A Digital City

Typology for Better Streets: Downtown Oakville

Jeremy Krygsman — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 03:12:07 +0000

To get the most out of a street, every inch counts. Streets make up a huge percentage of area in cities, and that makes them important public spaces. When we were tasked with re-imagining Downtown Oakville’s streets, we came up with several innovative but simple ways to use the space better.

Increasing pedestrian space.
Allowing flexibility for sidewalk cafes.
Enabling dedicated bike lanes right through the core.
All while ensuring access to parking and a smooth flow of traffic.

Check out the full project: Downtown Oakville Public Space Framework. Team members: Ryan Felix, Meaghan Mendonca, Matt Perotto, and Graeme Ruck.

Lakeshore Road

CURRENT CONDITION: In its current state, Lakeshore Rd. provides approximately 15m of dedicated space exclusive to the automobile. This includes two lanes of parking, a lane in both directions of travel and a shared centre turn lane. The centre lane is also used as a delivery zone throughout the business day. A sidewalk is provided in the remaining space, with a total width of 9m. Minimal facilities exist for cyclists along Lakeshore.

1 BIKE & TRANSIT IMPROVEMENTS: Removing the centre lane and giving the space to separated bike lanes is a low-cost and effective way to share the streets without limiting automobile access. This could contribute to a complete bike network in Oakville, and the surrounding communities in the Greater Toronto Area. Main Features • Removal of the centre lane • Addition curb & bulb-outs • Improvements for bike and transit.

2 ADJUSTABLE PARKING: Adjustable parking gives control of the street to adjacent businesses, enabling them to decide whether it is more beneficial to have a single car parked in front, ten bicycle spots, or to have space for a dozen people to sit and enjoy a meal. Main Features • Adjustable parking areas allow for seasonal use and civic activities • Bollards allow parking spaces to be removed • Parking Spot decisions are made in collaboration with business owners.

3 MULTIMODAL SHARED STREET: High quality materials really set Downtown Oakville apart, creating a street that has ample space for pedestrians and bikes. Environmentally friendly tree planters remove the need for watering and filter runoff before it enters the stormwater system. Main Features • Pedestrian and bikes are prioritized, with wide sidewalks • Seasonal bike lane replace parking on one side of street during summer • Planters are designed to filter runoff before it runs into the stormwater system.

Local Streets

CURRENT CONDITION: Downtown Oakville’s local streets are very wide, consist of mostly hardscape, and have significantly less greenery than Lakeshore Rd. or surrounding residential streets. Many are one-way roads with travel lanes of approximately 4m wide or more. Parking is well marked, but the pedestrian experience is limited to narrow sidewalks that are often very close to the road edge. Traffic moves well on these streets, but there is less activity.

1 TRAFFIC CALMING & GREEN FEATURES: Filling in blank asphalt with grass and trees will make local streets much more attractive, narrowing the street and signalling to drivers that Downtown is a place to slow down and stop to visit. Main Features • Road narrowed slightly to calm traffic • Extension of the curb at intersections to define corner • Increased space for trees or sidewalk activities • Open spaces (parking lots) physically/visually separated.

2 DEDICATED BIKE LANES: Local streets, especially Church St., are a prime location for a separated bikeway, part of a network that would allow cyclists, especially families on a Sunday bike-ride, to access Downtown safely and easily. Main Features • Dedicated bike lane • Bikes enable more people to access the downtown without increasing demand for parking spaces.

3 ADJUSTABLE PARKING: Downtown Oakville will continue to expand and be redeveloped, and local streets can start adopting some of the same design principles as Lakeshore, becoming more business and pedestrian friendly. Main Features • Future buildings will fill in street wall, increasing activity • As vacant land develops, the street can evolve to utilize adjustable parking in front of buildings.

George Street

Connected to the proposed 16 Mile Square and anchored by Towne Square, the big move for Downtown Oakville is to extend the George St. pedestrian space north to Randall St. The goal is to draw people into other parts of Downtown along a green, urban living room, as well as bring the water that borders Downtown on three sides into the heart of the town. The extended pedestrian street would serve as the beginning of a creek-to-lake corridor that could be extended from Towne Square to the Lake down George St.

Design Goals
• New, green axis to draw people into other parts of downtown and create an urban living room
• Connection to surrounding water, especially 16 mile creek
• The following page shows two different pedestrian street options we considered. Ideas from these options were incorporated into the final vision.

1 GREEN PROMENADE: Taking cars off of George St. north of Lakeshore Rd. is a natural extension of the current pedestrian-only zone just south of Lakeshore. The street would be very green, with wide sidewalks and plenty of space to sit down and enjoy the Downtown ambiance. Main Features • Commerce and activity expand out across a green promenade into the centre of the street.

2 BIOSWALE STREETSCAPE: Imagine having a cup of coffee sitting next to lush greenery and still water, with a soft surface for children to play. Bringing water into Downtown Oakville would reflect the presence of 16 Mile Creek and Lake Ontario, which surround the district. Main Features • A series of swales and ponds that also act to filter storm-water runoff • Create an oasis in the Downtown, emphasizing the role and presence of water in Oakville.

