This study attempts to explain and account for the residential land use patterns of Maple Ridge for a thirty year period from 1930 to 1960. The residential land use pattern for I960 is presented in Chapter I; its development and characteristics are accounted for by the reconstruction of patterns for 1930, 1940, and 1950, in Chapters II, III, and IV respectively. Information from which the patterns of residential land use emerged for each decade was obtained from Assessment Rolls at the Maple Ridge Municipal Hall, Haney, and verified by municipal officials and observation. Residential land use in Maple Ridge began and spread from the centres of Haney and Hammond and formed a scattered pattern extending away from the Fraser River along the major avenues and roads. An uncontrolled pattern of scattered residential building characteristic of 1950 reached sprawl proportions by I960. / Arts, Faculty of / Geography, Department of / Graduate

The price of urban and suburban land in most of the Western World has been increasing at a particularly-rapid rate. In fact, land value increases appear to be consistenty and disproportionately greater than the rise in either general consumer prices or costs of residential construction. Raw land values are an important element influencing both the quality and quantity of housing made available, and as such, constitute a relevant social concern. Furthermore, land values, to a certain extent dictate the type of development that an urban area undergoes. Land speculators have frequently been blamed for causing, or at least contributing to, not only these price increases but also the sprawl-like, pattern of development so often associated with urban peripheral areas. This thesis attempts to test the validity of these claims by analyzing data from a specific inter-temporal study of land uses price changes and land values in an urban fringe environment. The community selected for this study was the Municipality of Saanich, which is located immediately north of the City of Victoria, British Columbia. Over 2600 separate properties were sampled, with considerable amounts of data for each – including such inputs as the changing selling prices, holding periods and development information -- that were obtained through the municipal assessment roles and the searching of titles in the land registry office. The time horizon selected was 21 years (1949-1970) in order to encompass several stages of business activity. A special computer program using elements of multi-variate analysis assembled the various inputs into a workable format, whence portions of the data could be further analyzed and compared. It is suggested that the level of transactions and the increasing average raw land values have been influenced by both public and private actions in response to the continuing urbanization of the Victoria area. This study further contends that land speculation per se has not exerted a significant influence either on land prices or on the actual pattern of development in the study area. Population pressures and rising levels of per capita incomes are suggested as being factors of more significance in this context. / Business, Sauder School of / Real Estate Division / Graduate

This study examines the relationships between the residential density and prices of residential land in the Lonsdale Area of the City of North Vancouver during the period 1967-1970. Specifically it investigates the nature of the pattern of spatial relationship between the distribution of residential density and the distribution of land prices. It also identifies the extent to which the form of the relationship is associated with the nature of change in the residential density, and the distance from Lonsdale Avenue. The study area is divided into three sectors (Upper, Central and Lower Lonsdale) to facilitate identification of patterns in locations having distinct characteristics and unique site attributes. Similarly, the three blocks east and west of Lonsdale Avenue are included in the study area to enhance the identification of the effects of distance from Lonsdale Avenue. The technique used consists of a format, which is essentially a matrix-cum-grid, and which coincides with the cadastral map of the City in terms of streets, blocks and sectors. This format is the main vehicle used in organising and analysing the data for both density and price. The potential in the technique enhances an easy identification of changes, trends, and movement in both density and price, and the spatial relationship between them. The units of measurement are so selected that they aid measurability and comparability within each variable, and between them, thus helping in locating relationships. Due to wide margins of prices and fluctuations, the method of aggregation, or grouping averages, is used. The investigation establishes that there is a pattern of spatial relationship between the distribution of residential density and the distribution of land prices, and that this relationship is associated with the nature of change in the residential density, and the distance from Lonsdale Avenue. It concludes that: a) economic and social factors underly the increases in density and price, as well as the relationships between them; b) the period 1967-1970 was favourable for investment in apartment development, and fertile for speculation; c) the 1967 Zoning By-Laws, and the financial capacities of developers, direct and control residential densities to a large extent; d) depending on location and other attributes, land characteristics are both homogeneous and heterogeneous. The implications of these conclusions are evaluated in terms of apartment development policy for the City of North Vancouver, and in terms of the present state of our theoretical understanding of the subject of density and price. Areas for further research are suggested, and observations made on the methodology and technique applied in the study. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of / Graduate

