians to acquire adequate housing accommodation within their means. The rate of increase in the cost of land for housing, in comparison with other housing cost components, has been tremendously high. Why is the cost of land and housing so high in a land-rich country like Canada, and what could be done to control the rising cost of land and housing is the concern of this study. This thesis argues that the existing system, whereby, land is owned, planned, serviced, developed, and marketed, has built-in drawbacks and weaknesses that give rise to many problems which contribute to the high cost of urban land for housing. It is suggested that the value of urban land mostly represents the value created due to the general growth of the urban community and public development planning decisions. The benefits from such value increments in urban land rightlyabelong to the urban community. But in the existing system, in which land is predominantly owned by private owners and developed at the will of private owners and developers, these value increments in urban land remain in the hands of the private owners. It is argued that such profits from increments in land value due to community growth attract all forms of speculative practices that, to a very large extent are responsible for increasing the cost of land for housing. This is also responsible for the problem of conflict of interest at all levels or public development planning decision-making. It is further argued that in the existing system authority for public planning and development control is too fragmented in the light of present-day regional urban reality. It is irrational, inefficient, and costly to the public interest at large. The thesis suggests that to control the high prices or urban land and housing, the existing system must be modified so that the benefits from the socially-created value in urban land can be channelled back to the advantage of the community instead of being left to the sole advantage of the private owners. It argues that this can be achieved by large-scale public acquisition of land far in advance of need for its development, comprehensive planning on regional scale, servicing, and selling or leasing of such public land for development. Acquisition of land far in advance of need for development by public agencies will eliminate speculation and reduce the cost of urban land for housing. The thesis presents a general description of the existing urban land development system with particular reference to the Greater Vancouver Region in British Columbia. The system is identified as consisting of two main components: one being the private market mechanism in which land is privately owned, developed and marketed; the other being the public development planning, development controls, and development decision-making process. The role of private development market and the role of various public agencies in the development of urban land is described. The effects of public development planning decision-making at the general urban growth on the value of land is discussed. The problems of land speculation, conflict of interest at all levels of public development planning decision-making, and fragmented public planning authority and their effects on the cost of land and housing described. The experiences of Edmonton, Red Deer, and Saskatoon with public acquisition and development control of land and their success in keeping the price of land and housing under control are cited. In conclusion the concept of public involvement in the ownership of land and its development is recommended and some measures and steps to be adopted for successful implementation of public land assembly, land banking, and development controls are suggested. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Architecture and Landscape Architecture (SALA), School of / Graduate

The intention of this thesis is to provide observations and concepts for those persons concerned with the delivery of seniors' living arrangements, which may contribute in the planning and operation of these facilities. The thesis first looks at the topic of aging-in-place from a broad context using Lawton's ecological housing model as a framework. It consists of four separate interrelated categories: the macrosystem, the exosystem, the microsystem and the individual. At the macro level, demographic trends suggest that future needs for supportive environments will be high among the older seniors group. Assisting aging-in-place will offset increasing health care costs. At the exosystem level, remaining in one's neighbourhood is both desired by and supportive of seniors aging-in-place. Avoiding the negative effects of institutionalization further supports the argument for aging-in-place. The competence/press model is a useful means of conceptualizing changing needs of seniors as they age-in-place at the micro level. At the individual level, a typology of competencies is introduced along with a discussion on control theory. The need to provide environments which maintain and enhance all the competencies is suggested. Next, the case studies investigate whether aging-in-place in seniors' multiple housing projects is occurring and whether there are differences by building type (high/low rise) or by organization. Case studies of three seniors housing organizations are presented; New Vista Society (NVS), British Columbia Housing Foundation (BCHF), and British Columbia Housing Management Corporation (BCHMC). Data on median age of