Ryan Koraen Capstone by R Koraen

NEW LONDON CITY HALL

A MULTI-MODAL TRANSIT HUB AND COMMUNITY CENTER

CAPSTONE REPORT August, 2021 Fanshawe College Honours Bachelor of Environmental Design and Planning Prepared by Ryan Koraen Supporting Faculty: Andrew Wilson Ben Billings Corrine Wilmink Eli Paddle Martin Healy Rick Oskirko Shelley Stephenson William Pol

Software

CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Problem Statement 1.2 Project Purpose 1.3 Goals and Objectives

1.4 Site Selection 1.5 Site Introduction

2. LAND USE PLANNING 2.1 Land Use Context 2.2 Policy and Documents 2.3 Conclusion

3. INVENTORY AND ANALYSIS 3.1 Surrounding Context 3.2 Mobility Analysis 3.3 Socio-economic Analysis 3.4 Abiotic/Biotic Analysis 3.5 Tree Inventory 3.6 Site Inventory 3.7 Site Analysis

4. IDEATION AND THEORY 4.1 literature 4.2 Design Manuals 4.3 Case Studies 4.4 Preliminary Ideas 4.5 Draft Plan

5. FINAL DESIGN 5.1 Master Plan 5.2 Visualizations 5.3 Street Section 5.4 Hybrid Section 5.5 Design Elements 5.6 Planting Palette

6. POST DESIGN ANALYSIS 6.1 Achievements & Recommendations 6.2 Conclusion

7. APPENDIX AND REFERENCES 7.1 Appendix A 7.2 References

INTRODUCTION

Image 1: Dundas Street traffic 1956

1.1 Problem Statement 1.2 Project Purpose 1.3 Goals and Objectives 1.4 Site Selection 1.5 Site Introduction

From the earliest forms of planning in Mesopotamia, to the newest developments taking place in Dubai, cities around the world have been evolving with the ever changing patterns of human evolution and technological advancements. While much of this can be seen as a form of progress, it is becoming increasingly evident that there is a need for change. Following the introduction of the automobile in the early twentieth century, there was a major shift in the way cities were designed. Pedestrian streets that once had people walking or riding horse drawn carriage were repurposed as streets for cars, and sidewalks were made second for people. This was the beginning of the end. The automobile industry accelerated at unprecedented rates as cars were becoming much more affordable. Correspondingly, with the introduction of highways, the car became the fundamental element to North American lives. This new form of transportation led to another problem we are facing today with urban sprawl - a direct consequence of the personal vehicle, which became a trend after World War II. Sprawl led to single family homes being scattered across vast distances, far from industries and city centres. While there are growing trends today of moving to city centres, there are still single family homes being built at the urban growth boundary now. Around the world, and in many North American cities including London Ontario,

this idea of designing for cars has caused tremendous negative impacts. Walking through Downtown London nurtures a feeling of wanting better pedestrian experiences as there seems to be more asphalt than green space. Streets are lined with parking meters and signs of all sorts when they should be lined with street trees. Cyclists are squeezed between curbs and cars that feel so close they could graze the hairs on your arm. Climate change is a global issue that is widely known and researched, but not enough is being done. According to Clean Energy Canada, transportation pollution levels have increased almost 30% in the past 20 years (McNamara, 2020). In the past few years we have seen some of the hottest recorded temperatures Lytton B.C. setting the hottest recorded temperature for Canada this year (Moscrop, 2021). With this changing climate, the effects of prolonged droughts and intensified flooding events will become increasingly concerning for London without proper infrastructure investment. Increased air pollution in urban areas caused from vehicles is not only worsening global warming and causing major consequential impacts on the environment, but to the overall health of people. Common effects of air pollution in urban areas (Health effects of air pollution, 2021) include asthma, allergies, as well as potential heart conditions such as angina, and heart attacks.

1.1

Problem Statement

Image 2: Richmond Street traffic CTV News 2017

Additionally, according to Statistics Canada (2018), obesity rates for people over the age of 18 were 26.8% which is equal to approximately 7.3 million people, and an additional 9.9 million people considered to be overweight. Promoting walking and cycling as an alternative to cars can not only reduces emissions, but promote healthy and active lifestyles. This is especially important in a time where working from home is becoming a reaslity for many people due to the effects of the COVID 19 pandemic. While trips to work by car may be reduced as a result, promoting non work related trips by active transportation

Image of Richmond Street traffic as London Ontario ranks 6th for worst city traffic in Canada according to the TomTom Traffic Index for 2020. must be made priority now more than ever. As urbanization is becoming a global trend with high density development projects in every neighbourhood, the fundamental problem that needs to be addressed is why people are choosing to use personal automobiles for the majority of inner city trips, and in what ways does urban design influence the use of multiple modes of active transportation.

A cyclist riding with cars as there is no cycling infrastructure.

Image 3: Cyclist on street

Worldwide, cities are leading in climate action by encouraging active transit as main modes of transportation. Furthermore, there is considerable measure being accomplished to ensure cities are being designed for people, not cars. Although this may be true, London is still a car dependent city. The London Transit Commission has good connectivity with most residents living 5 minutes from a bus stop, however, many of these routes have long waits, multiple connections in order to arrive at a destination, and inadequate amenities. Promoting cycling as a main mode of active transportation is only recently being introduced. However, the majority of London infrastructure is labeled as signed, sharrows (painted arrow on road indicating cars and bicycles must share the road), bike lanes (vehicular separation by painted line), or no infrastructure at all. It is important to ensure people feel safe using cycle paths as it will encourage more people to use them. There are many new developments taking place with intensification as the main goal, however, there is minimal incorporation of proper pedestrian connectivity to active transportation with safe and well designed infrastructure for active transportation.

One of the direct causes to London’s traffic congestion and increased car use is urbanization. According to Statistics Canada, London Ontario is the second fastest growing city in Canada. This is directly impacting the amount of traffic and air pollution in London, but it is also causing another major problem for the city with housing and rental shortages. According to the Federation of RentalHousing Providers of Ontario (FRPO) and Urbanization, within the next 10 years, the province could be facing a shortage of nearly 200,000 rental units. Additionally, it is estimated that in order for London to keep up with demand, there will have to be approximately 700 and 800 new rental units every year (Juha, 2020).

Image 4: London Ontario high density development

New high rise development with limited cycling infrastructure.

1.2 Project Purpose Presently, the world is facing immense challenges with tackling a climate crisis. The 2021 report released by the IPCC states that "Global surface temperature will continue to increase until at least the mid-century under all emissions scenarios considered. Global warming of 1.5°C and 2°C will be exceeded during the 21st century unless deep reductions in CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions occur in the coming decades" (IPCC, 2021, p.17) While some efforts have been made, fears that we are too late, or not doing enough to reverse the effects remain a dormant subconscious thought. These fears stem from inaction from government and the city as there are talks about the needs for change, but little being done. Humanity is not ready for future unknown climate events as we rely on non-renewable energy sources that are on the brink of running out, and the majority of our trips that can be made by active transit are made with cars. People will not change without having the opportunity provided. There will not be reduced vehicle traffic by simply telling people not to drive. Covid-19 served as a wake up call to people around the world at the possibilities and extraordinary results of reduced air pollution as stay at home orders drastically reduced the amount of cars on the roads. People were able to see greater distances, the Eiffel tower, visible from London England is one example. One of the greatest outcomes of the pandemic

has been the surge in cycling. 2020 is considered the bicycle boom as lock downs had many people looking for ways to get out of the house. It is crucial that cities act now as the pandemic has provided an opportunity to continue the cycling movement and adapt it to our transportation system. Cities possess the power to advance towards a more resilient future, and if it is not done now, it could potentially be too late. The purpose of this project is not to state the problems we are facing, but to provide inspiration and realize the potential if we shift our way of design and culture around the movement and interactions of people. The purpose is to locate a site to facilitate the needs for a new city hall along the BRT corridor that will act as a multi-modal transit hub and live, work, play and live, work, play

Image 5: Cyclist along Ridout Street

mixed-use development. Furthermore, it will also serve as a pilot site for future transit-oriented developments (TOD) and transit villages. It will illustrate the types of infrastructure necessary for the creation of a more inclusive and resilient London as we enter a transitional phase in sustainable planning. With a focus on transit oriented design, this project aims to address the transformative changes that must be made to infrastructure to encourage the use of active transport. This is an intergenerational problem as many people don’t want to transition away from cars, but it is paramount that efforts for sustainability are implemented now for future generations

to come. London is currently seeing rapid population growth and increased housing demands with intensification in the city center and surrounding neighbourhoods. The future downtown core will see many more residents as the London Plan (2016) outlines building up, and trends of wanting to live in city centers. This project will focus on Downtown as a model to accommodate the increased population, in addition to providing safe walking and cycling to and from BRT stations though traffic calming, creating barriers between cars and cyclists, and improving the pedestrian realm of streetscapes. It will also focus on providing safe bicycle parking at transit stops for alternatives to car travel.

Image 6: New Riverside Street cycle track

1.3 Goals Promote Active Transportation

Encouraging people to engage in the wonderful benefits active transportation has on health, wellbeing, and the sustainable future of London and cities around the world Ensure will need a proper infrastructure and transit Pedestrian Safe Streets hub. Pedestrian safety should be the number one priority for every development and redesign as feeling safe in a place is what motivates people to keep going there. Safety is also important to promote cycling as a main mode of transportation, and to ensure people of Design all ages and abilities have the option without For A Resilient City It is crucial we design today for future worries of vehicles. generations to come. Resilient Design is a direct response to growing challenges cities are facing with climate change. Goals for this area relate primarily to increasing green infrastructure in the downtown core for potential future problems caused by Create global warming. Designing for intensifying A Place For Community flooding events, increasing temperatures, Designing for community will be important and renewable energy. for a new city hall as it will serve multiple purposes. It will be a place for Londoners to visit, explore, relax, and will serve as a multimodal connection point for active transportation. One of the landscape design goals is to create a community civic space that promotes social equity and interaction.

Streetscape - Following the London Complete Streets Design Manual to create a pedestrian friendly environment with integration of dedicated BRT and bicycle lanes. - Biophilic design to connect people to nature with bioretention gardens and street trees. - Lively streets with active edges.

Resilience

- Storm Water Management with urban swales and increased street trees using silva cells - Drought Resistant Plants for prolonged heat waves - Light Coloured Paving to reduce heat island effect

Active Transit

- Green Bus Shelter and public seating area with a and access to free wifi - Bike parking facility for people to leave their bikes safe and secure, as well as integrated bike repair station with tools. - Incorporate a multimodal transit hub into an active public space that allows for seamless connectivity

Community

- Create a welcoming multi use civic center with pedestrian friendly and accessible access to multimodal active transportation. - Ensure safety for people of all ages to so it is inviting for families and children.

