An exploration into the municipal planning implications of home based work

• Main Author: Sexsmith, Leanne Naomi
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: 2009
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/8251

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