tenants, duration of stay, original to total tenants, sex distribution, age subgroups, tenant replacement rate and proportion of couples to all tenants are analysed. Case study findings indicate that the median age of tenants remained almost constant over the study period. Distinct differences in median age are evident by organization. The relationship of aging-in-place to building type is not significant, although in low rise buildings the median age was lower. Of the four key variables analysed, differences in median age of tenants by organisation are best explained by differences in median age of replacement tenants. The proportion of tenants in the older seniors age subgroup increased substantially with only small increases in median age across the six buildings studied. BCHMC had a substantially lower median age of tenants and also a much lower proportion of older seniors than the other two organizations. The evidence suggests that the differences are likely due to policies being more formally applied by BCHMC than by NVS or BCHF. The fact that there are higher median ages at NVS and BCHF, suggests that tenants could be kept longer by BCHMC. Recommendations include the utilization of an accommodating model in programming seniors housing; relaxation of BCHMC housing policy in relationship to tenant admissions and separations; standardization of record keeping by agencies responsible for the delivery of seniors living environments, and an interdisciplinary approach in the delivery of seniors living environments. The need to study where tenants move to after leaving seniors' multiple housing was identified. In closing, the merits of the Abbeyfield housing model are discussed in relation to the thesis findings. It is suggested that this model will gain in popularity in meeting the challenge of providing appropriate living environments for aging-in-place.

The intention of this thesis is to provide observations and concepts for those persons concerned with the delivery of seniors' living arrangements, which may contribute in the planning and operation of these facilities. The thesis first looks at the topic of aging-in-place from a broad context using Lawton's ecological housing model as a framework. It consists of four separate interrelated categories: the macrosystem, the exosystem, the microsystem and the individual. At the macro level, demographic trends suggest that future needs for supportive environments will be high among the older seniors group. Assisting aging-in-place will offset increasing health care costs. At the exosystem level, remaining in one's neighbourhood is both desired by and supportive of seniors aging-in-place. Avoiding the negative effects of institutionalization further supports the argument for aging-in-place. The competence/press model is a useful means of conceptualizing changing needs of seniors as they age-in-place at the micro level. At the individual level, a typology of competencies is introduced along with a discussion on control theory. The need to provide environments which maintain and enhance all the competencies is suggested. Next, the case studies investigate whether aging-in-place in seniors' multiple housing projects is occurring and whether there are differences by building type (high/low rise) or by organization. Case studies of three seniors housing organizations are presented; New Vista Society (NVS), British Columbia Housing Foundation (BCHF), and British Columbia Housing Management Corporation (BCHMC). Data on median age of tenants, duration of stay, original to total tenants, sex distribution, age subgroups, tenant replacement rate and proportion of couples to all tenants are analysed. Case study findings indicate that the median age of tenants remained almost constant over the study period. Distinct differences in median age are evident by organization. The relationship of aging-in-place to building type is not significant, although in low rise buildings the median age was lower. Of the four key variables analysed, differences in median age of tenants by organisation are best explained by differences in median age of replacement tenants. The proportion of tenants in the older seniors age subgroup increased substantially with only small increases in median age across the six buildings studied. BCHMC had a substantially lower median age of tenants and also a much lower proportion of older seniors than the other two organizations. The evidence suggests that the differences are likely due to policies being more formally applied by BCHMC than by NVS or BCHF. The fact that there are higher median ages at NVS and BCHF, suggests that tenants could be kept longer by BCHMC. Recommendations include the utilization of an accommodating model in programming seniors housing; relaxation of BCHMC housing policy in relationship to tenant admissions and separations; standardization of record keeping by agencies responsible for the delivery of seniors living environments, and an interdisciplinary approach in the delivery of seniors living environments. The need to study where tenants move to after leaving seniors' multiple housing was identified. In closing, the merits of the Abbeyfield housing model are discussed in relation to the thesis findings. It is suggested that this model will gain in popularity in meeting the challenge of providing appropriate living environments for aging-in-place. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Architecture and Landscape Architecture (SALA), School of / Graduate