COLAB AT WORK
CASE STUDY : MAIN STREET MARKHAM Markham Village is one of the oldest built areas in the Town of Markham. It developed as a commercial and residential area to the north of the original grist and woolen mills that were established along the Rouge River by the Berzcy family and Pennsylvania Dutch settlers. In the 19th century, the village transitioned into an important industrial and administrative centre of the region. By the turn of the century, a transformed, compact urban form had emerged, anchored at the centre by a main street with dignified commercial and administrative buildings, with a collection of perpendicular residential streets forming a grid plan and a direct rail connection to Toronto along the Toronto and Nipissing Railway, making it an ideal location for growth and opportunity. Today, despite significant changes in the architectural forms of the building, the organization of streets in the Main Street Markham district maintains its inherited 19th century grid plan form. Newer residential areas that were built in the 1950s and later, however, betray the grid pattern in favour of residential streets dominated by a network of crescents and closed circulation paths that are
oriented towards Highway 7 rather than the established Main Street commercial strip. The street is a mix of basic amenities, small businesses and boutique shops. Although the heritage character of Markham Village has been maintained with new commercial establishments, revitalization of Main Street is necessary to make full use of this potential and meet the needs of residents and business owners today. Main Street Markham presents an excellent opportunity for Markham to support growth by increasing residential and commercial density and to work with the community to design sensitive interventions that contribute to a dynamic public realm.
The largest demographic is between the ages of 40 and 65. Home-ownership and spending power are largely governed by this group. A valuable opportunity for Markham’s future also lies in the retention of the 13-14% of the population between the ages of 10 and 19. As this demographic matures, its members will require alternative, smaller and less expensive housing options if they choose to reside near Main Street Markham. Infill housing development contributes to densification and population growth, and works to retain this valuable demographic with an alternative typology to the single-family residential unit.
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