Downtown Oakville Public Space Framework

Jeremy Krygsman — Sat, 07 May 2011 17:56:25 +0000

This project for Downtown Oakville was completed as a senior study project at the University of Waterloo. The goal was to inspire the Town of Oakville to re-imagine their Downtown as an even better and more successful place. It consists of a Public Realm Vision that enhances the existing street network, open spaces and builds on the strong identity of Downtown Oakville. The framework was presented by the team to a room full of Oakville staff in April 15, and the report contains the content from that presentation. You can download both by clicking on the images below.

I was privileged to work with Ryan Felix, Meaghan Mendonca, Matt Perotto, and Graeme Ruck on the project. The team acted as a consultant for Oakville, so this project was much more similar to a real-life urban design study than typical student project, requiring creativity, flexibility, and communication. We worked closely with urban designers at the Town of Oakville, including Gabe Charles and Kirk Biggar, under the guidance of our professor of urban design, Karen Hammond. We all enjoyed doing the project!

Lakeshore Rd. & George St., illustrating how our vision could be applied to George Street to create a new public space that will transform the pedestrian environment and the way people think about Downtown.

Our vision for Lakeshore and Downtown Oakville is to enhance the streets so that they balance the needs of all street users. The streets will serve a multitude of social, recreational and ecological needs that benefit both visitors and business owners. More complex, vibrant and equitable streetscapes will better serve the needs of residents. Furthermore, it will enhance the open spaces and increase the importance of Downtown’s heritage & and preserve their character.

This photo-simulation illustrates how our vision could be applied to Lakeshore Road to improve the pedestrian environment.

There are opportunities to create new open spaces in Downtown. One space in particular that holds great potential is the former Post Office lot at Randall and George St. Here, we have proposed the new 16 Mile Square. 16 Mile Square would provide a new, engaging destination that highlights the presence and importance of 16 Mile Creek in Oakville. It would allow for the reanimation of the Post Office building with public uses, restaurants, shops, or services and strengthen the pedestrian network in Downtown.

Guelph: the Woods Redevelopment

Jeremy Krygsman — Sat, 07 May 2011 12:43:30 +0000

West Link, Edmonton

Jeremy Krygsman — Fri, 06 May 2011 20:02:49 +0000

This animated 3D visualization was produced as a promotion for a shopping centre redevelopment called West Link, owned by Terracap Management Inc. in Edmonton. The project including model setup, rendering, and video production, and it was done in collaboration with MyMoxie.

Article about DSEA Conference

Jeremy Krygsman — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 02:01:24 +0000

Urban Marvel “captured the imagination and admiration of the judging panel and audience” during our award winning presentation at the DSEA design competition for Seaton, according to an article featured on the City of Pickering View on Business website. Take a look at our plan for Seaton here. For posterity, I’ve reprinted the article below.

Seaton Community on the Map at DSEA Conference

Making a Sustainable Community Happen, the theme of a conference hosted by the Durham Strategic Energy Alliance (DSEA), put the City of Pickering’s Seaton Community on the map with a first-ever student competition that challenged university and college students to design a neighbourhood within the community.

The new, sustainable urban community in Central Pickering is currently in the planning stages. Upon initial build-out, 35,000 people will work in Seaton and up to 70,000 people will call it home. More than half of Seaton’s 3,000 hectares will remain in their natural state.

As part of the competition, teams from across the province were required to consider numerous aspects of new community development, including the environment, urban design, housing, energy and conservation.

DSEA student competition winners Urban Marvel with Dan McGillvary of the Ontario Centres of Excellence and Ursula Hatherly of the Royal Bank of Canada, both competition sponsors.

Urban Marvel, made up of planning students from the University of Waterloo, was awarded first place. “The team received top marks in a few of the main categories, including its final presentation, which captured the imagination and admiration of the judging panel and audience,” says Mark Guinto, a judge from the City of Pickering.

The third annual conference, held October 12 and 13, explored ownership, partnership and financial models for designing and building the community of the future. It also examined elements from building technology, water and waste management, and energy and transportation solutions. Keynote speakers included Wayne Robbins Chief Nuclear Officer, Ontario Power Generation. The City of Pickering was a proud breakfast sponsor.

DSEA (www.dsea.ca) is a non-profit organization comprised of business, government and educational institutions working together for the advancement of energy initiatives. It’s addressing the energy challenges facing Ontario and Canada by being an active participant in the global quest for clean, affordable energy solutions.

The DSEA 2010 Chairperson Award was presented to Warren Beacom, President of Intellimeter Canada Inc. The award acknowledges his commitment to the DSEA on a national and international level, as well as his vision and leadership in the energy sector – from research to product development in renewable energy projects such as wind and solar.

Intellimeter Canada is an accredited meter testing, sealing and re-testing facility – a certification typically reserved for much larger corporations and public utilities. Congratulations!