The general increased demand for all types of land by various users has intensified the problem of estimating the value of forest land, and of attempting to bring about its best use. This thesis sets forth the theoretical conditions necessary for the optimum distribution of land resources, and analyses some of the barriers which exist in the real world, both in the market and in the sphere of public decision-making. Current methods of evaluating forest land in B.C. are reviewed. The varied reasons for an appraisal: investment, expropriation, condemnation, damage appraisal, taxation, comparative evaluation and transfer of tenure, effectively divide this portion of the study, and form a basis for comparison. Demands for forest land, singly and on a multiple-use basis can only be arbitrated by a supra government body recruited from a disinterested group of professional resource managers. It is imperative that this department be provided with the knowledge necessary to construct economic as well as technical priority scales, so that decisions can be rational, and lead toward the best use of the resource. / Forestry, Faculty of / Graduate

Like many North American resource-based rural communities, the Slocan Valley in southeastern British Columbia experienced a decline in its population and economy during the first half of this century. However, in the late 1960s, mainly young, well-educated and often idealistic members of the back-to-the-land movement began to re-settle the area. The influx reached its peak in the mid 1970s, and at a diminished level, continues. Currently this group of recent settlers comprises approximately one-quarter of the valley's population of 5000. Drawing on data from participant observation in the area and personal interviews with members of this influx, this thesis first examines why and how these people came to settle in the Slocan. It finds that they moved for many different reasons: repelled by the "rat-race" and pollution of the cities, and the violent politics of the 1960's; or attracted by the prospects of a personally-meaningful and satisfying existence in the country-side. Whether driven by an individualistic or visionary quest, all subscribed to some extent to a back-to-the-land ideology which advocated a low-consumption, but highly diverse, lifestyle - close to nature and in touch with the land, independent politically and economically from the larger society, and in a community of like-minded rural neighbours. Secondly, the thesis traces the evolution of personal lifeways and the development of community life in the twenty years since the resettlement began. As the newcomers encountered difficulties living in the Slocan they made compromises. As a result, their lifestyles are no longer as clearly "alternative" and most have reentered the "system" to some degree. Increasingly though, their values have found expression in specific causes, issues or projects which have altered the course of evolution of the Slocan, and left a lasting legacy of concrete accomplishments and changed attitudes within the larger geographic community. The settlers’ impact has been particularly noticeable in issues regarding land and resource use, the diversification of the regional economy, and attempts to attain local political autonomy. Finally, the thesis attempts to assess the significance of the back-to-the-land movement to the Slocan, and then to society as a whole. The Slocan in the 1990s is at a bifurcation point, and must choose its destiny from a range of divergent, and often conflicting, alternatives. Whether the area pursues a sustainable path, in which the viability of the local community and integrity of the environment are protected and enhanced, depends largely on which of the two competing ideologies (industrial versus post-industrial) currently represented in the Slocan prevails. In this regard, the Valley is a microcosm of the broader society: the experiences there show where both the opportunities and impediments lie in our search for a truly sustainable society. / Arts, Faculty of / Geography, Department of / Graduate

Richmond, also known as Lulu Island, was carved out from the passage of the Fraser River to the Pacific Ocean. The River and its rich delta soils have bestowed a strong fishing and agricultural industry upon Richmond. This thesis examines an area of Richmond that is located along the shores of the Fraser River where the North Arm splits into the Middle Arm. This area, specifically the Bridgeport sub-area and the Van Home Industrial Park, is a predominantly light industrial neighbourhood located along the northwest shores of Richmond. This particular site has gradually undergone redevelopment over the past ten years as commercial land uses have begun to take the place of residential and agricultural land uses. These new land uses, in many instances, are not complementary to one another and the area moves towards becoming dominated by big box commercial and tourism-based commercial. Residential land use is being replaced by these new land uses due to the noise generated from the flight path for the north runway of the Vancouver International Airport which passes directly over this neighbourhood. This thesis explores three revitalization schemes that would allow for the redevelopment of this area to proceed in such a way that creates an opportunity for a strong neighbourhood identity. One that recognizes the demands and diverse nature of the area while establishing a variety of land uses that are able to coexist and take advantage of the site's physical and experiential attributes and its strategic location within the city and region. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Architecture and Landscape Architecture (SALA), School of / Graduate

