In this weeks edition of FFWD magazine, EVDS Professor Noel Keough and Geoff Ghitter explain how urban growth boundaries can have an even more profound effect inside the city.
As we discussed in our last article, urban growth boundaries (UGBs) surround urban areas, and by restricting urban uses in rural zones, farmland once destined to be a residential neighbourhood or a gigantic mall is saved.
For UGBs to be effective though, several conditions must apply. First, to ensure evenness, UGBs must operate on a regional scale. Having a boundary only around Calgary and not Airdrie or Cochrane wouldn’t work.
Second, although UGBs have long-term flexibility, they cannot be adjusted unless certain density thresholds are met. In Calgary, densities range from a low of 10 residential units per hectare (uph) in Lake Bonavista, to about 25 uph in Garrison Woods. Calgary’s average residential density is 12 to 14 uph but Calgary’s new municipal development plan calls for minimum residential densities to increase to 20 uph.
As Calgary grows, the UGB will spark new development models as consumers will be forced to stop relying on undervalued farmland to subsidize sprawling growth patterns. Developers and builders — as the creative entrepreneurs they are — will innovate to provide high-quality, affordable family living. And they’ll make money at it."
View the full article online at FFWD Weekly.