GEOG 346: Day 7Demographic Change

Housekeeping Items• I insist that we nail down dates for the field trips today.

Topic Date Organizers

Changing Economy ?? Chris and SarahDemographic Change (tie in with ped-friendliness?) January 28 - Bus 137 MaxBike access or density issues? February 4 - Bus 137 MasonInterconnected Street System/ Transit February 11 - Bus 137 Doug and Jean-MarieMixed Uses/ 5-Minute Walk/ February 18 - Bus 118 Taylor and Tara Anything more to do with housing or density? March 4 - Bus 137 Maya or Mason? urban agriculture March 11 - Bus 137 Brett and Ashley M. Interconnected natural areas/ smarter infrastructure March 18 - Bus 137 Ashley and

Erik Spillover date if something gets delayed; otherwise cancel bus

March 25 - Bus 140 *Teneusha could still use a date or bring someone in; Zane wants to look at improving campus open space, which would not require a bus.

Demographic Change and its Significance

• In 1971, the population of BC that was aged 65 to 90+ was 9.2% of the total. By the 2036, it is projected to be 23.9%, or nearly a quarter of the population. We also have a lot of retirees moving to the West Coast from elsewhere because of its favourable climate.

• This has all kinds of implications for how cities are designed (access, mobility), what kinds of housing needs to be in place, and what kinds of services will be needed.

• It lends credence to Gil Peňalosa’s notion of the “8/80 city” – a city that is good for 8 and 80-year-olds is a good city for all, at least in theory.

Re-positioning Age-Friendly Communities

• Did everyone read this document, as requested?• Please do the readings, as the amount is not onerous.• This is a short, but very dense and useful, report from the

Canadian Urban Institute.• It offers a brief history of phases in urban planning: -- an

early focus on public health; -- a move to separate incompatible land uses through zoning; -- along with zoning, an array of ideas for how best to construct cities to make them more functional and/or healthful (from extremely centralized to extremely decentralized, or something in between); -- the suburban phase, the best being represented by ‘new towns’ and the ‘superblock,’ and the worst by government-subsidized urban sprawl; -- the move towards re-urbanization, stimulated in part by Jane Jacobs.

Drawing From Other Movements• It also builds on the work of other bodies of work with

overlapping components that be broadly described as forming the basis for a ‘new paradigm’ for the design professions – planning, architecture, urban design, engineering, etc. – the paper seeks to redefine age-friendly communities concept.

• Smart Growth• Healthy Communities • New Urbanism• Universal Design• Child Friendly Cities• LEED ND• WHO Safe Communities• Heat Resilient Communities

Smart Growth Principles• Create a range of affordable, quality housing choices• Encourage vibrant, walkable complete communities• Create Smart Building design• Renew existing communities• Promote green infrastructure• Preserve green space, farmland and Ecologically

Sensitive Areas• Practice broad scale, integrated planning at the ‐

regional scale• Provide transportation options• Facilitate community Involvement• Focus on Implementation.

Smart Growth Principles

As applied to aging communities, it involves promoting:• Neighbourhood walkability• A variety of transportation options• Easy access to services• Diversity of housing choice (for instance, the ability of

seniors to ‘age in place’)• Safety• Community engagement in civic activities and to socialize

with one’s peers

New Urbanist (NU) Principles• Sustainability• Mixed use & diversity‐• Mixed housing• Connectivity & smart transportation• Quality architecture & urban design• Walkability• Increased density• Quality of life

One particular NU strategy is known as Transit-oriented design (TOD), developed by Peter Calthorpe.

LEED-ND Principles• Walkable streets• Compact development• Mixed use neighbourhood centres‐• Reduced parking footprint• Street network• Transit facilities• Transportation demand management• Access to civic and public spaces• Visitability and Universal Design• Community outreach and involvement• Local food production• Tree lined and shaded streets

Healthy Community PrinciplesQualities of a Healthy Community include:

• Clean and safe physical environment• Peace, equity and social justice• Adequate access to food, water, shelter, income, safety, work

and recreation for all• Adequate access to health care services• Opportunities for learning and skill development• Strong, mutually supportive relationships and networks• Workplaces that are supportive of individual and family well‐

being• Wide participation of residents in decision making‐• Strong local cultural and spiritual heritage• Diverse and vital economy• Protection of the natural environment• Responsible use of resources to ensure long term sustainability

Healthy Community Principles

As applied to the built environment, these principles must be related to:

• Density• Mix of Uses• Mobility options• Connectivity• Concentrated uses• Street design and management• Building design• Green infrastructure

WHO Safe Community Principles• Sidewalk amenities for pedestrians and those waiting for public

transit, such as benches, recycling bins, public art• Improved bicycle infrastructure and amenities, such as bicycle

lanes, racks and parking areas• Wider shoulders• Synchronized traffic signals along major routes and arterial roads• Bus pullouts or special bus lanes• Safe and convenient pedestrian connections to transit stops• Landscaping features such as trees, planters and ground cover• Centre medians• Fewer driveways• On street parking and other speed reduction methods, such as ‐

traffic calming measures

Universal Design Principles• Equitable use• Flexibility of use• Simple and intuitive design requiring a minimal amount

of effort• Perceptible information (clear communication regarding

use)• Safety & tolerance for error• Low physical effort• Appropriate size and scale• Quality of life

Although often applied at the scale of a single building, it has been used in Japan to design streets for the visually-impaired.

Universal Design PrinciplesWhen applied to neighbourhoods, universal design has involved:• Equitable and sustainable use• Flexibility and mixed use‐• Neighbourhood structure• Transit oriented‐• Walkable• Simple and intuitive• Perceptible information• Quality design, safety and tolerance for error• Low physical effort

Child-Friendly Cities Principles• Attention to physical environments• Information, communication and social mobilization• Plans of action (to gain participation of children)• Training packages/methodologies for different

target groups• Laws, rules, regulations and planning norms• Municipal level institutions focused on children’s ‐

rights• Monitoring systems to assess the quality of the

environment• Planning and impact indicators

Origins of Age-Friendly Communities (AFC)

• AFC was developed by WHO in 2006, and Canadian communities served as amongst the first pilot communities.

• Bernard Isaacs is quoted in the report as saying: “Design for the young, and you exclude the old; design for the old and you include everyone.”

• The authors go on to say: The practical goal of making a city age friendly is to adapt its structures and services to be ‐accessible to and inclusive of older people with varying needs and capacities. Consultation with older people, caregivers and service providers in the public, volunteer and private sectors has led to the development of a set of age friendly checklists. ‐The principles underpinning Age Friendly Communities are about optimizing opportunities for health, participation and security to enhance quality of life as people age

Age-Friendly Community Domains (they don’t cite principles)

1. Transportation2. Housing3. Social participation4. Respect and social inclusion5. Civic participation and employment6. Communication and information7. Community support and health services8. Outdoor spaces and buildings

Planning Process for AFC

• Evaluation of conditions and problem identification• Data gathering and analysis• Development of policies and plans (and public

engagement)• Design of detailed plans based on zoning, design

guidelines,• public works standards• Evaluation of development proposals• Evaluation of conditions and problem identification

(process starts again)

Age-Friendly Community Planningand Nanaimo

• Can someone use the following City of Nanaimo link to figure out the percentage of seniors in Nanaimo? http://www.nanaimo.ca/assets/Departments/Economic~Development/Sectors/CP%20Fact%20sheet.pdf.

• Are seniors concentrated in some areas more than others?

• Is anyone aware of any initiatives the City is taking to address the growing number of seniors?

• What could and should be done to create a more senior-friendly city?