Hear from these Industry Leaders: |
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Jan Gehl
Partner ,
Gehl Architects |
Gil Penalosa
Executive Director
Walk and Bike for Life |
Annukka Lindroos
Deputy Director, Planning
City of Helsinki |
Brent Toderian
Director of Planning
City of Vancouver |
Peter Englander
Director
Portland Development Commission |
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Detailed Conference Agenda |
DAY ONE
Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009 |
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| 7:30 AM Registration & Continental Breakfast |
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| 8:15 AM Opening Remarks from the Chair |
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8:30 AM Urban Design Panel
Place Making and the Necessary Elements to
Make Downtowns World-Class Destinations |
Traditionally, downtowns were the city’s economic centre. But as cities grew, downtowns commonly became less of a destination, often suffering economically. All towns want to ensure their downtowns remain or become viable. Hear from some of the country’s leading urban planners as we discuss:
 How and why certain plans work better than others
What downtowns need to thrive
What cities can do quickly to ensure revitalization starts
Gain valuable insight into how to reshape your community’s downtown. |
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Robert Freedman,
Director of Urban Design, Planning Division,
City of Toronto |
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Jennifer Keesmaat,
Partner,
Office for Urbanism |
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Joe Berridge,
Partner,
Urban Strategies |
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9:15 AM Case Study: Helsinki, Finland
Using Innovative, Low-Scale Building Design
to Increase Intensification While Maintaining
Design Excellence |
Most urban planners understand the requirement for greater urban intensification, but achieving it on the human scale is rarely executed. Rather than building ever higher residential complexes, Helsinki planners have designed a denser city with a focus on smaller-scale buildings.
Learn how all stakeholders came together to create a citywide strategic vision
Determine how urban branding creates a unified vision
Identify how focusing on the human scale can create a more livable city
Emulate the success of Helsinki in your community. |
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Annukka Lindroos,
Deputy Director, City Planning Department,
Helsinki, Finland |
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| 10:00 AM Networking Break |
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10:30 AM Case Study: Portland, OR
Developing and Implementing a Large-Scale Urban Plan to Increase Density and Quality Of Life |
Portland is consistently singled out as a leader in how to implement a comprehensive urban plan properly. Hear:
What led Portland to embark on their master plan
How they ensured it was implemented properly
About implemented zoning and regulatory changes that led to a more livable city
How Portland encouraged infill to increase density while retaining local character
How they built downtown into a major destination for locals and visitors alike
Apply the strategies that led to Portland’s success in your community.
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Peter Englander,
Director, Portland Development Commission,
City of Portland, OR |
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11:15 AM Case Study: Vancouver, BC
Creating a Top-Tier Livable City Through Better
Urban Design |
Vancouver is consistently rated one the best places to live in the world. Although its location between the sea and the mountains is impossible to discount, many other factors contribute to Vancouver’s livability.
Determine how early planning policies contributed to Vancouver’s success
Understand how local urban design strategies are incorporated
Identify live-work solutions that can be applied to your community
Replicate Vancouver’s experience in your community.
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Brent Toderian,
Director of Planning,
City of Vancouver |
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| 12:00 PM Networking Luncheon |
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1:30 PM Economic Development Panel
Strategies for Attracting Investors to Your Downtown |
Economic developers are tasked with driving development into their communities and, quite often, there is a focus on downtown development, which in turn is seen as a catalyst for building stronger communities. These are difficult, and essential, roles. Hear from an expert panel who have success:
Increasing downtown pedestrian traffic
Building a sense of community in their downtowns
Integrating social and economic development in their economic plans
Learn how other cities are achieving success in their communities. |
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Les Klein,
Principal,
Quadrangle Architects |
Mike Major,
Manager,
BIA Office, City of Toronto |
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Maggie Schofield,
Executive Director,
Downtown Calgary |
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| 2:15 PM Downtown Regeneration as a Central
Plank of Regional Economic Development - Current Opportunities Surrounding Entertainment Venues |
The success of your downtown can be measured in different ways, but well-attended entertainment venues would be a component of measuring that success. Downtowns as regional service centres define a number of Canadian communities, and their rejuvenation based on a mix of new uses including residential, entertainment and commercial is bearing fruit.
