| Summary: | It has become widely recognized that the development of postwar
suburbia in North America has had a detrimental effect on community
identity, environmental sustainability, and social conscience. Suburban
development is often prominent in mid-sized cities made up of
a low density or “flat” urban landscape. The Regional Municipality
of Waterloo’s urban core consists of three such cities (Cambridge,
Kitchener, and Waterloo). As one of Canada’s most economically
stable and fastest growing municipalities, it provides a rich opportunity
for regional growth through intensification.
In the Region of Waterloo’s latest planning policy plan, “A Vision for
a Sustainable and Livable Waterloo Region” is outlined. In addition
to this comprehensive policy, a two-part “Visualizing Densities”
study provided a comprehensive analysis of the existing communities
throughout Waterloo Region and how they can be improved. Both
of these documents helped to promote sustainable growth in the
downtown and inner city areas, however, they have not effectively
addressed how to deal with existing suburban areas. The Visualizing
Densities Part II study proposed a redesign of a three selected
existing suburban study areas throughout the region. Although
these proposals had good intentions, they all but ignored the existing
network of streets and built fabric. Therefore, it only really addressed
how to design and build a new green field development.
By building upon current suburban redevelopment concepts and
strategies, this thesis will develop an adaptable process for existing
suburban community revitalization. This process will be applied to
a suburban study area set within the city of Waterloo (one of the
regions mid-sized cities). A critical aspect of this process will be the
renewed role that architects must play as analysts, visionaries and
educators. The overall intention of this thesis will be to develop a
means of engaging and revitalizing existing suburban areas into more
efficient, self-sustaining, and responsive community networks.
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