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Detailed
Conference Agenda |
DAY ONE:
Wednesday November 12th, 2008 |
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7:30 AM |
Registration Opens & Continental Breakfast |
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8:15 AM |
Opening Comments from the Chair |
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8:30 AM |
Case Study: Sydney, Australia |
Reclaiming the Waterfront; Sydney’s new public domain |
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Philip Thalis, Director, Hill Thalis Architecture + Urban Projects |
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9:15 AM |
Case Study: San Francisco |
Traffic strategies that can improve downtown vehicle flow after the dismantling of a major elevated highway
In 1989 San Francisco suffered an earthquake that caused large portions of the Cypress Viaduct highway to collapse. In a close vote, the city decided to tear down a section of the highway instead of rebuilding it. |
- Analyze San Francisco’s lessons learned
- Understand how the city sold the idea among the public commuters
- Determine how long it can take to redirect traffic after the loss of a major highway
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Model your city’s transportation plan on San Francisco’s success. |
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José Luis Moscovich, Executive Director, San Francisco County Transportation Authority |
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10:00 AM |
Networking Break |
Interact with conference speakers and fellow attendees. |
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10:30 AM |
Keynote: Mayor David Miller |
The role of government in Toronto’s waterfront revitalization
The revitalization of Toronto’s waterfront involves three levels of government and a diversity of public agencies. It has created a number of challenges and opportunities that require careful management and coordination. Learn the role of government in: |
- Managing public expectations and protecting public interests
- Working with all industry stakeholders
- Making revitalization happen
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Understand the challenges and opportunities of working with three levels of government. |
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David Miller, Mayor, City of Toronto |
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11:15 AM |
Case Study: Toronto’s West Don Lands |
Creating Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design-based waterfront communities that will drive more sustainable communities
When the West Don Lands is complete, it will be a LEED Gold community. This is a large feat, particularly given its location on a Brownfield. |
- Learn how West Don Lands is achieving sustainability
- Identify the strategies that will work for you
- Understand the business case for LEED communities
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Emulate West Don Lands for your own community development projects. |
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David Wex, Partner, Urban Capital Development Group |
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12:00 PM |
Networking Luncheon |
Join the conference speakers and your peers for a relaxing luncheon. |
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1:30 PM |
Case Study: Montreal |
Large-scale transformations of roads and waterfronts to improve public space and new development
Montreal has recently begun work on removing a portion of the Bonaventure Expressway, particularly the areas where it flows through their downtown waterfront. It will be replaced with an at-grade boulevard in an effort to reclaim public access to the river and drive development. |
- Determine how Montreal plans to revitalize their waterfront
- Identify which traffic and pedestrian strategies can work in your city
- Understand how their business opportunities are being implemented
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Create an action plan that emulates many of Montreal’s strategies. |
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Gaëtan Rainville, President and CEO, Société du Havre de Montréal |
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2:15 PM |
Determining the best uses for public spaces to ensure they are destinations worth experiencing
Incorporating public spaces in a waterfront development project is an important factor in gaining public support. Most citizens are vocal in their desire to have accessible public spaces on their waterfronts, but there are differing ideas in how these spaces should be designed. Join in the discussion as we weigh in on various options. |
- What creative design options are available for public spaces?
- Should there be small public squares or large parks?
- How can integration techniques move beyond the ordinary?
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Identify how best to incorporate public spaces into your development projects. |
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John Hillier, Partner, du Toit Allsopp Hillier
Joe Berridge, Partner, Urban Strategies |
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3:00 PM |
Networking Break |
Interact with conference speakers and fellow attendees. |
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3:30 PM |
Case Study: Halifax Master Plan |
Implementing downtown plans that focus on accessing and viewing the waterfront
Halifax Harbour has always been the centerpiece of the city, for employment, and recreation. So when Halifax Regional Municipality embarked on an ambitious Downtown Master Plan, working with the harbour became an important consideration. Hear how Halifax: |
- Plans to create clear connections between the urban context and the waterfront
- Capitalizes on synergies that arise from the proximity of area districts to the waterfront
- Creates spaces that play off the vitality of the Harbour
- Will increase density while respecting and enhancing existing waterfront communities
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Emulate how Halifax is incorporating their waterfront into their Master Plan. |
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Jennifer Keesmaat, Partner, Office for Urbanism |
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4:15 PM |
Legal Liability Update |
The legal issues that all stakeholders need to consider when developing and renewing waterfront property
Environmental liabilities are often raised as impediments to the development and renewal of waterfronts. There are many liabilities to consider. Developers, urban planners, engineers, and governments at all levels need to be aware of the legal issues and identify strategies to mitigate lawsuits and other legal risks from: |
- Contaminated land
- Wetland, lake and ocean species preservation
- Loss of business during the development phase
- Residents groups living in the area of development
- Demolition of existing roads and infrastructure in built up areas
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John Tidball, Partner, Miller Thompson, LLP |
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5:00 PM |
Conference Adjourns to Day Two |
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Day Two:
Thursday November 13th, 2008 |
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7:30 AM |
Registration & Continental Breakfast |
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8:15 AM |
Opening Comments from the Chair |
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8:30 AM |
Update: Toronto’s 21st-Century Waterfront Vision |
| Toronto’s waterfront development: Creating a coherent vision of the city’s future
Hear from Waterfront Toronto on their vision for the future of Toronto’s waterfront and the role played by both the private sector and the government. |
- How will the waterfront design be fully incorporated?