Learn how small, medium, and large cities from have drawn entertainment venues
to their downtowns
Review the necessary conditions that must be in place to achieve success
Understand how to overcome some of the most common challenges to realizing
your downtown success. |
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Jonathan Hack,
Associate,
IBI Group |
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| 3:00 PM Networking Break |
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| 3:30 PM Overcoming Community Objections to
Building Denser Live-Work Downtowns |
Many communities are hesitant to accept an urban designer’s concept for a denser downtown plan and, in many cases, there can be organized protests to halt a community’s downtown revitalization plan.
Identify strategies for better positioning your intensification plans
Understand what elements of your intensification plan will achieve higher
acceptance rates
Discover how best to allay your community’s fears
Apply the strategies Denver used to overcome community objections in your community.
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Jason Dennison,
Executive Director,
LoDo District, Denver, CO |
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4:15 PM Case Study: Campus Martius, Detroit, MI
Place Making as a Catalyst For Revitalizing Your Downtown |
Like most cities, large and small, Detroit has struggled with maintaining a vibrant downtown community and culture. Detroit’s response was to create a brand new urban square at the city’s historic downtown centre, giving the community a venue for events and community interaction.
Understand the role of space in creating a new downtown “heart”
Gain insight into the design elements that led to its success
Learn how to ensure continued use of space year round
Take away practical solutions to replicate Detroit’s success.
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Robert Gregory,
President,
Campus Martius Park |
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5:15 PM Blue Jays Warm Up
Join fellow delegates in the Renaissance Lounge overlooking Rogers Centre stadium to watch the Blue Jays warm up.**
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DAY TWO
Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009 |
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| 7:30 AM Registration & Continental Breakfast |
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| 8:15 AM Opening Remarks from the Chair |
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8:30 AM Architect’s Panel
Importance of Great Architecture for Driving
Economic Development and Community Building |
The ability of great architecture and the space between buildings to inspire revitalization and city building has been long played out in human history. Pilgrimages to historically great buildings and spaces continue to this day. In many cases, these buildings and spaces acted as catalysts for new development and civic pride. Hear from a group of architects on what role architecture plays in city building.
Learn how architecture creates a dialogue with the city and its citizens
Determine how and where architecture has revitalized urban centres
Identify how architecture can beautifully solve intensification challenges
Review the role of architecture and spacing in creating vibrant urban centres. |
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Peter Clewes,
Partner,
Architects Alliance |
Shirley Blumberg,
Founding Partner,
Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects |
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Kim Storey,
Partner,
Brown and Storey Architects
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9:15 AM Case Study: Copenhagen
Transportation Demand Management Strategies to Increase Pedestrian and Cycling Traffic for a More Sustainable City |
The goal of redeveloping your downtown is to make it accessible to the community, a space where they want to be and to linger there at their leisure. However, to manage downtown traffic effectively, you must first understand how citizens can use public space, interact with buildings, and forego the car for other forms of transportation. Based on extensive research and monitoring, hear how:
Demand management should privilege pedestrian and cycle traffic
Taking a gradual, long-term approach increases acceptance of change
Public spaces, even for winter cities, can be sought after destinations
Emulate Copenhagen’s success in your community.
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Jan Gehl,
Partner ,
Gehl Architects |
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| 10:00 AM Networking Break |
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10:30 AM Case Study: Moncton, NB
Implementing a Downtown Development Vision That Builds Consensus |
In 2005, the City of Moncton engaged in a process to generate a development vision collaboratively through a consultative planning process that involved key landowners, city staff, residents, students, and business owners. Throughout the planning process, an emphasis was placed on capacity building, and the creation of an implementable vision that would resonate with both residents and council.