Image 7: Cyclist on Thames Valley Parkway

Objectives

Poor seating areas

Uneven paving material

No sense of place Lack of enclosure

Design for cars Sharrow with car dominant street

Limited accessibility

Poor imageability

Image 8: Aerial view of current City Hall

Image 9: Rear view of City Hall

Image 10: Entrance to City Hall No Mixed Use and Unwelcoming To Public

1.4 The Need For a New City Hall What’s There

Need For New Building

The current London City Hall building is located at 300 Dufferin Avenue. Built in 1971, this 12 storey municipal building acts as the headquarters for city staff, council members, and the Mayor. The building is in a good location with close proximity to Victoria Park, and Richmond Shopping District. The building sits on an underground parking garage with an adjacent residential apartment to the East and a proposed development in the parking lot North of Centennial Hall.

As the city continues to grow, so does the amount of city staff and departments, which has led to the need for additional office space being leased throughout downtown. Reginald Cooper Square is a public space between City Hall and Centennial Hall which is currently in derelict state and in need for redevelopment. The city has released in a statement that the cost to refurbish and update the existing building up to todays standards would be more expensive than to build a new one (Newcombe, 2019).

Transportation

Accessibility

The main entrance to the building suggests the design oriented to accommodate cars, active transportation and connectivity was not well planned for. Cycling is acknowledged with the use of sharrows, however there is no cycling infrastructure for people to safely lock their bicycle.

The current building is not accessible as there is no direct ground floor entrances without the use of stairs. This is not what the city should represent as a welcoming and community oriented building. Furthermore, there are no ramps from the back square for people to leave or access with wheelchairs.

1.5

Site Selection

Desired Site Lot

Bike Lane Signed Bike Rout Sharrow

Selected Lots With Proposed BRT Stops and Access to Bike Lanes

BRT Stop

BRT Route

Selected Lots Along BRT Corridor

Parking Lots

Selected Parking Lots Within Central London, Ontario

110

220

Metres

Selecting a site for a new London City Hall is very important as it will serve the city for future generations to come. While there is great importance in potential locations with regards to features such as heritage and surrounding context, the main focus of finding a new site was to ensure optimal connectivity for active transportation. The first step of the site selection was focusing the search to Central London, as City Hall should be at the heart of the city.

Kilometres

In keeping with London's goal for finding better uses for parking lots, the next selection criteria was to identify developable parking lots within Central London. This selection of parking lots includes a mix of privatized and municipal lots to find the best location. The second selection criteria was to narrow down the identified parking lots by adjacency to the BRT route, and the downtown loop. Finally, selecting lots with access to a BRT stop and cycling paths as the main design feature of the new city hall will be centered around the promotion and use of active transportation.

0.1 0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

Kilometres

m 5

A v Queens

45m

lla

Talbot

Rido

ut S t

Image 11: Aerial view of site

1.6 Site Introduction

Lot Size

1.7 Acres

Addition

0.4 Acres

Combined 2.1 Acres Area

Proposed BRT Stop Downtown BRT Loop

Following the site selection process, the most suitable lot for the proposed city hall is located at 100 Queens Avenue, bordered by Fullarton Street to the north, Talbot Street to the east, and Ridout Street to the west. Currently, the sole purpose of the site is to accommodate cars as a surface parking lot. There is great potential for development as this site has a proposed BRT stop at the corner of Talbot St and Queens Ave. This stop will be altered and augmented with the design to create a multimodal active transit stop for BRT, cycling, and walking. Furthermore, there are currently cycling connections to this site via a bike lane on Queens Ave and a sharrow path along Ridout St. While much of the design will focus on the landscape, building orientation, multimodal transit hub integration, an important aspect of this site is the interaction of people with the surrounding roads. With Queens Avenue being an arterial road, and Talbot Street a primary road with traffic volume counts of 12000 to 14000 (London GIS data, 2019), they will be a major focus to ensure they are safe, accessible, and desirable for people as the new city hall will serve as a community and active transit hub, as well as a landmark for the city of London.

LAND USE PLANNING

2 Land use planning policy is what manages and determines how our cities, neighborhoods, and sites are designed. There are multiple levels of government and organizations that have set a framework of principles and regulations that offer guidance and establish values for the city.

2.1 Land Use Context 2.2 Policy and Documents 2.3 Conclusion

Map 1: Current zoning of surrounding lots showing a poor mix of land uses

Open Space Commercial Residential Institutional

15 30

Metres 120

2.1 Land Use Context Planning Considerations

Permited Uses

This site is currently identified with a commercial land use designation. An official plan amendment will be required to allow for a mixed-use residential transit oriented development. It is important this proposed development follow the rules and policy under the Planning Act for sustainable development that promotes the use of active transportation, and placemaking in line with London's place types.

The current zoning of DA2 will allow for the development and design goals to be achieved as a mixed use building that can incorporate necessities for the growing downtown community with access to laces like grocery store, health clinics, and other businesses or restaurants with prime location at City Hall and the BRT transit hub. List of permitted uses in figure A1 of the appendix.

Regulations

Zoning By-law

City of London Zoning By-law requires a:x

The site is currently zoned as DA2 (Downtown Area) which is the city's most intensive commercial business areas. There is a wide variety of permitted uses for DA zoning from office to commercial as well as residential. DA2 applies to DA zoning in the peripheral areas of Downtown. This site will not need a zoning change as it allows for the proposed development as it stands.

Minimum lot frontage of 3m Minimum of 5% landscaped open space Maximum lot coverage 95% Maximum Height 90m Gross floor area of retail of 5000 m2 Building forms of shopping centres, mixed -use buildings or stand alone structures.

2.2 Documents/Policy The London Plan The London Plan identifies and aligns with the challenges and problems this capstone aims to address; managing growth forecasts for an increased population of 77,000 people and 43,000 new jobs from 20152035, and placing a critical importance on transportation with public transit ridership expecting 50% increase by 2024. The London Plan also recognizes the need to focus on building our city to offer real and attractive alternatives to the car, such as walking, cycling, and transit. Additionally, there are numerous other challenges that need to be accounted for and will guide the design and planning of this site. Growing Diversity will be an important part in planning for the city as 1 in 5 Londoners are new Canadians. With questions on how London can accommodate the needs for new Canadians, and how we can welcome them, the new city hall community hub could also work as a welcome center in the heart of the city.

A Growing Seniors Population is

also a major challenge London needs to plan for as forecasts predict that 1 in 3 Londoners will be 55 years or older by 2035. This will be important in designing for an age friendly city and ensuring safe cycling paths that are separated from cars, walkable streets, and adequate seating areas. Comparatively, there are New Demands for Urban Living as studies show a desire for people to move back to the urban core. This change paired with increased needs for active transportation and an aging population is important for regenerating these urban areas and city centers for safer pedestrian experience (The London Plan, 20. Finally, Climate Change is also one of the major challenges London needs to plan for to better prepare for major weather events such as extreme flooding and warmer temperatures. Planning for this to mitigate future impacts as well as adapt to reduce negative impacts will be an important part of the design.

This project will follow the growth framework and policy for:

Intensification

Policy within the intensification goals include emphasis on growing inward and upward. Infill development of underutilized lots (parking lot). The most intense forms of development will be directed along the rapid transit corridor, and at transit stations. These are applicable as this site will serve as a high density development around a BRT stop connecting multiple modes of transportation

Primary Transit Area

With the site located along the BRT corridor, this site will have a heightened level of pedestrian and cycling infrastructure to serve and support active mobility while improving and creating better connections with transit oriented design, improved cycle lanes, sidewalks, public space, and public seating.

Central London

As the site is in Central London, these policies will apply to the project: Infill and intensification will be promoted, greater heights and densities may be permitted, and a high standard f design will be applied to support pedestrian and cycling environments.

Downtown and Rapid Transit Corridors

The new London City Hall will be located in the Downtown and will serve as a rapid transit station to thus coinciding with the London Plan's vision of 2035. It will be designed as a pedestrian first hub which will serve as a place to live, shop, work, and play.

Place Type

The place types for this site is a mix between Rapid Transit Corridor which connects the Downtown with highly urban forms of development, and Downtown that allows for the broadest range of uses and the most intense forms of development in the City. Building height regulations for downtown are minimum of 3 storeys with standard maximum of 20 storeys, with type two bonus of 35 storeys.

Provincial Policy Statement The Provincial Policy Statement (PPS) will be used as a guideline for the goals and objectives of the project. For the most part, the PPS is in place to ensure that the health and safety of the people and environment are accounted for in future land use planning in Ontario. The main policies to be incorporated include Resilient Development for healthy, livable, safe, sustainable communities; Infrastructure and Public Service Facilities which will include the active transit hub with bus shelter and bicycle parking; Sewage, Water and Stormwater with the implementation of urban swales and silva cells; Transportation Systems by creating better multimodal connectivity; and Energy Conservation, Air Quality and Climate Change with focusing on active transit around mixed use development.

1.1 Managing and Directing Land Use to Achieve Efficient and Resilient Development and Land Use Patterns 1.1.1 Healthy, livable, and safe communities are sustained by e) promoting transit-supportive development f) improving accessibility g) ensuring necessary infrastructure and public facilities are or will meet current and projected needs

1.6 Infrastructure and Public Service Facilities 1.6.1 Infrastructure and public service facilities shall be provided to prepare for climate change impacts 1.6.5 co-located in community hubs, promoting access to transit and active transportation.

1.6.6 Sewage, Water and Stormwater 1.6.6.7 Planning for stormwater management shall f) promote best practices, water conservation and efficiency, and low impact development

1.6.7 Transportation Systems 1.6.7.3 connectivity within the transportation systems and modes should be maintained and, where possible, improved.

1.8 Energy Conservation, Air Quality and Climate Change 1.8.1 support energy conservation and efficiency, improved air quality, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and prepare for climate change impacts through b) encouraging transit-supportive development and intensification

City of London Cycling Master Plan In 2016, London Ontario released a cycling master plan which outlined the demand for cycling infrastructure as there is a growing number of cyclists in the city. Within the Downtown, there are many proposed cycle paths with a proposal or cycle track along Queens Avenue, passing through the site. The plan also identifies the need for increased infrastructure within new developments.

Figure 1: map 6 of the London Cycling Master Plan

“High volumes of cyclists were documented in

the downtown core at intersections where wait times were low (LondonBikes, 2016, p.13)

”

Action #2 of the plan identifies the objective of having a winter cycling network which also includes a route located on Queens Avenue which will be considered into the design options of the improved street.

