Bridging Implementation Gaps: Building Complete Communities Around Light Rail Stations in Calgary

This study examines challenges associated with the implementation of Transit Oriented Development (TOD) Station Area Communities (SAC) in Calgary, Canada. It defines the Community Planning Process (CPP) as a cycle with five stages: Vision, Plans, Implementation, Evaluation and Feedback where the communication of Evaluation outcomes (Feedback) loops back to inform the next cycle and improve future physical and functional outcomes. The research takes a two-pronged approach: (1) SWOT Analysis of Calgary’s municipal practice within the CPP with respect to TOD which includes a review of the literature, a review of Calgary’s city-level TOD policy and interviews with key informants to assess implementation gaps; and (2) Development and implementation of a TOD Community Evaluation Framework (CEF) which is informed by a review of the literature, a review of Calgary’s local-level TOD policy and participant observation in order to determine the level of success of TOD SACs. The CEF defines five evaluation categories: Intensity, Key Elements, Pedestrian Focus, Mix of Uses and Place and was used to analyze three Calgary SACs: Bridgeland, Sunnyside and Westbrook. Within Calgary’s municipal practice, it was found that community evaluation and feedback are often overlooked altogether. At the local level, Intensity, Mix of Uses and Place categories score consistently lower across the case study communities. It is recommended that the City implement a community evaluation system that provides feedback to decision makers within the CPP and that implementation efforts focus on attracting residents and jobs while encouraging mixed use projects and place-making efforts.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Environmental Design (MEDes)

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

Environmental Design

Year dc:date.issued

2013

Author dc:creator

• Archibald, Jason

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Tsenkova, Sasha

• Urban and Regional Planning

Statement dc:rights

• University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.

Language dc:language.iso

eng

DOI

http://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/25163

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:ucalgary.scholaris.ca:11023/1138