livable cities, greener neighbourhoods: sustainable community design in dieppe, new brunswick...

Livable Cities, Greener Neighbourhoods:

Sustainable Community Design in Dieppe, New Brunswick

Dalhousie University

Thayer Nugent

Jose Canjura

James Bryndza

Objective

To create a Sustainable Community To create a Sustainable Community Design that provides housing and Design that provides housing and protects environmentally sensitive protects environmentally sensitive areas in a subdivision of Dieppe, New areas in a subdivision of Dieppe, New Brunswick Brunswick

How does the current regulatory How does the current regulatory framework encourage or restrict the framework encourage or restrict the design, and what changes would help design, and what changes would help implement it?implement it?

Method

• Site analysis conducted by biologists from the Universite de Moncton and NBCC Moncton

• Literature Review

• Design process

• Policy and plan review

• Affordable housing

• Recommendations

Background

• Dieppe population is 15,000 and growing• Economy is healthy• Need for an open space network• Rise in the demand for semi-detached homes and

apartments

• Development pressure: how to accommodate it?

Sustainable Community Design

• Inspired by Conservation Design

• Principles: – connected open space– compact living

• Community Resource Inventory– Primary/secondary conservation areas– Potentially developable area

• Different density options: gross versus net

• Flexible applications: continuum of encouragement

Site Background

• The site is 25.7 acres (10.053 ha), located approximately 3.5 km from the city centre

• Urban fringe area, low density

The Site

Sum m ary for Property ha acre %

Total Sensitive Zones 1.597 3.95 15%Total Buffer 1.992 4.92 19%Total Prim ary conservation area 3.589 8.87 35%Total Significant Zones 2.809 6.94 27%Total Secondary Conservation area 2.809 6.94 27%Total Prim ary + Secondary Conservation area 6.398 15.81 62%Total PDA Zones 4.009 9.91 39%Total Property Area 10.380 25.65 100%

Conventional Yield Plan

Basic Conservation – 21 units Basic Conservation – 43 units

Basic Conservation 71 units

Medium Density

Upper Medium Density

Urban Density

• Most homes are single unit dwellings

Enhanced Conservation– 39 Enhanced Conservation–78 units

Enhanced Conservation –

107 units

Medium Density

Upper Medium Density

Urban Density

Village Design – 71 units Village Design – 143

Village Design – 179

Medium Density

Upper Medium Density

Urban Density

Recommended Design Concept

Recommended Design – Land Use Map

Comparing the alternatives

What current zoning (RA) allows:2 hectare lots

What R1 zoning allows:Single unit dwellings as main use (with some low intensity secondary uses).Lot area: 540 m2Frontage: 18 mSetback: 6 m

Regulatory FrameworkRegulatory Framework

Regulatory Framework

• Municipal Policy:– Municipal Development Plan– Subdivision By-law– Zoning By-law

• Provincial Policy:– Community Planning Act– Condominium Act– Conservation Easement Act– Watercourse Regulations

How to make SCD possible: Site specific

Two implementation options:

• Change zoning from RA to ID

• Create a development scheme

Different housing types/tenure couldprovide affordable housing options

How to make SCD possible:general recommendations

• Community Resource Inventory– Would identify optimal areas for

development – Open spaces should be connected and

incorporated into proposed trail network plan

• Review MDP– To encourage open space connectivity– Review Minimum road standards

How to make SCD possible, cont…

• Zoning by-law– New mixed use zone – could allow

developer option of SCD– Integrated open space zone

• Subdivision by-law– Too rigid: lot sizes, frontages, lot types,

road sizes

• Legislation to protect open space– Multiple holdings

Thank you.Questions?

For more information

Please contact

• For general concept: Department of the Environment and Local

Government – Daniel Savard (506) 444-4391, daniel.savard@gnb.ca

• Local implementation: Ville de Dieppe - André Daigle (506) 877-7900,

andre.daigle@dieppe.ca

• Support organizations: Conservation Development Alliance – John-Paul

Warren (416) 467-1339, jpwarren@interlog.com