'The soils resource in the Tofino area of Vancouver Island is considered for land-use planning and management purposes. This was done by completing a series of four studies. The first study describes the study area by looking at those components which were considered to have a major impact on the function of the soils in the landscape. This included geology (bedrock and surficial), soil morphology, depth to water table, vegetation, climate and water quality. The soils exhibit a range of soil development from very little to strongly expressed genetic characteristics including cemented horizons. The presence of many lithologic discontinuities confirms a complex mode of material deposition in the area. The second study is concerned with the physical, chemical and mineralogical properties of the soils. Soil genesis is also discussed. The analyses show a wide range of textures in the soils and varifies the presence of lithologic discontinuities. Pedo-genic processes have changed the structure in some soils by aggregating the Fe and Al oxides into larger sized particles. The soils are low in natural fertility with nutrient cycling occurring primarily in the organic horizons or above restricting layers in the mineral horizons if these are near the surface. Vermiculite is the dominant clay mineral in the surface mineral horizons indicating a weathering environment of moderate intensity. The third study discusses the characteristics and genesis of some placic horizons (thin pans) which have developed in some soils in sand deposits. These horizons exhibit considerable variation in morphology and chemical composition. The primary cementing materials are organic matter (mainly fulvic acid), and Pe which is present as either inorganic amorphous or organically complexed Fe. The morphological characteristics and stability of the placic horizons are dependent upon the amount of OM present and the form in which the Fe occurs. The genesis of these pans is initiated at lithologic discontinuities under differential redox conditions. Diffusion is active in material transport with the pan acting as a template upon which the material is precipitated. The fourth study is an assessment of-the soils for land-use planning and management purposes. Emphasis is given to the identification of processes which control the function of the soils both internally and externally. The soils are grouped into three categories characteristic of the dominant control. The categories are; landscape components, inherent characteristics and genetic features. / Land and Food Systems, Faculty of / Graduate

The significant constraints retarding the adoption of a residential landuse innovation, planned unit development or PUD, by private land developers in Greater Vancouver was the subject of this study. PUD is a landuse approach that integrates a variety of dwelling types, recreational and community services while preserving much of the natural landscape of a site. Although its use was highly recommended by land developers and municipal planners in Greater Vancouver, few projects had actually been constructed by 1971. To identify the reasons for this delay, interviews were undertaken with key decision-making personnel in municipal planning departments and in thirteen land development companies who had repeated opportunities to use the PUD innovation prior to 1971. It was found that trial and adoption of the PUD approach was often delayed five years or longer primarily because of external conditions or agents involved in the implementation process. A serious shortage of suitable large tracts of land at reasonable costs had thwarted adoption by four developers and threatened to reduce PUD use by a further seven developers. Prior to 1968, there was a lack of suitable zoning to permit the clustering of housing, services, and open space in non-standard condominium developments. Even when appropriate legislation was developed, municipal planners and private developers still faced serious public and political opposition to the PUD innovation. Residents of predominately single-family neighbourhoods and their elected officials were afraid of change in their community , poorly informed concerning the nature of PUD, and extremely suspicious of the motivation of the private developers. This mistrust and information lag was viewed by the majority of developers as the most serious constraint against PUD adoption. Design, financing and marketing of the innovation were not perceived as significant constraints. In contrast to adoption research findings in other fields, a developer's information behaviour, antecedents or development status, and perception of the innovation were of secondary importance. Only one developer rejected PUD on the basis of incomplete information. There was no significant difference between developers of varying degrees of innovativeness as to the type, number or technical accuracy of information sources used at different stages of adoption. Only three development status characteristics were positively associated with increasing innovativeness. These characteristics, namely a large land inventory, large scale operations and a longterm investment horizon assisted developers in overcoming the primary constraints of PUD implementation. A firm belief in the relative advantage and compatibility of PUD with corporate goals also contributed to the persistance of highly innovative developers in the face of serious implementation constraints. Ultimately, the continued use of a landuse innovation depends on the satisfaction of residents with their environment, as well as the developer's satisfaction with the cost-benefit returns. If PUD in the nineteen seventies does prove to provide a desirable residential environment at acceptable costs and densities, its continued adoption may be assured. / Arts, Faculty of / Geography, Department of / Graduate