Figure 2: map 7 of the London Cycling Master Plan

Complete Streets Policy The City of London has identified policy priorities for complete streets that will influence the design goals and objectives as the street plays a vital role for people as they visit the site by walking, cycling, or use public transit. It is crucial that they can arrive at the site safely without worry of car traffic. Streets are often overlooked in the design, however, they are vital in insuring a sense of inclusion, lively activity, and placemaking. VISION ZERO The first priority set in place is to "strive for vision zero" which is a principle that there should be no life lost due to traffic collisions. This principle must be integrated into design to change infrastructure and safety culture with improved intersection and traffic calming. PEDESTRIAN FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENTS These pedestrian environments must ensure means of travel by walking or using mobility devices. They should provide direct routes with minimized risk creating a comfortable experience for all ages and abilities. This is done by providing sufficiently wide pedestrian clearway, accessibility features including audible signals, tactile walking surfaces, seating, signage, street trees, and waste receptacles.

ACCESSIBLE OPTIONS Streets must function as links for users to reach their destination as well as places in which Londoners gather, meet, conduct business, and enjoy the city. They must also promote healthy and active lifestyles by giving people the opportunity to choose active modes of transportation. EMBED SUSTAINABILITY Street design should minimize environmental impacts and maximize the lifespan of physical infrastructure. They should promote low emission and energy efficient travel modes such as walking, cycling, and public transit. Where possible, they should promote ecosystem diversity with trees, planters and vegetation, include low impact development features to facilitate groundwater recharge, maximize solar reflectivity to reduce the urban heat island effect, and make use of low impact construction techniques and materials.

2.3 Conclusion

Policy/Site Issues

Conclusion

Potential issues for the site may be in the parking requirements as it will be proposed to be relocated to an underground parking facility, and removal of multiple street parking spaces. The site plan is to be designed with no surface parking to ensure pedestrian safety.

There are not many land use planning and policy constraints for this site as it does not need a zoning by law amendment. The current zoning allows for the mix use building to be developed with additions of green space and retail frontages.

Another potential land use planning issue may arise with the reduction street traffic lanes and removal of a right turn lane on Queens Avenue to Talbot Street.

There will need to be a site plan approval and planning application for the building meeting the Official Plan and Zoning Amendments for the building allowances.

INVENTORY & ANALYSIS

3 Site inventory and analysis aid the design by examining what is missing and what can be done to make improvements. It is also how existing built form will influence, and encourage the design to ensure it is suitable with the neighbourhood characteristics

3.1 Surrounding Context 3.2 Tree Inventory 3.3 Socio-economic Analysis 3.4 Abiotic/Biotic Analysis 3.5 Mobility Analysis 3.6 Site Inventory 3.7 Site Analysis

Ric

out

Proposed Site King St

Rid

Dundas St

Talbot St

Queens Ave

Duf ferin Ave

d S t

Harris Park

TVP Thames River

Labatt Park

Image 12: Aerial view of surrounding context

3.1 Surrounding Context RELIGIOUS SRUCTURES

Downtown London has a rich history of catholicism and architecture recognizable with the three churches that can be found within a few blocks from the site. Located north of the site on Talbot Street is the First Christian Reformed Church, which is an urban church constructed from 1881 to 1882 (Historic Places, 2009). The second church is St. Paul's Cathedral located at the corner of Richmond St and Queens Ave is the oldest church in London with construction starting in the mid 1840's. The third church is St. Peter's Cathedral Basilica located at Richmond St and Dufferin Ave constructed in the mid 1880's (locorum,2018). Image 13: St. Paul's Cathedral

EDUCATION

Fanshawe College has integrated their campus into downtown London with a new campus building on Dundas St. This new campus is the new home for students in programs such as: School of Information Technology, School of Tourism, Hospitality and Culinary, and School of Design.

Image 14: Fanshawe College

COMMUNITY

One of the many great features and surrounding land uses is the Covent Garden Market at the corner of Talbot St and King St. This market was established in 1845 and has served the downtown and city of London with food, services, farmers markets, festivals and events. With festivals and food vender's from around the world, it is not only a place of community, but is a place that celebrates culture, equality, diversity, and community (Covent Market, 2021).

Image 15: Covent Garden Market

ENTERTAINMENT

Image 16: Labatt Memorial Park

Some of the main entertainment venues within close proximity to the site include Budweiser Gardens with an abundance of annual events, Labatt Memorial Park which is London's oldest sporting facility, and according to Canada's Historic Places (2008), it is one of the oldest and continually used baseball grounds in the world. Nearby, there is also London Music Hall on Dundas St and The Grand Theatre on Richmond St

PARKS Within close proximity to the site are Ivey Park, River Forks Park, Harris Park, and Victoria Park. Harris Park, while it serves as open space and is used for events like Rock The Park, also serves as a natural buffer and flood protection from the Thames River for the site. Image 17: Harris Park

CIVIC

There are multiple civic buildings in the surrounding neighborhood including the London Courthouse and Dominion Public Building, which add to the significance and civic influence the new City Hall building will bring. This will create and enhance the strong civic presence with representation of past and present architecture and design for the future goals of the city. Image 18: Ontario Court of Justice

Image 19: Dominion Public Building

HERITAGE

Image 20: Elden House

As the site is located in downtown London, there is a substantial amount of heritage and architectural influences. Near the sight are two of London's most significant heritage features including the Elden House built in 1834 which is London's oldest residence (Elden House, 2020), and the Old London Court House constructed in 1827 (theoldcourthouse, 2018). 435, 441 and 451 Ridout Street North (Image 22) are three mid-19thcentury residential and commercial buildings are also a national historic site of Canada (Parks Canada, 2004). These buildings also influence the character in the surrounding neighborhood as there are many contrasts in architectural styles that will need to be take into account for the design of the new City Hall.

Image 21: Old London Courthouse

ARCHITECTURE

The Eldon house (Image 20) has a unique Georgian and Regency style architecture with gardens considered to be some of the nicest in the city (Elden House, 2020).

Image 22: Heritage buildings

The Old London Courthouse (Image 21) is a "nationally significant example Gothic revival" as it predates the oldest Gothic revival architecture in England (Butler, 2019). The new Ontario Court of Justice (Image 18) represents a change in styles with brutalist style architecture which will create an interesting juxtaposition with the new City Hall. The three buildings at 435, 441 and 451 Ridout Street North bring classical style with yellow brick facades.

Image 23: London Museum

Museum London introduces modern architecture in 1980 with a design by Canadian Architect Raymond Moriyama (Museum London, 2018).

3.2

Mobility Analysis ACTIVE TRANSIT

200m

Map 2: Surrounding modes of transportation

Promoting the use of active transit is one of the main goals for this project. This site is located near the Forks of the Thames which acts as a major multimodal connecting point with a multi use path network, connecting Bike Lane to street bicycle paths. While there Signed Bike Route are currently bike paths near and Sharrow Multi Use Path adjacent to the site, majority are sharrow, and signed road routes. This causes lack of safety for cyclists which will lead to less use as new riders will not feel comfortable. At this point in time, the bike path along Queens Walking Paths Avenue is split between bike path and Active Transit Connecting point signed route. To improve future use it would be ideal to upgrade this to a buffered bike path with separation from vehicles. Public transit access is currently in place with a bus stop in the south west corner of the site, Richmond Row and it is only 200m from Richmond BRT Route Street which is one of London's main public transit corridors, however, lacks basic amenities like seating or shelter. Furthermore, construction will soon begin for the new Bus Rapid Transit loop further that will be integrated into the design. Metres 120

MOBILITY SUMMARY

Image 24: Queens Ave. bike lane

Image 25: Ridout St. sharrow

• Good multimodal connectivity • Need for safer cycling network • Opportunity to improve multimodal connections to public transit

The need for good public spaces with safe and connected access to active transport will become a vital part of transforming Median Age: 34 London's Downtown into a sustainable, high Maried Couples: 48% density urban center. With a calculation Families With Kids: 17% done in ArcGIS pro using a population Approximately 60% of people living in density tool combined with 2016 census downtown London make less than 40-60 data, a resulting score of 3757 people thousand a year (areavibes, 2019) per square kilometer was the outcome. Cmparitively, 2019 census data shows a score of 4028, or an increase of 1.07% in the last four years (areavibes, 2019). As multiple high density developments have been completed, and more are beginning, this number will continue to increase and designing to reduce the use of cars will help lower pollution levels, and create safer places to live. Downtown Demographics

Map 3: Downtown London Ontario Census

150

300

450

A study done by Bopp et al., looking at public transit and active commuting use shows why investing in Downtown London's transit spaces will benefit the people living there. It was found that the average age of users was 39.54, and percentages of active commuters decreased with higher incomes of 60 thousand plus per year. As more high density, affordable rental developments advance, this demographic range of active transit users will increase providing economic opportunity around multi modal BRT transit hubs.

Metres 600

3.3 Socio-economic Analysis

3.4

Abiotic/Biotic Analysis

STREET TREE

Currently, the only street trees found on site are five honey locusts found within the additional vegetated island that will be allocated for the design.

PERMEABLE

Site permeability currently accounts for only 6% of the lot surface with the addition of the land south of the Queens Avenue cut through.

IMPERMEABLE

Impermeable surfaces represent the majority of space in the surrouding neighbourhood which not only drains runoff towards the Thames River, but adds to the heat island effect. Map 4: Lack of permeable surfaces and street trees 25

Metres 100

Site Permiability % 6%

ABIOTIC/BIOTIC SUMMARY • Lack of street trees along the site perimeter • Potential pollutants from vehicles draining into the Thames River • Increased risk of flooding due to limited permeable surfaces • Elevation change with proximity to the Thames River will allow for magnificent vista opportunity with potential elevated roof top park

Bioswales

Green Space

Permeability IMPROVES Pedestrian Experience Stormwater Management

Street Trees

TOPOGRAPHY

The site has a south west orientation and an elevation of 247m. With contours set to 1m intervals, the site has an elevation change of approximately 1m. The percentage angle of slope is around 1.5% towards the south to the Thames River.

248m

Risk

With such a small change in topography and poor permeability conditions on site, urban flooding is a prevalent concern. Which is why there is a need for increased LID in the downtown core.