How do you create a downtown plan that advocates and promotes a sustainable
future for your city?
How do you ensure that key stakeholders not only buy into the plan – but also
become advocates for it?
Ensure the implementation of your plan is integrated into your planning approach
Learn how Moncton created an urban discourse on planning and design in the downtown, and how this plan is being implemented.
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Antonio Gomez-Palacio,
Partner,
Office for Urbanism |
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11:15 AM Case Studies: Bogotá; New York City;
Mexico; Paris; and Canadian cities
From thinking and talking to doing. Walking,
Cycling, Public Spaces: Creating Great Cities |
A little over 10 years ago, Bogotá had few parks and increasing vehicle traffic. Now, there are 300 kilometres of tree-lined bike paths, pedestrian-only shopping and eating districts, and over 1,000 parks of various sizes. On Sunday they close 113 k to cars and over 1.3 million people use them to walk, bike, skate and enjoy each other’s presence.
Discover how political will and senior managers (real “doers”) are transforming
cities throughout the world
Identify the benefits of more walkable cities: economic, health, and transportation
Understand the key elements to create cultural change
Emulate the success of these cities in becoming more vibrant, with healthier communities and happier residents. |
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Gil Penalosa,
Executive Director,
Walk and Bike for Life |
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| 12:30 PM Networking Luncheon |
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1:30 PM Case Study: Charlottetown, PE
Façade Improvement Strategies That Maintain a Downtown’s Historic Sense of Place |
Charlottetown has experienced success in maintaining and improving their downtown by incorporating modern condominiums with a historic city centre. Grants for façade improvement have helped to beautify the core and to maintain their character as intensification has increased in the downtown core.
Create incentives like grants, façade improvement, and permit fees that work
Understand the role history plays in creating a sense of place
Develop a long-term strategy to improve your city’s design vision
Working with partners in the community
Emulate Charlottetown’s success in your community. |
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Don Poole,
Manager, Planning and Development,
City of Charlottetown, PE |
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2:15 PM Case Study: Toronto Artscape
Leveraging investment in creative enterprises to revitalize your downtown core |
Considered globally as a driver of the knowledge economy, the Cultural and Creative Sector is a complex mix of industries that range from the traditional arts to magazine publishing, digital media to architecture. In cities across the world, this sector thrives where density, proximity and variety converge to generate both raw material and the product of creative communities.
Understand why place matters in nurturing, developing and sustaining the sector’s
competitiveness
Learn from Artscape’s recent global research findings on developing creative
enterprise clusters
Gain valuable insight on the new models of cultural spaces, innovation centres,
and creative business incubators generating prosperity in downtowns
Apply the successful strategies employed by Artscape in your community. |
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Reid Henry,
Director of Consulting,
Toronto Artscape |
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| 3:00 PM Networking Break |
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| 3:30 PM Economic Incentives for Downtown Revitalization |
The Planning Act, the Municipal Act, 2001 and other legislation provide tools for municipalities to incent and attract development. This session will detail the ins and outs of the use of these tools and will provide valuable, timely information about Community Improvement Plans, Tax Increment Financing and other financial incentives that can be put to use in your community now.
Robert G. Doumani,
Partner,
Aird & Berlis LLP |
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4:15 PM Case Study: Kingston, ON
Implementing a Municipal Cultural Resource
Management Approach Into Your Downtown
Revitalization Plan |
The city of Kingston has worked with many stakeholders to ensure not only the adaptive reuse of historic buildings, but that they are also an integral part of their community. With 690 heritage properties, and many more possible, Kingston has developed a number of heritage policies to ensure their cultural history is preserved.
Hear how public education is a key component of the heritage program
Understand how preservation incentives have worked in Kingston
Learn how their integrative management approach improves community
engagement and development
Gain insight into Kingston’s Municipal Cultural Management program, and learn how to apply it in your community.
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Marcus Letourneau,
Heritage Planner,
City of Kingston, ON |
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| 5:00 PM Conference Adjourns |
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