| The purpose of this practicum is to analyse and explore the guiding principles that shape communities falling under the category of transit-oriented-development (TOD), to identify constraints and opportunities to the concept of 'transit villages' and to relate these studies to creative planning and design solution for an ecological neighbourhood TOD on an actual project site in the north west sector of the island city of Montreal.; The research delves into the concept of transit-neighbourhoods and its interconnections with the ideas of community, ecology and multi-disiplinarity. The study takes into account the complexities due to the involvement of different interest groups in the process of designing a successful neighbourhood TOD, such as the views of the transit agency, the financial returns of the developer group, the implications of the new station and proposed development to the surrounding residents and the issues of preservation and conservation by community groups and parks authorities amongst others. The final synthesis leads to a mixed-use moderate density development which integrates site-specific characteristics and applies the guiding principles of transit-oriented-development to create a community with a 'sense of place' which preserves the existing old forests and marshland instead of a 'placeless' template-planned subdivision design that resorts to clear cutting and bulldozing. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)... |