247m

246m

240m 235m

Map 5: Minimal elevation change with proximity to Thames River 30

120

Metres

HYDROLOGY

Following the topography of the site, the natural drainage flows south west. This will be important for the site in locating and placing stormwater management systems including street trees along the perimeter of the site, permeable paving along Fullerton St, and bioretention garden in the south west corner of the development site at the intersection of Queens Ave and Ridout St. The inclusion of these will allow for better drainage and act as filtration to vehicular pollutants. Water flow

Map 6: Surface water flow direction

3.5 Tree Inventory Sycamore Plane

Norway Maple

Chanticleer Pear

Serviceberry Plumb

Oakleaf Mountain Ash

Norway Maple

Honey Locust

Hedge Maple

Map London Plane

7 English Oak Red Maple

Trees will be an important aspect of the design by creating linear boundaries with street trees, as well as incorporating them with silva cells to allow the trees to break up the paved walking areas and provide people with shaded and relaxing places to rest. Currently, there is a disproportionate amount of Honey Locust in the area, thus these will not be incorporated in the planting plan.

Honey Locust

Ginkgo

Varied tree plantings will be selected with the help of a shadow analysis for areas of full sun and full shade. Including trees that will match the surrounding neighbourhood context is important, however, introducing new native species will be a goal to increase vegetation diversity in the area.

Richmond St Shopping District

Fullarton Street

Richmond St

Existing Buildings

Sharrow bicycle route will not work with future BRT route

Main intersections lacking pedestrian and cyclist safety

Pedestrian throughway's from residential areas

Talbot St Potential area for functional space with outdoor patios to interact with active transit and BRT stop

Public surface parking

Main pedestrian area with bad pedestrian realm and minimal cycling infrastructure

Existing on street parking

Existing left turning lane off Queens Ave disturbing pedestrian experience and creating unsafe crossing

Area for civic space

Ridout St

Harris Park Thames Valley Parkway

Queens Avenue

Heritage Buildings

Views to be maintained and improved for pedestrian seating areas

Metres 100

3.6 Site Inventory

3.7 Site Analysis Dedicated BRT lane Consider reducing lanes for vehicular traffic as calming method

Two lane cycle track with vegetated barrier along Queens Avenue, connecting to cycle track along riverside

Talbot St Improve pedestrian crossing and introduce traffic calming methods.

Potential area for multi use building Maintain Fullarton Street parking

Bring survices and underground parking behind building

Add bioretention garden

Implement programmable civic square

Ridout St

Queens Avenue

Introduce street trees along perimeter of site

Metres 100

Introduce traffic calming and highly visible bike an BRT lane paint.

PHOTO ANALYSIS This is a view of Queens Avenue looking west, a car dominant street, with a speed limit of 60 km/h and painted bicycle lane. This is unsafe for pedestrians.

Image 26: Queens Avenue looking west

A part of Queens Avenue interrupts the pedestrian connectivity forcing people to j-walk.

Image 27: Queens Avenue cut through

Another view of Queens Avenue representing the space allocated to cars rather than people.

Image 28: Queens Avenue streets for cars

Sidewalks along Queens Avenue with obstacles obstructing the walk for pedestrians and creating an unclear view of their destination.

Image 29: Sidewalk obstructions

IDEATION & THEORY

4 Theory has a fundamental importance in the practice of urban design. It is a guiding tool for methodologies and principals to make informed decisions. A collection of knowledge and practice from architects, planner, and designers from centuries of studies of successful and failed designs has left us the tools necessary to create better cities for people guiding the design of this site.

4.1 Literature 4.2 Design Manuals 4.3 Case Studies 4.4 Preliminary Ideas 4.5 Draft Plan

4.1 Literature

Identifying and understanding the need to invest in active transportation connectivity in Downtown London was the first step in the literature study. Creating a BRT hub to accommodate multi-modal transportation in a growing city started with understanding what proper transit oriented design is, how to increase pedestrian safety, and the links between urban spaces and transit use. The study began with a question of what a usable, well designed transit hub looks like and how influential the surrounding land uses and built environment are to encourage people to walk, bicycle, and use public transportation.

Active Transportation Investment

While it is often referred to when speaking about walking and cycling, it also can be connected to the larger public transit system. There are countless reasons why people should embrace the use of active and public transportation including health benefits, and the positive impacts of reducing impacts of climate change, but what's holding cities back is the role of municipalities with worries of investing and municipal revenues from improved infrastructure (Kornas et al. 2016, p.466). A study conducted by Kornas et al. found positive impacts of improving and investing in streets for bike parking, bike lanes, and walkability as a 20 point increase in walkability led to an 80% increase in revenue to surrounding retail. Additionally, providing proper infrastructure results in more consumer spending which one study reported that consumer spending by recreational and commuter cyclists generated about 7000 jobs within Iowa State (Kornas et al. 2016, p.480). While these are only some of the benefits of investing in active transportation infrastructure, it is important to recognize who is currently using it, what is the preferred method of integrating cycling and public transit, and how to develop land uses around that.

Cycling and Transit

Active transit is the multimodal way of the future. Walking, cycling, and public transit must replace the car if there is any hope of reducing the effects of climate change and creating healthier, and lively cities. Moreover, to design for this type of transit, we must understand how people will use it, and how to better connect the three modes. A study by Marleau et al. (2011) looked at cycle-transit integration (C-T) in Montreal, Quebec which came to a conclusion that 63% of respondents to their survey would combine bicycle and public transit for a given trip. From this study, majority of people chose option (a) and (c) from image 30.

Image 30: Bus stop siting

Furthermore, Bicycle parking at transit station represented 34% of rated priority for facilitating cycle-bus usability.

INFLUENCE OF BUILT ENVIRONMENT

Land Use Influence

Active and public transportation will only become a viable option for urban residents when the land uses support it. Walking, cycling, and public transit use rely heavily on the characteristics of built environments, which influence and direct people away from using cars. Walking as a form of active transportation is mainly increased by built environmental factors including density and varied land uses to provide amenities for safe, and shorter walking distances (Aditjandra et al., 2016).

A low density neighbourhood in London, with car dependent single family homes and no mix of land use.

A higher density neighbourhood with mixed-use of residential and commercial, promoting the use of active transit.

Active Travel

Image 31: People walking in high density environment

Active walking and cycling are heavily influenced by behavior and lifestyle changes. High density and mixed land uses with access to green space, facilities, and cycle paths are what influence peoples choices. Additionally, active friendly neighbourhoods with proximity to active transit facilities had increased levels of walking and cycling. Furthermore, some of the barriers that deter people from active transport were high traffic volumes and poor lighting (Aditjandra et al., 2016).

In order to encourage the use of public transportation, the focus must be on walkability and safe connectivity for people. When designing for street connectivity and mix use development places the priority on people instead of the car, it incentivizes people to walk to public transit. Land use diversity and built environment design encourages a healthy, sustainable lifestyle.

Integrated Transport-Spaces

Image 32: Green roof bus stop

Holistic planning has long been the goal for cities around the world. Focusing on the connections of people and spaces to create better places for people improved interaction and enjoyment. Now more than ever is a demand to improve the transportation sector of cities to ensure climate action goals for reducing emissions. Yang et al. (2018) examined the relationships of people and public spaces, and the design of transport hubs. It was found that human scale public spaces should be integrated with other infrastructure for programming, as well as green infrastructure for increased biodiversity and permeability with green roofs, and rain gardens.

Design Promotes Active Travel

Image 33: Children playing in water

Promoting active transit is done by creating attractive and active spaces. Active mobility should be looked at as an urban experience which not only reduces the impacts of cars, but contributes to improved mental health and wellbeing. Yang et al. (2018) mentions the health benefits of introducing sensory stimulation in three types of public spaces including streetscape, pocket parks, and public gardens. A study by Shurbaji and Furlan went into further detail by examining activity levels around different sensory features, which concluded the benefits of water features like water jets for play and touch and sunken gardens that provide sounds of water falling creating a relaxing environment.

Map 8: Downtown walkability to grocery store

Changing Demographics

While place making has been widely studied for what makes a great place, Charles Bohl introduces an evolving challenge in the way we redevelop cities for the new ways of living. Cities were designed around postWorld War II families with stay at home mothers, but there has been a dramatic shift as the numbers of married couples with children has drastically dropped. Trends of households without kids are becoming a prominent way of living, and a large sum of people are living on their own. Populations are also becoming increasingly diverse with ethnicities and aging with the baby boomer generation. While this trend is changing the real estate market with majority of people moving away from large single family homes, it is also altering the places people want to live with singles, couples without children, and retirees wanting to have smaller, low maintenance multi-use housing with short walking distances to employment, transportation, and amenities (Bohl, 2002, p.14).

Evolving Retail Realms

With mixed-use retail/residential taking the forefront of medium and high density developments, there is problem that is occurring with having too much retail to the point that it becomes redundant. Instead of having repeating retail businesses, It is important to look at the lifestyles that are being designed for and identify the needs of the people living in these places (Bohl, 2002, p.17).

Downtown London has a shortage of available places to get groceries as the only actual grocery store is located at the northern tip of the boundary, with a 1000m buffer only accessing about have of the downtown. While the Covent Garden Market serves a great population, as a walkable place to get fresh produce it wasn't counted as a commercial retail store. An example of mixed-use that not only creates separation between residential and retail is at Bethesda Row in Bethesda, Maryland (Image 34) that incorporates a grocery store into a block of downtown as a new vision for what main streets can look like, and how they can contribute to creating places for changing demographics (Bohl, 2002, p.18). This is what will be envisioned as a mixed use building to supply accessible grocery to the rest of downtown, while encouraging the use of active transit.

Image 34: Grocery store mixed use building

While examining what good transit design involves, a trend occurred in relation to the need for good public space. For transit to be successful, it must be more than a transit stop and the site should work simultaneously with quality urban design. Transit can not be separated, but must be promoted by public spaces through placemaking and putting pedestrians first. New designs must change the way transportation is viewed as we shift from car dependent cities, to sustainable and health benefiting options,

Investigating design theory to further understand how the interactions and relationships between people and urban form which create lively and successful cities became the focus for the City Hall development. Jan Gehl's Cities for People further realized the poor planning and design that surrounds Londoners. Gehl speaks on how developments have slowly turned cities into machines based around cars which is prevalent in London's car focused streets. Emphasis on creating lively, safe, and sustainable cities by putting the focus on the way city spaces can be changed and designed to be people oriented will not only create an exceptional City Hall, but a quality connected transit hub. To begin, focus is put on the importance of the human dimension. It is broken down by realizing the lack of focus of city spaces, and meeting places for people relative to the attention to the placement of buildings and built form. The typical cities consist of limited space, obstacles, noise, pollution, risk of accident, and disgraceful conditions. With new high density developments it is important they do not ed urban space and city life devoid of people (Gehl, 2010, p.4) Focusing on creating a lively, safe, sustainable, and healthy city is done through reinforcing pedestrianism and looking at "city space as meeting place. This contributes towards the aims of social sustainability and an open democratic society" (Gehl, 2010, p.7).