- What restrictions are in place to ensure a cohesive vision can be realized?
- What is incumbent on the private sector? On the government?
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Understand the latest developments in Toronto’s waterfront vision. |
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John W. Campbell, President and CEO, Waterfront Toronto |
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9:15 AM |
Case Study: Netherlands (Amsterdam and Rotterdam) |
Building high-demand and innovative waterfront housing that creates distinctive communities
The Netherlands is arguably the leader in innovative waterfront development, with many residential case studies to offer. Learn how the Dutch have: |
- Used development as an opportunity to create landmarks
- Taken advantage of the water to build on the design
- Created innovative engineering solutions to build on waterfronts
- Incorporated sustainable practices in their designs
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Take away strategies to incorporate innovative residential building designs. |
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Leon Thier, Architectural Director, Studio Leon Thier, Netherlands |
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10:00 AM |
Networking Break |
Interact with conference speakers and fellow attendees. |
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10:30 AM |
Case Study: Baltimore |
Long-term renewal strategies for protecting your waterfront investment
Baltimore was one of the first major North American cities to revitalize its waterfront. Now, it is learning first hand how to ensure its investment continues to be as successful. |
- Identify key strategies that will keep your waterfront “new”
- Examine how Baltimore maintains and protects its infrastructure
- Understand how to develop a long-term, forward-looking plan for your waterfront
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Determine how best to manage your waterfront investment over the long haul. |
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Colin Tarbert, Senior Economic Development Officer, Baltimore Development Corporation |
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11:15 AM |
Case Study: Halifax |
Strategies for turning the waterfront into a destination that creates viable mixed-use development
Halifax harbour is a working harbour, home to the Canadian Navy’s Atlantic Fleet and handling 2000 commercial vessels annually. The waterfront is the most visited portion of Halifax, with many tourists congregating among the shops, bars, and restaurants. It is the location of work for thousands of professionals in office buildings along the shore. And it is host to festivals and a wide range of children’s activities. |
- Learn how Halifax implemented their waterfront plans, and reaped the financial benefits
- Identify the key factors that led to the successes of Halifax Harbour
- Determine how to balance commercial with public space
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Benchmark your city’s waterfront plan against Halifax’s success. |
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Colin MacLean, President and CEO, Waterfront Development Corporation Limited |
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12:00 PM |
Networking Luncheon |
Join the conference speakers and your peers for a relaxing luncheon. |
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1:30 PM |
Case Study: Boston, MA |
Successfully creating a mixed-use waterfront to ensure wide-ranging community support
The Boston waterfront has deep roots, both commercially and culturally. Because Boston harbour remains an important working port, the Boston Redevelopment Authority had to satisfy many disparate interests. Learn how Boston: |
- Leveraged public and private investment
- Satisfied commercial and public interests on the waterfront
- Negotiated the legal complexities inherent in major redevelopments
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Emulate Boston’s success in your city’s waterfront plan. |
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Richard McGuinness, Deputy Director, Waterfront Planning, Boston Redevelopment Authority |
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2:15 PM |
Public transportation strategies to link the city to newly developed neighborhoods
The new communities being developed in Toronto are expected to have increased Toronto Transit Commission access to decrease vehicular traffic. |
- What infrastructure requirements will be required?
- How will public transit access be funded?
- What is the developer’s role in providing easy access to public transit?
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Understand the Greater Toronto Area’s public transit strategies. |
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Adam Giambrone, City Councillor, Davenport Ward 18, and Chair, Toronto Transit Commission |
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3:00 PM |
Networking Break |
Interact with conference speakers and fellow attendees. |
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3:30 PM |
Technical advancements to increase remediation efficiency
Removing contaminated soil is the standard method for many brownfield clean ups. However, in some instances, there are more innovative and cost-effective alternatives. |
- Gain a greater understanding of the option available
- Determine which remediation techniques are best for your site
- Hear valuable case studies on alternative remediation practices
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Understand how new remediation techniques are improving efficiency. |
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4:15 PM |
Conference Adjourns |
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