Much of the sustainable community planning and design discourse has been about
prescribing and defining ends. A large gap exists between goals for sustainability and the ways
and means to achieve them. Multiple barriers are encountered when implementation attempts are
made. The research addresses the question: In what ways can demonstration projects increase
social learning of effective planning, design and policy alternatives that assist in developing
sustainable urban communities? Demonstration here is an area based, site specific planning and
design process and built project showing potential adopters the benefits of employing various
innovations.
Five fields of scholarship and research (land-use and sustainable development; planning and
design participation; urban experimentation and demonstration; innovation, diffusion and social
learning; action for innovation and implementation) are drawn upon to inform the objectives. An
analytical-evaluative framework for sustainable planning and design is developed, then applied in a
detailed case study. The case study of Egebjerggard, a 928 dwelling, mixed use neighbourhood in
Ballerup, Denmark provides an analysis of how leading practice can contribute to a better
understanding of the potentials and challenges for advancing community policy, design and
implementation at the neighbourhood and city-wide level. The analysis enables the interpretation
of the Ballerup experience and the transfer of principles to the Canadian context. Two initiatives in
sustainable community development in Calgary and Vancouver indicate the issues, opportunities
and the state of practice. A proposed demonstration strategy outlines possible new institutional and
organizational capacities and relationships in the Canadian residential planning and delivery
system.
The main contributions include: i) an empirical and descriptive-analytical case study
providing a detailed account of integrated planning implementation and policy development in
Denmark, ii) a strategy, its structure, organization and functions to carry out demonstration /
exhibition in Canadian municipalities, iii) a normative proposition for and the evidence to support
an expanded notion of demonstration directing attention to their value and potential. The benefits
and returns outlined serve as a general argument for proceeding with a neighbourhood scale fully
featured demonstration in any city in Canada.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:BVAU.2429/10997 |
| Date | 05 1900 |
| Creators | Van Vliet, David R. |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Relation | UBC Retrospective Theses Digitization Project [http://www.library.ubc.ca/archives/retro_theses/] |
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