A Lively City

Life is the backbone of a city, it is what keeps people connected, encourages economic growth, and makes people want to stay. Cities that are full of life promote and achieve a safe, sustainable, and healthy city. The idea that life in a city is important can be seen in personal experiences, as visiting a place with no people may feel strange and unwelcoming, and it can also be seen with renderings. Architectural drawing often incorporate many scenes of happy people walking, cycling, playing, even if they aren't part of the actual design. This demonstrates the need for life to connect with form which creates a place. It also represents the need and importance of public space. City edges play an important role especially those of ground floors of buildings as they have an influence on the life in a space. They are the frontages where life and activity happen, where people can interact and have conversations. They offer a sense of comfort and security as activities from inside can move out into common space. Seating at edges offer protection from behind as you have full view of everything in front of you.

Jan Gehl emphasizes the relationship between life and form by looking at the life between buildings. It is Important to realize how to make places for people to have purposeful walks with short stops, longer stays, window shopping, conversations and meetings, dancing, recreation or children's play (Gehln, 2010, p.19). There is much more to walking on a sidewalk down a street, "life in all its diversity unfolds before us when we are on foot" (Gehl, 2010, p.19). People seek life and activity and will gather where they can find it. The placement of benches and cafe chairs is important in having a view of the life in the city

A Safe City

Safety is crucial for allowing people to feel comfortable in city space. In order to promote active transportation, pedestrians must feel protected from vehicular traffic, they should be able to lock their bike securely, lighting should encourage life at night, and they must be accessible for everyone. Streets have become increasing focused for car travel, thus creating poor conditions for pedestrians and cyclists. Long waits, physical obstacles, and dangerous bike paths are put second behind fixing roads. Pedestrians must have priority in mixed traffic and traffic solutions should be looked at in deciding what type of street to choose from whether it be vehicle traffic only, to boulevards with reduced speeds to 30 km/h. People must be able to move comfortably and safely without worry of vehicles (Gehl, 2010, p.106).

Lighting is very important to offer visual quality at night and provide security and orientation. There are many strategies and principles for what types of lamps and colours of light to use. Too much variety in these choices can lead to unpleasant scenes. Lighting should work with the setting and have the ability to be used for different seasons and events.

A Sustainable City

While the consumption of energy from buildings is one factor of our climate crisis, one thing that we can change right now is our transportation system and the promotion of active transportation. This involves focusing designs of streets and places for pedestrians and bicycle traffic. While it may cost more money up front to convert main streets that are car oriented to bicycle friendly streets, they use far less resources and the ratio of energy consumption between walking and cycling comparative to the car is one to three to 60 energy units (Gehl, 2010, p.117). "Removing driving lanes and parking places can create better and safer conditions for bicycle traffic" (Gehl, 2010, p.12). This has been seen as a problem that many people feel reducing the amount of lanes for cars will cause increased traffic, however, people will find alternative routes, and if active transit is safer and faster than automobile routes, more people will chose active transit. This is done by increasing cycling infrastructure with painted intersections for cyclists and special traffic lights for bicycles.

Transit Oriented Development (TOD) This type of development focuses on the connection of pedestrians, cyclists, and the traffic network, built around rapid transit systems and high density development. This type of development has many beneficial qualities including short walking distances, good public spaces, and access with mixed uses. It also offers social sustainability with access to common city space with good transport systems for all people creating an equal opportunity society.

A Healthy City

Obesity levels are becoming increasingly concerning in countries like Canada, Australia, and the United States, with 26.8% of Canadians over 18 classified as obese (Statistics Canada, 2018). New developments must encourage exercise and walking and cycling as daily life. Inviting people to walk must be done at eye level, which means for a child, the vantage point is about 80cm. Having opportunities for people walking at different paces is important as pedestrians walk faster on linear streets and slower through squares. Additionally, walks will be longer if a route is interesting and the pavement is good quality. Pedestrian walkways should be free of interruptions and obstacles such as poles and traffic lights. Lastly, people want the shortest route, so it is important to provide direct lines for walking.

People feel more comfortable sitting with good views, low noise levels, no pollution, and having their backs covered. Furthermore, there should be different types of sweating for the different types of users. There should be informal seating for the people that are briefly stopping, and more comfortable seating areas for people that stay a while. This is seen as primary and secondary seating. Primary seating examples are furniture such as benches and chairs with backs and arm rests for people that will be seated for longer periods of time, while secondary seating places are those of informal options where people spontaneously sit to rest which can be objects like walls fountains or floors (Gehl, 2010, p.142).

Another important aspect to creating a healthy city is in the use of street trees, landscaping, and flowers. Trees offer shade for hot days, while they also cool and cleanse the air. Trees can create a sense of place as a large tree as a destination. While the use of trees can create a linear sequence, they can also have symbolic value that represents sustainability and diversity of nature.

Street Public Realm The Place Test Von Hausen's place test is a tool that can be used to see if a design has a sense of place. While this tool is mostly used for existing places, the major qualities from each section have been selected that will be used as a guideline to ensure the new London City Hall, plaza space, and transit hub create a place that will be recognized as one designed for people by Londoners and visitors alike.

Character

1. What are the unique place identifiers 2. Does it have a boundary defining the edge 3. What makes the place memorable (ecology, views, activities) 4. Is the place connected

There is a considerable amount that goes into creating successful public places with seating areas and mixed uses, but there is also a great importance of the movement of people and bicycles. Hausen mentions Allan Jacobs Great Streets and how they can become living places for people to meet and observe. Streets can be more than just places for automobiles, as they can accommodate and combine them with the human scale. They talk about the importance of appreciating streets for their form and function by looking at the grandness of multi way boulevards and intimacies of small streets (Hausen, 2012, p.56).

Urban Design Principles

Context should be looked at of the surrounding buildings patterns, age, and Activity value, local transport systems, and natural 5. Is the area easily accessible features. Design should celebrate the 6. Are there outdoor cafes that punctuate cultural, historical, and physical meanings. the streetscape Natural features should be combined with 7. Is the place adaptable to other uses water management. Scale is important to match the place. Pedestrians should be the Streetscape and ecology 8. Are there flowers planted in the public priority of movement followed by bicycles, transit, then cars. Multi use should promote streets live/work environments. Design for diversity 9. Are there pedestrian scale elements 10. Are there street trees and diverse of people and ecology with varied building forms, street types, programmable space, paving materials and green infrastructure. Outdoor spaces 11. Are vehicles dominant or secondary should act as a central component to bring the community together. Compact urban Buildings and connections form with efficient land use, and ecological 12. Are there landmarks 13. Do the buildings relate to the place in features. Community buildings are a vital part of any community (Hausen, 2012, p.89). style, form, and massing 14. Are the buildings connected to ground level entry

4.2 Street Design Infrastructure Street Design

Streets in Downtown London Ontario have seemingly been neglected when it comes to design. They act as though the sole purpose is for moving cars. Ensuring a return on investment in the redesign of the streets in Downtown, and across London is crucial, and the best way to ensure that is to make them safe and usable for walking and cycling. The implementation of green infrastructure will also prove important in creating a resilient city. Street design will account for a large proportion of the new London City Hall development as this will be a high pedestrian traffic area for walking, cycling, and BRT users going to or from places such as work, home, shopping, or dining, and the street must accommodate that. The street design follows the guidelines and examples within the London Complete Streets Manual, Jeff Speck's Walkable City Rules, and the AC Multimodal Corridor Guidelines.

Image 35: Pedestrian Clearway

Pedestrian clearways provides easy snow removal and are free of obstructions with street furniture and lighting on adjacent paved area (London Complete Streets Manual, 2018, p.29).

Image 36: Heritage lighting

Varied pedestrian scale lighting with unique heritage styles relative to neighbourhood context (London Complete Streets Manual, 2018, p.32).

Image 37: Bike parking

Planning for multimodal travel by offering secure bike parking facilities like this one in Montreal, QC (London Complete Streets Manual, 2018, p.40).

Image 38: Cycle track barrier

Cycle tracks should have a physical barriers instead of buffers (painted lines) to separate from vehicles. (Speck, 2018, p.140)

Parklets will be introduced along the pedestrian path instead of the traditional parklet on the road for safe sidewalk dining creating an active edge (Speck, 2018, p.195) Image 39: Parklet

A mix of passive and physical traffic calming methods will be chosen for different areas including physical elements such as curb extension and passive measures with reduced lanes (London Complete Streets Manual, 2018, p.48).

Image 41: London Ontario cycle track

Image 40: Parklet

Image 42: Curb extensions

Green Infrastructure

Image 43: Rain garden

Image 45: Bell Street park swale

The London Complete Streets Manual identifies Low Impact Development (LID) features that will be included wherever possible with rain gardens, grassed swales along the road, and silva cells for street trees to allow for water infiltration and overflow for heavy rainfall events. Plants will be selected for various areas to accommodate for dry conditions, as well as salt tolerance for winter conditions. Furthermore, mitigating the heat island effect will be done by using light paving materials, and vegetated surfaces.

Image 44: Stormwater management

Image 46: Bell Street Park paving

Bus Stop Siting

Locating an optimal stop must account for accessibility, safety, and access to amenities. While these stops must accommodate transit users, they should not obstruct pedestrians, cyclists, and car traffic. Chapter 2 of the AC Transit Multimodal Corridor Guidelines (2018) outlines the three main location types for bus stops; far-side, near-side, and midblock stops and how spatial locations can change the usability of public transit. Farside stops are located after an intersection

and are preferred as they allow for pedestrians to cross at the rear of the bus from multiple directions. Near-side stops are before an intersection which provides crossing from multiple directions, but forces pedestrians in front of the bus. Mid-bloc stops are not located near an intersection which decreases access and can lead to passengers crossing at unsafe areas. The location of the BRT stop will be one of the leading design factors and a draft plan will be produced with the best option. Mid-block

Near-side

Amenities

Far-side

Image 47: Stop location

Stops should include a multitude of amenities as these are what make the experience better for users by making it comfortable, efficient, and foster social equity. Amenities such as seating, shelter, lighting, wayfinding, landscaping, bike parking should be included to enhance the experience and attract more people (AC Transit Multimodal Corridor Guidelines, 2018).

Facility Typology

The AC Transit Guideline demonstrates 5 typologies as guidelines for cycling infrastructure integration. Typology 5 was selected for this site as it allows for increased awareness of two lane bicycle traffic to interact with a pedestrian network, as well as creating a designated zone for people waiting for the bus and walking in public space. This creates the safest option for pedestrian safety.

