7/21/2019 OPJ - Placemaking for a Healthy Public Realm

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/opj-placemaking-for-a-healthy-public-realm 1/3

PLANNING

Ontario

Ontario

Professional Planners

Institute

HEALTHY COMMUNITIES • SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES   Journal

MARCH / APRIL 2016 VOL. 31, NO. 2

FOCUS ON

ECOHEALTHHealthy people and ecosystems • Reducing stress

Green city • Green places • Promoting ecohealth • Placemaking Stepping into nature • Health by design • Public health • Aging in place

7/21/2019 OPJ - Placemaking for a Healthy Public Realm

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/opj-placemaking-for-a-healthy-public-realm 2/3

12 | ONTARIO PLANNING JOURNAL 1 2

Recent planning, economic development and real estate datashow that people of all ages increasingly want to live inplaces that promote healthylifestyles—walkable, mixed-usecommunities with a strong sense of

place and high quality public spaces.Throughout North America, even duringeconomic downturns, compact pedestrian-oriented neighbourhoods with easy access tonature, parks, community centres, libraries,schools and shops, have been seen to hold their value best. Underpinning healthy, well-designedcommunities is a high quality public realm.

To achieve these results, today’s planner

needs to be skilled in placemaking: “the processthrough which we collectively shape our public realm to maximizeshared value.”1 However, the demographic, cultural, environmentaland economic conditions underwhich planners currently work requiremore advanced and dynamicapproaches than in recent decades.We can no longer use the tools andmethods of the past and expect theresults needed for the future.

In its broadest definition, thepublic realm is made up of all thepublicly-accessible spaces within acommunity—parks, open spaces,

walkways, roads, plazas, sidewalks,civic spaces and public buildings. Insome communities it also includesprivately-owned spaces that arepublicly accessible. In short, the publicrealm is the stage upon which publiclife is performed. It is all the spaces between and sometimes withinbuildings where people can interact and social life happens. These are

the shared assets that knit together and animate all of the other partsof the places we live, work and play. The public realm defines acommunity.

Many communities find themselves withexasperating challenges, reduced quality of lifeand significantly less economic activity thanbefore. But research2 tells us that talent,entrepreneurs and knowledge industriesaround the world—precursors to economicgrowth—are attracted to communities whereattention has been paid to the quality of thepublic realm. Other studies3 illustrate how acity’s success is driven by the quality of lifeenjoyed by the people who live and work there

If people love where they live, the place will beeconomically vital. Other research stresses that good design is morecomplex than simply aesthetic improvement of the built environment

It is also about improved quality oflife, equality of opportunity andeconomic growth. Successful townsand cities are heeding this newparadigm.

People enjoy spending time inplaces that are appealing on a varietyof levels. Ideally, in a well-designedplace, there is something toexperience with all one’s senses.This, along with the ability to

interact with others in a safe, secureand energized environment, createsthe most successful places.Developments with a high qualitypublic realm and a diversity ofactivities throughout the day,

establish an overall sense of place for a community that gives a focusto people’s daily lives, promotes physical and mental health, and

Ecohealth

 Placemaking for a Healthy Public RealmBy Rob Voigt & Loretta Ryan

“The lack of resources is no longer an excusenot to act. The idea that action should only betaken after all the answers and the resourceshave been found is a sure recipe for paralysis.The planning of a city is a process that allowsfor corrections; it is supremely arrogant tobelieve that planning can be done only after

every possible variable has been controlled.”

~ Jaime Lerner – architect and former mayor of Curitiba, Brazil

Children’s festival in Creemore. Using streets as part of an active public realm and place of gathering

    I    M    A    G    E    C    O    U    R    T    E    S    Y    O    F    R    O    B    E    R    T    V    O    I    G    T

Loretta RyanRobert Voigt

7/21/2019 OPJ - Placemaking for a Healthy Public Realm

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/opj-placemaking-for-a-healthy-public-realm 3/3

1 3 Vol. 31, No. 2, 2016 | 13

Specializing in Rural Planning

and Development

• development approvals

• policy formulation

• OMB testimony

• municipalwww.ecovueconsulting.com

 311 George St. N. Suite 200Peterborough, ON K9J 3H3

Tel: 877.652.1466 705.876.8340Fax: 705.742.8343

enhances economic opportunities.Placemaking is the human-centred

design of the public realm that directlyinvolves the people that will use the spacescreated. In recent years, the term hasbecome common parlance amongdevelopers, realtors, architects andplanners, as well as local, regional andnational policy makers, as its value tocommunity health has become increasingly

understood. It has gained popularitybecause of its practicality and far-reachinginfluence on the liveability and resilience ofcommunities.5

While planners continue to seek moreinformation and expand sharedknowledge bases, this must not takeprecedence over concrete action to buildhealthy communities for futuregenerations. Rather, planners need tobecome adept at working withincremental changes in the public realm,at finding ways of improvingcommunities with many small steps in

succession over a long period of time.To advance our understanding of the

public realm and placemaking, this is thefocus of OPPI’s 2016 symposium October5th & 6th at the Hamilton ConventionCentre. Fred Kent, founder and presidentof Project for Public Spaces, is one of manyspeakers who will engage members in

 various learning opportunities andthoughtful discussions.

In conjunction with the symposium,OPPI will be releasing a Call to Action:Healthy Communities and Planning forthe Public Realm. Its purpose is to raise

awareness and highlight key issues so thatOntario’s planners and communities canidentify and address the challengesassociated with planning for the publicrealm.

Rob Voigt, MCIP, RPP is chair of OPPI’sPlanning Issues Strategy Group andLoretta Ryan, MCIP, RPP is OPPI’sDirector of Public Affairs.

Endnotes

1  Project for Public Spaces2  Including research by Urban Land Institute

3 Knight Foundation’s Soul of the

Community  study 4  United Kingdom’s Commission for

Architecture and the Built Environment5  Examples of on-the-ground placemaking

projects include recent initiatives in New

York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Vancouver,

North Vancouver, Nelson, Bellingham,

Houston, Creemore, Kitchener-Waterloo,

Toronto, Kingston, Barrie, Collingwood,

Wasaga Beach, Orillia and Seattle

Urban Design  I  Landscape Architecture  I  Planning  I  Communications

1255 Bay Street, Suite 500  I  Toronto  I  Ontario  I  M5R 2A9

416.975.1556  I  info@planpart.ca  I  www.planpart.ca

R.E.MILLWARD+

ASSOCIATES LTD

Development + Planning Services

 www.remillward.com | info@remillward.com

(416) 304-0457

Policy & Zoning Reviews | Development ApprovalsPlanning Studies | Strategic Advice | Due Diligence

collaboration, creativity and city-building.