Applied
Research Proposal
The Fine Line.
Brent Kelly
Summary
statement of proposed project
Where is the line, between livable and congestion?
At the core of Kamloops lies a look at the past with older homes on “perfect”
lots of land. With new initiatives in land development more and more of the
older and larger lots in the downtown core are starting to disappear. Where
there was once a single home, now two of the same sizes are built, as a
resident how much impact can this have on life in the downtown core?
Purpose
The purpose of this project is to define a clear line
between too much or too little in the means of urban infill and how either of
those can affect the life of Kamloops residents in the downtown core. Urban
infill has many effects, loss of green spaces, shaded areas from the sun, and
emotional impacts of stress or anxiety. By looking at the Official Community
Plan (OCP) it can be determined what changes need to be made in order to buffer
residential and commercial spaces. Because the city of Kamloops is limited in
height due to flight paths the only “suitable” way to build is to spread
between existing homes and infrastructure.
Goals
and objectives of the project
The objective of this project is to make an
amendment to the Official Community Plan (OCP) to accommodate more space into
the downtown core. With the amendment in use, a goal of this project would to
be recognized by other cities and implemented across British Columbia.
Methodology
and analytical approach
To gather information on the preplanned future of
the downtown core I will use the Official Community Plan (OCP) as well as get a
better understanding on what limitations are in place to divide residential and
commercial land uses. An interview with a City of Kamloops Planning staff
member will provide information regarding what can be changed and what ideas
have been discussed within the City of Kamloops but not implemented into the
OCP. Procuring data from the “Smart Growth Movement” will gather information
about limiting urban sprawl and will provide information about the other side
of urban infill.
Previous
Studies
Most studies are focused on urban sprawl. The Urban
Growth Boundaries project is an economic development tool that creates a mapped
line that separates land on which development will be encouraged or prohibited,
which can be helpful in regards to creating a limit on where the urban
environment can transition into a suburban type community. Within the Housing
Policy Debate of 2001 there was a review of 22 major central cites that
monitored the number of new construction permits in the metropolitan area vs.
single family dwelling units with would identify where the residents preferred
to live and from that it would provide a picture on what they thought to be fit
living conditions in a neighbourhood.
Plans
for Dissemination of work
Disseminating the project will be done by creating a
blog which will accurately describe and allow user feedback on the research
that will aid in the collection of data and public support. The blog will
support a chat function that will hold debates on the relevance and impact of
the acquired material. Buildex is one of Canada’s largest tradeshow, with over
13,000 design, construction and real estate management professionals in
attendance it is an ideal place to gather information and views from people
working within the industry. And will further lead to interviews on the urban
infill debate.
Reference
cited
Sitko, Nicki.
“Urban Growth Boundaries: Economic Development Tool or Unwanted Interference?”
Thursday, April 21, 2005 http://www.umich.edu/~econdev/urbanbound/
J.
Terrence Farris. “The Barriers to using urban infill development to achieve
smart growth.” March 31, 2010. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10511482.2001.952139
Finch, P. 2005. Article title: Housing, density and design, Volume 218, p41-42. Retrieved from Arts & Humanities Citation Index.
Finch, P. 2005. Article title: Housing, density and design, Volume 218, p41-42. Retrieved from Arts & Humanities Citation Index.
Farr,
D. 2008, “Sustainable Urbanism: Urban design with nature.” p1-304. Hoboken,
N.J.: Wiley, 2008
Beatley,
T. 2004, “Native to nowhere: sustaining home and community in a global age.”
p1-392. Washington, DC: Island Press, c2004.
Calthorpe,
P. & Fulton, W. B. 2001, “The regional city: planning for the end of
sprawl.” p1-304. Washington, DC; London: Island Press, c2001
Contribution
of the project to your academic goals and objectives
My Father worked in regional government for all 35
years of his career and monitored many projects as they passed from the planning
into the construction phases of their development. Watching him deal with the
public at public hearing notices was amazing, the problem solving, and the
quick thinking lead me to find a career similar to what I have witnessed
throughout my childhood. From the classes I choose in high school I was
eligible for the ARET program at Thompson Rivers University, I thought I would
enjoy that the program covers many aspects of the construction and development
industry. I am currently in my second year of my studies and from the knowledge
I have acquired since enrollment is that there is much more to a building than
4 walls and a roof, the surrounding environment and infrastructure, as well as
community play a big role in what and where residents can build homes or
offices or multi- use buildings. My academic goals may change slightly as the
days go on but the overall accomplishment is to be an Architect/Project Manager
specializing in urban development.
Budget
This project will not require very much material as
it will be mostly visual data and collection. The majority of the costs
associated with the project will be travel costs as getting a look at what
larger cities have done in the way of urban infill. Lists of possible expenses
are listed below;
Travel: $500.00 – Traveling to conventions, larger
cities, and around neighbourhoods.
Digital Camera: $180.00 – Documenting landscapes,
and visual representation to city officials.
Buildex:
$350.00 – Networking with industry professionals and familiarizing myself with
new planning technologies.
Additional
Miscellaneous: $1000.00 – Conferences, Parking, Batteries, Lodging, Ink, and
Paper
Total:
$2030.00