Image 48: Stop typology

4.3 Case Studies Kings Cross, London England Kings Cross Station in central London England is an excellent example of TOD. The redevelopment of the surrounding brown-field land combined multimodal connectivity, mix ed land use, and great urban design with public spaces such as Pancras Square and Granary Square.

Place Making

Image 50: Pancras Square

Image 51: Granary Square

Activity

Successful Public Space

Image 49: Kings Cross Master Plan

This international train station was transformed into an exemplary model of how multimodal, mixed use public space can be designed around active and public transportation. This station, while it is very large, demonstrates the importance of well designed public space to enhance and increase public transit use. As public transit is becoming an increasingly important part for growing city populations, it is important to invest in transit hubs to make it welcoming as it brings people back. Both Pancras and Granary Square have inspired the design of London City Hall with green space for people to lay in the sun, ample trees to provide shade, varied types of seating for short and long stays, and a multi purpose civic square with a water feature for kids to play and mist to cool on hot summer days.

Image 52: St Pancras Station

Norreport Station, Copenhagen, DK

Image 53: Aerial view Nørreport Station

Nørreport Station is a design solution to a problem the city was facing with traffic congestion. One of the main design themes of this site is the pedestrian connectivity as it is prevalent with the amount of space provided for people rather than cars. What was once a desolate island surround by car traffic making pedestrian access unsafe, was converted to a pedestrian focused place (Nørreport Station, Image 54: Nørreport Station bike storage n.d.). For this reason, this was one of the first multimodal hubs that inspired the new City The design uses different types of paving and lighting to identify areas of interest Hall transit hub design while also aiding modes of wayfinding that improve safety and walkability. The transit hub is designed to not only interact with cycling, walking, and public transit, but with the surrounding residential and commercial buildings with outdoor seating areas and cafes.

Image 55: Nørreport Station multimodal transit hub

The Nørreport Station does an excellent job of demonstrating how transit hubs can function as valuable public space for people by shifting priorities and reclaiming places that were once governed by car to pedestrian space and right of ways promoting sustainable change in the way people view transportation.

Image 56: Nørreport Station pedestrian space

Champs-Élysées, Paris, FR

Image 57: Champs-Élysées

While widened sidewalks benefit from added space for patios, trees and lighting is used to break up the size of paved area. Having an active south facing streetscape is also important as this is the busiest side of the street, where people enjoy walking, and dining in the sun. It is an example of how a busy street with car traffic can still function as a public space with the use of bollards and pedestrian focused traffic crossings.

One of the most important design elements of the new London City Hall is the streetscape. Streets need to be looked at as public spaces and should be designed at a pedestrian level. the Avenue des Champs-Elysees represents just that, a safe, enjoyable place for people to walk from work, or shop, sit at a cafe. To achieve this, changes were made to widen sidewalks, and move parking underground.

Image 58: Champs-Élysées active edges

The use of the street as a public space is continued at night with the use of lighting which also includes heritage style lamps to fit with the character of the community. By focusing on pedestrian use of streets, and widening sidewalks to reduce space for cars, they are able to put cars second to motivate people to walk, gather, and create a greater sense of community. Image 59: Champs-Élysées streets as public space

Market Square, Guelph Ontario

Image 60: Market Square

Guelph's Market Square is an updated version of the original city hall square as a new place for community events, or place to hang out, while connecting people to the shops and restaurants along Carden Street (Story behind the square, n.d.). This successful square was created with carefully considered design elements that will be considered in the new London City Hall design, including the main feature being the multi use wading pool. This multi use wadding pool can be used year round as it is turned into an ice rink in the winter. The use of human scale lighting is found throughout the site to make people feel safe walking through at night.

Image 62: Market Square community events

City Hall should be a place of community where all are welcomed. Market Square displays how urban design can accommodate this need of usable gathering spaces that harmonize civic and public use. It is a representation of how placemaking can improve quality of life, people's health, and economic sustainability of a community.

Image 61: Market Square wading pool

Ample seating areas are provided with different types of seating to accommodate the needs of different users and lengths of stays. Accessibility is also improved with widened sidewalks allowing for patios outside shops, and highlighted routes with different paving colours. The incorporation of plants and vegetation can be seen with planting beds and trees planted in silva cells underneath the paving brick.

4.4 Preliminary Ideas Option 1

Option 2

Option 3

Option 1

Pros This design uses a far side BRT stop at the corner of Queens Ave and Talbot St serving as an optimal transit connector for the surrounding developments to the downtown core. This design also removes the cut through street of Queens Avenue and allows for a two lane buffered cycle track along, and a designated cycle path along Ridout Street providing optimal north south, and east west connectivity. An open vegetated area is placed along the entire streetscape to allow for a balance between built and natural space creating a pleasant walking and cycling experience. Reduced lanes are necessary along Queens Avenue to incorporate ad two lane cycle track and designated BRT lane, reducing car traffic to one lane for one block east of Talbot Street creating reduced vehicle speeds and safer pedestrian streetscape.

Cons While there is additional open green space, this design lacks designated space for a civic square. Furthermore, while there is a large building footprint allowing for increased residential potential, this layout has a challenging building facade that poorly interacts with the surrounding context. With the reduction in lanes, there is an increased potential for traffic congestion heading west at the intersection of Queens and Talbot.

Option 2

Pros This design is based off a mid block style BRT stop with a civic square located directly behind creating a space for events or a relaxing place to wait for the bus. The building setbacks are brought closer to the street to create a better sense of enclosure and improve the interaction with the surrounding context. Podium style buildings are proposed to allow for higher development while offering human scale development along the edge. A one way buffered cycle path is proposed which maintains space for a designated BRT lane as well as two lanes designated for vehicular traffic reducing the risk of congestion.

Cons The mid block stop is not ideal as it creates challenges for connectivity and promotes crossing street at non designated areas increasing pedestrian safety concerns. While risk of traffic congestion is reduced, more space is allocated for personal vehicles and there is less cycling connectivity. With the civic plaza located in between the two proposed buildings, there would be less evening sun creating a less pleasant area for people to stay.

Option 3

Pros

Cons

This design is centered around a far side BRT stop closer to the intersection of Queens Avenue and Ridout Street. Furthermore, this would maintain the Queens Ave. side road as a designated transit hub. The bike path is buffered to maintain the existing one way connectivity, and all traffic lanes are maintained on Queens Ave. at the Ridout Street intersection. A linear streetscape is created with site lines maintained at a pedestrian scale to view the civic square the entire walk. Mixed seating areas are provided near the stop to allow for multiple uses and varied stay times. Additionally, this allows retail businesses to have direct view of the bus stop for potential increased economic value.

With a far side stop, connectivity to the downtown core is reduced, and the cycling lane does not allow for two lanes. With the maintained lanes for cars, traffic volumes will be increased creating an unpleasant pedestrian experience. Furthermore, keeping the vegetated island disconnected it from the rest of the plaza and causes pedestrians to have to cross in front of the BRT stop which reduces the safety for children.

Programmable Civic Square

Two Lane Cycle Track

Bioretention Gardens

Multimodal Transit Reduced Lanes Hub and Bicycle for Traffic Calming Multi Use Building Civic/Residential/Retail Parking Facility

Dedicated BRT Lane

Considering the three options, an amalgamation of design components resulted in a preliminary plan as a draft to further clarify and organize ideas. It was important to look at the positive and negative impacts from the three options, paired with the main design goals for creating a safe, accessible, and multimodal transit connected place, to ensure it is in line with the London Plan and will benefit the community. Using the location of the BRT stop and street layout from option one was the first choice for the design, keeping with the

Movable chairs for cafe style seating area

Improved Intersection for Pedestrian Safety

theory of Jan Gehl by designing for people first. This is the safest and most connected option for walking, cycling, and public transit. Developing a positive human scale in option two was considered for the building placement to create an active edge while creating podium style buildings allowing for taller buildings, thus more rental opportunity. Placing the civic square in the west from option three allowed for a separation of public spaces to create a sense of place in both the commercial, and civic realm while allowing people to enjoy both within a short walk.

4.5 Draft Plan

FINAL DESIGN

5 The final design is a representation of how active transportation can be the foundation for multi use developments, re-imagined and promoted by improving pedestrian safety with enhanced cycling infrastructure, safe streets, and active public space as a multimodal transit hub.

5.1 Master Plan 5.2 Visualizations 5.3 Street Section 5.4 Hybrid Section 5.5 Design Elements 5.6 Planting Palette

5.1 Master Plan

Ridout Street

Street Parking With Permeable Paving Silva Cell Street Trees

Permeable Pavers

Planted Bollards

Service Access

Waste Receptacles

Grass Median

Tree Lined U Bump Out For Traffic Calming

Underground Parking

Signaled Pedestrian Crossing

Improved intersection of Queens Avenue and Talbot Street with reduced lanes, curb bump outs, and designated bus and bicycle signals.

Fullarton Street

Green roof bus BRT shelter with ticket booths, seating, and public wifi.

Green roof locked bicycle storage facility with monthly membership. This facility allows for 60 bicycle pass users to lock their bike securely year round.

Bioretention focused area with rain garden and linear silva cell tree plantings as a canopy covered path to help mitigate on site water due to lack of natural topography.

Buffered Cycle Track

8 2

Queens Avenue 1

Tree planted grass areas flush with the concrete retaining wall/public seating as an extended public space that people can sit, lay, or enjoy other activities such as yoga. 7 Improved intersection of Queens Avenue and Ridout Street with designated BRT and Cycling signals. Curb extension and grass median are introduced on Ridout Street to calm traffic.

B Dedicated BRT Lane

Talbot Street

Civic Square at the entrance of the City Hall. A multi use wading pool and event space with water feature as the main attraction . Multiple types of seating surround the area with wooden benches, concrete seating, and movable chair dining areas for cafe. Multi coloured paving identifies active edges or paths of movement with dyed concrete plank pavers, and light pavers to reduce heat island effect.

Public Bicycle Racks

Pocket Park with outdoor restaurant dining areas and public movable chairs, next to the BRT garden outdoor seating.

A 16000 sq. foot City Hall building with green roof, and additional multi use community first and second stories.

Twenty three storey mixed use residential buildings with 90 affordable housing units green roof, and third storey public terrace.

Tweny nine storey multi use residential building with 130 affordable housing units, and lower level grocery store.

Urban Swale 5m

20m

50m

5.2 Visualizations Before

Image 63 This is what currently is classified as a bus stop on Queens Avenue west of Talbot Street. This stop offers people a place to stand on a asphalt and cement heat island, with no benches or shade provided for hot summer days, and people with mobility issues must stand until the bus arrives.