Award Winning Design for Seaton

Jeremy Krygsman — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 18:57:17 +0000

In October, I participated in a great urban design competition with team Urban Marvel: Ryan Felix, Matt Perotto, Graeme Ruck, and myself, Jeremy Krygsman. Through, hard work, dedication, unique ideas, and a great presentation, we received the first place award in the competition.

The City Of Pickering is a rapidly growing metropolitan region on the north shore of Lake Ontario. Throughout the years,suburban growth has created unsustainable development, deteriorating livability, creating traffic problems, and damaging the environment. Our vision is to transform the town of Seaton into a sustainable, mixed used, urban village, integrating parks, institutions, and open spaces. This will expand the City Of Pickering’s capacity for urban living, employment and recreation.

Our Seaton Vision will achieve sustainability by creating a town that is centred on a compact urban area of mixed uses and exciting activity. Upon completion, our proposed development will support 16,000 jobs and 10,000 residents while consuming only 50% of available land.

Public spaces are designed to meld seamlessly with private spaces to facilitate social networking, civic engagement and physical activity. Building heights of three to 12 storeys will create urban ambiance. Street frontages are active and permeable, facilitating commerce and social activity with tree-lined streets that will encourage walking, bicycling, and transit use. The transportation system will connect people using multi-modal transportation to the rest of the Seaton development and the Greater Toronto Area.

Industrial and employment lands for green technology will be integrated into the urban fabric, always within walking distance of a transit corridor, shops, and restaurants. Large agricultural lands are preserved to protect precious farmland, and conserve native plants, wildlife habitat, and wetlands.

The town’s compact form is rooted in the surrounding environment, and strongly woven together with a densely walkable street network. Without this solid foundation in design, any additional sustainable technology would be an illusion.

Site drainage will use existing stream systems to clean water and slow runoff within natural environments. These forested areas will also clean the air, provide recreation spaces, and preserve animal habitats.

Pedestrian walkways complete the grid in some areas to create direct, accessible routes, complemented by an extensive, interconnected park and open space system.

Urban Marvel’s goal for the Seaton community is to create a place that sets the precedent for new development in Ontario.

Team Urban Marvel: Ryan Felix, Matt Perotto, Graeme Ruck, and Jeremy Krygsman

5000 Taschereau Boulevard

Jeremy Krygsman — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 03:57:36 +0000

Get the Flash Player to see this player.

This 3D modeling/rendering animation was produced as a promotion for a shopping centre redevelopment on Taschereau Boulevard in Montreal. It was a pleasure to work with my friend Ryan Felix and his associate Nick Shippers of MyMoxie on the project, and the video you see here is a remixed version of the footage done for the original video.

Streetscapes and Walkability

Jeremy Krygsman — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 04:11:52 +0000

What is the relationship between green plants and the desirability of an urban street? Are street trees appreciated or disliked by pedestrians? This original research was conducted at the University of Waterloo by Larysa Dubicki, Jeremy Krygsman, Sarah Martin, Julia Muller, and Andrea Santi. It was completed July 28, 2010.

For this research, I created a series of animated 3D visualizations of a typical urban street, with varying levels of greenery, which you can view below. The team then surveyed participants to find out what they felt about each scene.

The Four Scenes ranged from no greenery, to a street filled with large leafy trees and flowers. Below is a summary of the daytime views only, but you can view all of the walkability visualizations online.

Get the Flash Player to see this player.

This is an extensive research paper, but if you are looking for the interesting parts, feel free to jump to the comments from survey participants at the end of the results on page 5, and the conclusions and recommendations on page 7.

Read on or comment below!

Why I Do Visualization

Jeremy Krygsman — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 01:54:24 +0000

I am an urban planner who specializes in visualization. Why do I do what I do? For me, visualization is about ideas… the generation of new ideas involves both the spark, and the outlet, a way of showing to the world that the idea is valid. Urban design is about how the city looks, feels, and works. Visualization is my way of showing how we would change the world if we had a chance. Ultimately, to really have an impact, the idea must be built out of bricks and mortar, but, to approve of that final result, people must be able to understand what the idea is about, and how it will impact their lives for the better.

Grimsby Community Improvement Plan

Jeremy Krygsman — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 19:02:04 +0000

Grimsby is a small town of about 25,000 people on the green side of Ontario’s Golden Horseshoe, situated across Lake Ontario on the Niagara Peninsula. It is within one of the province’s richest agricultural areas for grapes (wine), peaches, and other fruit of all kinds (fresh Ontario strawberries, by the way, are the best). I worked with planning consultant GSP Group on a Community Improvement Plan, where I developed several renderings and maps for presentations and reports.

Up for improvement was a large area in the town centre, including several different districts and land use types, summarized in a series of maps similar to the one shown below.

Main-Elm Realignment

One major issue was a badly aligned intersection in the middle of the downtown area, which we wanted to address while providing space for a new public square.