This session’s expert was Andrea Hudson, the City’s planner in charge of Downtown, North Park and Harris Green. She presented Kevin A Lynch‘s model from The Image of the City as a way to talk about urban spaces:

paths

streets, sidewalks, trails

edges

walls, shorelines, impassable spaces like highways (Hudson’s egs: Dallas Road, upper Blanshard)

districts

areas sharing an identity or character (Hudson’s egs: Chinatown, the Inner Harbour)

nodes

focal points, intersections (Hudson’s eg: Haultain Corners)

landmarks

distinct or distantly visible reference points (Hudson’s egs: Quadra Street churches, the Rockland water tower*)

I was a couple minutes late, but I believe Hudson didn’t discuss the Development Permit Map, which was on a big board next to her. The development permit system gives Council approval power over the appearance of buildings within almost all of Victoria. Combined with land use zoning, it’s how the City exerts control over development: I was shocked that it wasn’t the focus of this session.

It was the last session of the day, so everyone was tired, but I think also no one knew what we were supposed to be talking about. The urban design topic sheet has no specific issues or discussion points. Two Citizen Advisory Committee members planted in the audience trolled about “evil development”. I tried to start a discussion criticising the neighbourhood planning process, but apparently that was out of scope.

The real issue that citizens must discuss is how urban design and heritage conservation can peacefully coexist with densification and economic renewal. Is the development permit system working? Are density bonuses an appropriate trade for well-designed developments? Where does zoning come into this?

* Victoria has a water tower?! I had never heard about it until now.