Visualization Key Map

Queens Avenue

A view of people waiting outside for their Bus Rapid Transit at the Eldon House inspired garden, as well as in the sheltered hub with public wifi, seating, and ticket machines. In the distance, a city councillor retrieving their bicycle from the storage facility on their way home from work using the multi way cycle track, free of vehicular traffic.

Transit Hub

After

Before

Image 64 Queens Avenue splits in two with no safe crossing point to reach the continued sidewalk on the other side. Cars have the right of way with no traffic calming or speed reducing design.

Ridout Street

Visualization Key Map

v s A en

A solution to this is removing cars access all together and creating a connected, and safe pedestrian public space. This view is from a pocket park patio at a cafe located beside the Transit Hub creating an active edge and place for people to have a shaded area to work, relax, or enjoy a coffee.

Movable Chairs

After

Before

Image 65 Aerial view of the existing parking lot and heat island showing the view from what the second storey of a proposed building would look like.

Ridout Street

Visualization Key Map

Queens Avenue

The new Civic Square from the second storey of City Hall. Children playing in the water jets of the multi-use wading pond while others lay on the grass or read a book under a tree.

Civic Square

After

Before

Image 66 Looking west at the desolate, vehicle focused intersection of Queens Avenue and Talbot Street where pedestrians have wide intersections to cross and no traffic calming methods are used.

Queens Avenue

Talbot Street

Visualization Key Map

New pedestrian and cycling focused intersection turning a street into a vibrant public space. Planted curb extensions introduce traffic calming with reduced lanes for cars, and dedicated BRT lane. Cycle track is buffered by a planted divider with street trees and various ornamental grasses.

After

Pedestrian Saftey

Before

Image 67 Looking north east at the intersection of Queens Avenue and Ridout Street walking from the London Museum. The current bicycle route is not visible, and curb radii turning left on Ridout St. is large inducing higher speeds around corner. Visualization Key Map e

Ridout Street

e ue

e Av

Re-imagined intersection with highly visible cycle path with planter buffer. Curb radii reduced to slow traffic at corner allowing for safer pedestrian crossing.

After

Walk From Museum

Before

Image 68 Looking south east down Fullarton Street at the neglected parking surface and street parking. Street lighting is not provided along Fullarton Street creating an unsafe walk at night.

Ridout Street

Visualization Key Map Fullarton Street

View of the Fullarton entrance to the City Hall civic square with maintained street parking. Heritage lighting is introduced to reflect the heritage building adjacent to the site.

Street Parking

After

5.3 Street Sections

129m

Street sections showing the new mixed use City Hall development with the existing, and future built form. The proposed building has a maximum height of 95m, with the neighbouring Old Oaks development reaching 129m. The residential buildings offer three storey podium to create better pedestrian realm and sense of enclosure.

95m

71m

200m

A hybrid section of Queens Avenue is used to demonstrates the relationship of vehicular and pedestrian focused space while using low impact development strategies to ensure a resilient city for future generations.

Bioswale

3.5m

Swale

Outer Stone filter

Silva Cell 17m Public Space

Permeable Paving

Flushed Curb

City Drainage System

Perforated Piping

5.4 Hybrid Section

5.5 Design Elements Site Furniture Heritage style lighting is used along the perimeter of the site to fit with the neighbourhood context, and human scale lighting is used throughout to create an ambiance as well as provide increased safety at night. Image 70: Human scale lighting

Image 69: Heritage lighting

Image 71: Public seating

Image 73: London wayfinding

Varied seating gives people the opportunity to sit where they feel comfortable and provides areas for quick stops, or long stays. Cement retaining walls act as a place to sit with joined wooden benches for longer stays. Movable chairs give people to orient themselves the way they would like to sit. London Complete Streets identifies the types of wayfinding and signage that will be used to provide visual cues to people that may be using the BRT for the first time, or exploring cycling thought the city on the new cycle track.

Image 72: Movable chairs

Image 74: Wayfinding map

Incorporating a bicycle repair station like this one in Ottawa with a bicycle storage facility is important in promoting cycling as a viable option. It gives people more incentives as there is a feeling of inclusion and importance to the cycling community. Image 75: Ottawa bike repair station

Image 76: Bicycle parking

A planting pallet was created with different variables and considerations with regards to a shadow analysis, winter exposure to salt, bioretention areas, and native tree diversity. The Sun Shadow analysis (Figure A2) demonstrates the areas that have partial to full sun throughout the year. Two types of plantings were selected for bioretntion from Guelph's Healthy Landscapes Rain Gardens guide (Figure A3) and Credit Valley Conservation's Landscape Design Guide for Low Impact Development (Figure A4). Bioretention gardens for full sun areas include uses various grasses and shrubs that will be able to withstand the extended periods of future heatwaves as climate change causing prolonged summer temereatures. Silva cell trees are planted within the plaza for added shade and will be Acer rubrums for their fall colour and uniformity. Summer Bloom Baptisia lactea Iris versicolor Liatris pycnostachya Penstemon digitalis Fall Bloom Solidago sp. Aster novae-angliae Symphyotrichum cordifolium

Salt tolerant plants were chosen for implemented curb extensions and urban swale along Queens Avenue as these will have water runoff from the street leaving higher levels of salt in the soil. Salt tolerant street trees will also be planted along Queens Avenue which will include Quercus rubra, and Prunus serotina. Grasses, shrubs, and perennial plantings for these areas include: Summer Bloom Carex pensylvanica Carex pendula Monarda fistulosa Fall Boom Deschampsia cespitosa Rudbeckia hirta Symphyotrichum puniceum Helianthus tuberosus The rest of the plantings include street trees along Ridout and Tablot Street, as well as the transit hub garden. Street trees for these areas are Ostrya virginiana, and Nyssa sylvatica for their hardiness and fall colours. The garden is for relaxation and encorperates plants such as Speedwell, monarda, rudbeckia, Asclepias tuberosa, and Lavandula.

5.6 Planting Palette

POST DESIGN ANALYSIS

6 This acts as a reflection of the final design and the successfulness of the goals the project set to achieve.

6.1 Achievements & Recommendation 6.2 Conclusion

6.1 Achievements & Conclusion The Place Test As previously mentioned, Von Hausen's place test is revisited to evaluate the success of the design of turning a parking lot into a transit hub and public place.

Character

1. The unique place identifiers are the wading pool, silva cell plantings, and glass transit hub. 2. Street trees along the perimeter of the site act as the boundary defining the edge. 3. The various calming ecological aspects of bioretention gardens and urban tree canopy, active edge with movable chairs, and the wading pool makes for a memorable and enjoyable stay. 4. Connectivity has been improved as the new cycle track allows people to travel here safely from the TVP. Various walking paths allow for movement of people passing through quickly, or taking their time.

Activity

5. Accessibility has been improved with raised transit stop bringing the bus level with the ground. 6. Outdoor cafes are brought into the streetscape with parklets. 7. The multi use civic square and wading pool is an adaptable space that can be used for various public community events

Streetscape and ecology

8. Flowers are planted in public spaces near the transit hub and in the curb extensions and buffered cycle track. 9. The human scale is considered with the use of lighting, as well as having benches and movable chairs are provided throughout. 10. There are street trees lining the outside of the site, and multiple types of paving are used the represent the different types of use. 11. Vehicles are now the least important form of transportation through the site as walking, cycling, and public transit are the main considerations.

Buildings and connections

12. The City Hall buildings has a different look than the other buildings allowing it to stand out and becomes easily identifiable. 13. The rest of the buildings on site mesh together heritage style facades of the lower levels to fit with the neighbouring buildings along Ridout Street, while the rest of the buildings are modern with influences of the London Museum. 14. Ground level entry is important for this multi use development allowing for amenities like grocery store access to the neighbourhood.

Recommendations

Pre Design Metrics Tree Count

Tactical urbanism would be the first phase of the project similar to what is currently being done along Ridout Street. Traffic cones, or planters can be used to temporarily remove lanes of car traffic to allow for cyclist to use a lane buffered from vehicles. Farmers markets and pop up pocket parks could be introduced to remove portions of the parking lot and provide better uses, while demonstrating how non essential surface parking is.

Permeable Surface

6% Impermeable Surface

94% Image 77: Tactical Urbanism

Pedestrian Space

Post Design Metrics Tree Count

Permeable Surface

41%

Image 78: Tactical Bike Lanes

Future programming and phasing for the site would include an integrated bike share program as a pilot project for the city to promote cycling. This was not added to this design as proper infrastructure must be completed first to allow new riders to feel comfortable and safe.

Impermeable Surface

39%

Pedestrian Space

38%

Image 79: Bike Share

Conclusion Overall, the new City Hall multimodal transit hub and community center was successful in its ability to augment the site tree count by 51, increase permeable surfaces by 35%, and provide pedestrians with 31% more dedicated space. This design acts as a demonstration of how focusing on the connective link between transit design and the importance of streetscapes as public space. Transportation has long been looked at as car travel as priority, and active and public transit as a lesser option. This may be because active and transit has not been properly designed for in London, or perhaps it is an intergenerational learned behavior that needs to be changed. Through research, theories and case studies, promoting active transit is done by improving pedestrian saftey, and public space. Using this design as inspiration will not only help mitigate the effects of climate change, but provide people with bike-able streets where cars are not a safety concern, increase access to affordable housing, provide opportunities for communities to come together, and promote active transportation. London City Hall multimodal transit hub and community center will serve as a stepping stone for becoming, and continuing to be a resilient city, but it will take investment that hasn't yet been done in order to make active transit a viable option.

APPENDIX & REFERENCES

7 7.1 Appendix A 7.2 References

7.1 Appendix A Figure A1 a) Retail stores; b) Supermarkets; c) Amusement game establishments; d) Apartment buildings; (Z.-1-98577) (Z.-1-94263) e) Apartment hotel; (Z.-1-98577) (Z.-1-94263) f) Art galleries; g) Assembly halls; h) Bake shops; i) Clinics; j) Commercial parking structures; k) Commercial recreation establishments; l) Convenience stores; m) Day care centres; n) Dry cleaning and laundry depots; o) Duplicating shops; p) Dwelling units; (Z.-1-98577) q) Emergency care establishments; r) Film processing depots; s) Financial institutions; y) Funeral homes; u) Group home type 2; v) Hotels; w) Institutions; x) Laboratories; y) Laundromats; z) Libraries; aa) Medical/dental offices; bb) Museums; cc) Offices; dd) Patient testing centre laboratories; ee)Personal service establishments; ff)Places of Worship; gg) Printing establishments; hh) Private clubs; ii) Repair and rental establishments; jj) Restaurants; kk) Restaurants, outdoor patio; ll) Schools; mm) Senior citizen apartment buildings; (Z.-1-98577) nn) Service and repair establishments; oo) Service trades; pp) Studios; qq) Taverns; rr) Theatres and cinemas; ss)Video rental establishments; tt) Lodging house class 2; (Z.-1-93172) uu) Place of Entertainment vv) Artisan Workshop (Z.-1-172561) ww) Craft Brewery (Z.-1-172561)

Figure A2 June 21

March 21

December 21

The Sun Shade Analysis compared casted shadows of 9a.m., noon, and 3p.m. for the Winter solstice, Summer solstice, and spring Equinox. Areas in bright orange represent full sun.