This is a study of the involvement of small municipalities with the British Columbia Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) system. The analysis focusses on how the system operates to resolve differences between the province and localities over use of agricultural land. Case studies of five municipalities are presented. The thesis concludes that municipal priorities in use of designated agricultural land have usually prevailed, sooner or later, through operation of Reserve system procedures. Part I develops the implications of the ALR system, established in 1973, for small communities. On one hand, the Provincial Agricultural Land Commission (PALC) was mandated to slow the conversion of agricultural land to urban uses, and was impowered to exercise a form of zoning control for this purpose even within municipal areas. On the other hand, municipal governments with different priorities, such as creating new housing or industrial space, have typically wished to continue patterns of conversion of the agricultural lands within which they are situated. The Reserve system includes procedures, such as block exclusion applications, through which local governments can seek to have ALR land converted to urban purposes. Chapter 1 raises four questions about the experience of small municipalities with these procedures: 1. Are outcomes reasonable in the local situation? 2. Do small municipalities play an active and significant role in the process of deciding applications? 3. Is the ALR system subject to "regulatory capture" by municipalities? 4. Does "official community planning" supplement the formal Reserve system as a means of resolving provincial-local conflicts over use of agricultural land? Chapter 2 outlines the procedures and policies of the PALC for dealing with municipal applications and community plans. In Part II, case studies are reported for the municipalities of Keremeos, Armstrong, Salmon Arm, 100 Mile House and Merritt. In each case, all municipal transactions with the PALC from 1974 to 1979 are described. Information was obtained from Commission files, supplemented by interviews, site visits and local files. Community plans are also reviewed for their stance toward Agricultural Reserve land. Part III summarizes the experiences of the five municipalities and draws conclusions. Outcomes of municipal PALC relations are found to have been "reasonable" for the localities, inasmuch as the PALC has ultimately acceded to most exclusion applications, and these decisions have caused no evident "hardship" to local interests. The procedures suited the needs and resources of small municipalities well. Indeed, there is some indication of "capture" of the PALC and cabinet in the general success of initiatives from regulated communities. Community planning has rarely served as a means of resolving provincial-municipal differences, since the PALC has played a passive and pro forma role in assuring that the provincial interest in agricultural land preservation is expressed in key sections of plans which designate future land uses. The final chapter reflects on the implications of these findings for the balancing of provincial and municipal interests within the existing regulatory framework. Procedural changes are suggested which would offset factors which have tended to tilt the balance in favour of municipal preferences in this sector of the British Columbia agricultural land use regulatory regime. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of / Graduate

This research investigated human induced land use patterns, land cover change and hydrologic response in mountain watersheds. The hypothesis was that the spatial pattern of land use patches in a watershed influences runoff generating mechanisms, and thus affects peak flows and stream ecosystems. The goal was to increase the understanding of the influence of landscape pattern on environmental process, and thus provide a scientific basis for the design of urban development that maintains the structure and function of biological communities along a stream system. The study was a first attempt to apply the methods of landscape pattern analysis from landscape ecology to hydrology and stream response. Previous analyses in hydrology have not explicitly considered the spatial arrangement of land use/cover patterns in the watershed. Although statistical relationships between landscape pattern and stream discharge were not achieved because of limitations of the hydrological modelling, this study laid the groundwork for the realization of this goal. The geographic information system (GIS) software Maplnfo, and a hydrologic model based on the Rational Method, were used to investigate the relationships between land use patterns and their effect on the hydrology of four steep mountain stream systems in the Greater Vancouver region of British Columbia. Accepted land use/ cover categories and landscape metrics were used to quantify and characterise landscape change, across time (1946-1995) and between watersheds. Composite runoff coefficients ( Q were calculated for each land use, and a five-year peak stream discharge (Q) that took the changing landscape into consideration was modelled. Stream pattern, total impervious surface (TLA), and road networks were assessed as part of the description of the landscape. This thesis considered relationships between: discharge and percent land use area; discharge and total imperviouss area; discharge and landscape pattern; and percent land use area and landscape pattern. It was found that calculated discharge, percent impervious, and developed area increased across all watersheds across all time periods. The number of road crossings on the creek mainstem and total road length in the watersheds increased with percentage of developed area in the watersheds, and there was a linear relationship between C coefficient and the length of roads in the watershed. Development emerged in discrete patches, generally in the more accessible and flatter regions of the basin. Patch shape metrics followed an increasing trend with development levels between zero and twenty percent. However, between twenty and fifty percent developed the metrics scattered and did not have an apparent trend. This was likely due to a shift in the landscape matrix from forest cover to development. Increased development was associated with fragmentation of the landscape because more land use/cover categories were present in the watershed. This created a situation where average patch size decreased, patch diversity and density increased, and the watersheds had a fragmented appearance. Developed patches generally had a more complex shape than forest patches. The likelihood of finding a forest patch adjacent to a developed patch decreased as development increased. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Architecture and Landscape Architecture (SALA), School of / Graduate