| Summary: | Over the past several decades, home based work has grown to comprise a significant and varied
form of work in Canada, which is expected to increase in the future. This phenomenon
represents a dramatic departure from the separation of home and work place which has
dominated the socio-spatial composition of our cities and suburbs for much of this century, and
suggests significant implications for municipal planning. Using both a literature review and
qualitative analysis of current and past planning practices in seven municipalities within the
GVRD, this research explores those implications and the corresponding municipal planning
response.
Findings from the literature reveal that home based work is not only the outcome of changing
socio-economic trends, but also a reflection of social norms, hierarchies and values, which
present both issues and opportunities for social well being, transportation planning, residential
quality of neighbourhoods, and economic development. Potential municipal responses are multifaceted
and complementary, and focus on the creation of mixed use neighbourhoods, community
economic development initiatives, and a supportive regulatory environment for home based
work.
Actual practices in municipalities within the GVRD reveal that while some municipalities are
moving towards such responses in their plans, policies and regulations, others continue to ignore
or constrain home based work. Analysis of these differences suggests a clear link between
initiatives associated with home based work and broader community goals and objectives for
economic development, reduced automobile use, and the creation of more complete communities
that meet diverse needs and interest. Individual attitudes of local planners and politicians are
also clearly influential, as is the inherent challenge in responding to and implementing processes
of change.
Better information about the nature and extent of home based work and its relevance to
municipal planning, combined with examples of how other communities are responding, could
help facilitate this process of change and contribute to the positive growth and development of
home based work to the benefit of individuals, communities and regions. === Applied Science, Faculty of === Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of === Graduate
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