7.2 References AC Transit Multimodal Corridor Guidelines. (2018, April). https://www.actransit.org/website/uploads/AC_Transit_Multimodal_ Corridor_Guidelines_Final.pdf. Aditjandra, P. T., Cao, X. (J., & Mulley, C. (2015). Exploring changes in public transport use and Walking following RESIDENTIAL relocation: A British case study. Journal of Transport and Land Use. https://doi.org/10.5198/ jtlu.2015.588 Bachand-Marleau, J., Larsen, J., & El-Geneidy, A. M. (2011). Much-anticipated marriage of cycling and transit. Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, 2247(1), 109–117. https://doi.org/10.3141/2247-13 Bohl, C. C. (2008). Place making: Developing town centers, main streets, and urban villages. Urban Land Institute. Bopp, M., Gayah, V., & Campbell, M. (2015). Examining the link between public transit use and active commuting. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 12(4), 4256–4274. https://doi.org/10.3390/ ijerph120404256 Butler, C. (2019, November 29). Urban planning guru sees 'disappointing' sale of old courthouse as opportunity | cbc news. CBCnews. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/heritage-london-courthouse-1.5377219. Canada, H. (2021, June 8). Government of Canada. Canada.ca. https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/air-quality/ health-effects-indoor-air-pollution.html. City of London Cycling Master Plan (2016, September). City of London. Plans and strategies. https://london.ca/government/ council-civic-administration/master-plans-strategies/plans-strategies. Clean Energy Canada. (2020, December 4). How Canada can cut carbon pollution and revitalize its auto Sector: Report. GlobeNewswire News Room. https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2020/12/04/2139706/0/en/How-Canada- can-cut-carbon-pollution-and-revitalize-its-auto-sector-report.html. Elden House Timeline. Eldon House. (2020, May 8). https://eldonhouse.ca/timeline/. First Christian Reformed Church. HistoricPlaces.ca. (2009). https://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu. aspx?id=11220. Gehl, J. (2010). Cities for people. Island Press. Hausen, V. M. (2013). Dynamic urban design: A handbook for creating sustainable communities worldwide. iUniverse Inc. Juha, J. (2020, September 28). Rental-housing shortage looms for Ontario as London Just 'KEEPING afloat'. lfpress. https:// lfpress.com/business/local-business/ontario-predicted-to-face-shortage-of-rental-housing-london-just-keeping- afloat. Kornas, K., Bornbaum, C., Bushey, C., & Rosella, L. (2016). Exploring active transportation investments and associated benefits for municipal budgets: A scoping review. Transport Reviews, 37(4), 465–487. https://doi.org/10.1080/01441 647.2016.1252446 Labatt Memorial Park. HistoricPlaces.ca. (2008). https://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=10078&pid=0.

London Complete Streets Design Manual. City of London. (2018, August). https://london.ca/living-london/building- renovating/consultant-resources. The london plan (official plan). City of London. (2016, December 28). https://london.ca/government/council-civic- administration/master-plans-strategies/london-plan-official-plan. McDiarmid, C. (2019, June 25). This is a HEALTH fact sheet about Canadians aged 18 and older who are overweight or Obese, based on self-reported height and weight that has been adjusted with CORRECTION FACTORS. the results shown are based on data from the CANADIAN community HEALTH SURVEY. Overweight and obese adults, 2018. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/82-625-x/2019001/article/00005-eng.htm. Moriyama, R. (2018, June 13). "Our architecture" series: The making of an architect. Museum London. http://museumlondon. ca/news/2018/our-architecture-series-the-making-of-an-architect. Newcombe, D. (2019, December 19). Budget pitches construction of NEW $125.5m city Hall building. London. https:// london.ctvnews.ca/budget-pitches-construction-of-new-125-5m-city-hall-building-1.4737750. Nørreport station. Cobe. (n.d.). https://cobe.dk/place/norreport-station. Provincial policy Statement, 2020. Ontario.ca. (2020, May 1). https://www.ontario.ca/page/provincial-policy-statement-2020. Ridout Street Complex National Historic site of Canada. Parcs Canada. (2004). https://www.pc.gc.ca/apps/dfhd/page_nhs_ eng.aspx?id=416. Section 20 - downtown area (da) zone. Section 20 - Downtown Area (DA) Zone | City of London. (2017). https://london.ca/ by-laws/section-20-downtown-area-da-zone. Serving London with a Smile SINCE 1845! Covent Garden Market. (2021, July 30). https://coventmarket.com/. Speck, J. (2018). Walkable city Rules: 101 steps to making better places. Island Press. St. Paul's Cathedral. HistoricPlaces.ca. (2010). https://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=15473&pid=0. Traffic volumes. City of London Open Data. (2019, March 21). https://opendata.london.ca/ datasets/6e425a70e4e24d2ab47e099c4720a80c_21/explore?location=42.947950%2C-81.249700%2C11.78. Webmaster. (2020, September 1). Story behind the square. City of Guelph. https://guelph.ca/living/arts-and-culture/market- square-2/story-behind-the-square/. Yang, L., van Dam, K. H., Majumdar, A., Anvari, B., Ochieng, W. Y., & Zhang, L. (2019). Integrated design of transport infrastructure and public spaces considering human behavior: A review of state-of-the-art methods and tools. Frontiers of Architectural Research, 8(4), 429–453. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foar.2019.08.003

List of Images All images by Ryan Koraen unless listed below Image 1: Western University Archives, London Free Press Negative Collection Image 2: https://london.ctvnews.ca/london-one-of-the-worst-in-canada-for-time-spent-in-traffic-1.4791710 Image 4: http://skyscraperpage.com/forum/showthread.php?t=124156&page=536 Image 8,11,12: Google Earth Pro Image 15: https://coventmarket.com/our-first-outdoor-market/ Image 16: https://www.londonmajors.com/labatt-park Image 17: https://blog.locorum.ca/latest-news/places/harris-park/ Image 20: https://regencyreads.wordpress.com/2018/04/11/eldon-house-diaries/ Image 23: http://museumlondon.ca/visit Image 31: https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/diaspora/australian-secular-and-hindutva-leaders-agree-onrise-in-animosity-223781 Image 32: https://www.gwslivingart.com/self-sustaining-green-bus-stop-malaysia/ Image 33: https://www.charlottestories.com/greenville-spending-40-million-to-build-its-largest-publicproject-in-history-unity-park/greenville-unity-park-playground-with-water-jets/ Image 34: https://www.carolynhomes.com/anthropologie-replace-barnes-noble-bethesda-row/ Image 35-36, 69, 71: https://london.ca/sites/default/files/2020-09/Complete%20Streets%20Design%20 Manual.pdf Image 37, 76: https://www.stm.info/en/info/advice/bicycles/bike-shelter-lionel-groulx-station Image 38: https://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2018/01/29/Bike-Lanes-For-Everyone/ Image 39: https://nacto.org/publication/urban-street-design-guide/interim-design-strategies/parklets/ Image40:https://www.vcstar.com/story/news/2018/03/29/oxnard-council-approves-park-renaming-and-alfresco-dining-downtown-restaurants/455026002/ Image 42: https://m.olympiawa.gov/city-services/transportation-services/complete-streets.aspx Image 43: https://help.floodfactor.com/hc/en-us/articles/360050401394-Reduce-stormwater-runoff-withbioswales Image 44: http://www.chesapeakequarterly.net/V15N1/main1/ Image 45-46: https://worldlandscapearchitect.com/bell-street-park-a-hybrid-of-park-activities-and-streetfunctions-by-migsvr/ Image 47-48: https://www.actransit.org/website/uploads/AC_Transit_Multimodal_Corridor_Guidelines_Final. pdf Image 49: http://townshendla.com/projects/kings-cross-central-9/ Image 50: http://townshendla.com/projects/pancras-square-kings-cross-78/ Image 51: https://www.kingscross.co.uk/granary-square Image 52: https://structurae.net/en/structures/saint-pancras-station Image 53-56: https://www.archdaily.com/794012/norreport-station-gottlieb-paludan-architects-plus-cobearchitects Image 57: https://chaibisket.com/paris-telugu-ammayi/vue-aerienne-des-champs-elysees-630x405-istock/ Image 58: https://www.pps.org/places/champs-elysees Image 59: https://holeinthedonut.com/2012/12/26/photo-rany-champs-elysee-paris-france/ Image 60: https://www.google.com/search?q=2013+Regional+Honour+-+Design,+Janet+Rosenberg,+M arket+Square+1&rlz=1C1CHBF_enCA894CA894&sxsrf=ALeKk02zFyffY0AW8Ewv1q9lSSzXHv-oCQ:1 628512785537&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiO5N_w-qPyAhWBbs0KHaR5BVwQ_ AUoAXoECAEQAw&biw=1745&bih=881#imgrc=vBoOGe4NvLThuM Image 61: https://news.uoguelph.ca/2020/12/outdoor-skating-rinks-improve-social-life-of-cities-u-of-gresearchers-find/market-square-rink2/ Image 62: https://guelph.ca/living/arts-and-culture/civic-events/ Image 70: https://www.deepdiscountlighting.com/hinkley_atlantis_outdoor.html Image 71: https://www.archdaily.com/412359/lonsdale-street-dandenong-bkk-architects/520162a5e8e44e 949b000053-lonsdale-street-dandenong-bkk-architects-photo?next_project=no Image 72: https://theagilelandscape.com/2015/02/10/managing-tables-and-chairs-in-the-public-realm/ Image 74: https://www.lovelljohns.com/wayfinding-maps-totems-cities-towns/ Image 75: https://twitter.com/lesliechurch/status/754043711252754434/photo/1 Image 77: https://weburbanist.com/2016/09/07/tactical-urbanism-15-low-cost-city-hacks-for-funfunctionality/ Image 78: http://www.twowheeledpolitics.ca/2019/08/the-value-of-tactical-urbanism.html Image 79: https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/toronto-is-significantly-expanding-its-bike-sharing-network1.4976169?cache=%3FclipId%3D68597