Transforming Saint John s Urban Heart - How Innovative Community Engagement Inspires a Bold Municipal Plan for a More Sustainable and Compact Saint John 2012 NNECAPA Conference - Brunswick, ME October 4, 2012 Mark Reade, P.Eng., MCIP, RPP Senior Planner City of Saint John
Overview 1. Saint John Canada s Original City 2. A Brief Planning History - Why a New Plan? 3. The PlanSJ Project: 2009-2011 4. The New Plan 5. Moving Forward
Saint John Canada s Original City
Welcome to Saint John!
Saint John Quick Numbers A Snapshot: 2011 City Population 70,063 2011 CMA Population 127,761 The Largest City in New Brunswick, 2 nd Largest Metro Population. Land Area Population Density 316 km 2 (122 sq.mi.) 222 people/ km 2 (316 people/sq.mi.) More than double the land area, less than half the population density of Moncton and Fredericton.
Saint John Key Facts First incorporated city in Canada (1785) The employment centre for the Saint John Region and southwestern New Brunswick Largest city on the Bay of Fundy and the industrial backbone of New Brunswick Strong industrial base: LNG terminal, oil refinery, pulp & paper, pits & quarry, nuclear power plant and strong and growing service sector Lower unemployment rates than provincial and national averages and total jobs are expected to grow Growing ICT, knowledge, advanced manufacturing, energy, healthcare and tourism sectors
Saint John Key Facts Growing cruise port A city of waterfronts: ocean, rivers and lakes Hub for arts, culture and heritage Regional concentration of shopping Heart and trauma centre, medical school and the largest hospital in New Brunswick Best used transit system in New Brunswick High poverty and low literacy rates
A Brief Planning History Why a New Plan?
1946 Master Plan 1946 Master Plan: Anticipating a Post- War Boom Guide for development to 1970 Major new transportation infrastructure - viaduct at Union Station; Harbour Bridge Targeted redevelopment Strategies to reduce scatterization of residential development
1973 Community Plan Major Growth Expectations 1976 Amalgamation Federal Growth Centre Policy Growth management Development Boundary Series of Arterial Roads and Interchanges Cities within a City concept
1973 Community Plan: Overly Optimistic Projections 250,000 265,000 Residents and over 100,000 Jobs Projected by 2000 >> 200,000 150,000 100,000 50,000 1973 2000
Population Change Surrounding Communities CMA City of Saint John
Population Change Turning the Tide? Surrounding Communities CMA City of Saint John 2011 Census City 2011 70,063 (3.0%) 2006 68,043 CMA 2011 127,761 (4.4%) 2006 122,389
Before WWII, the development pattern was walkable, higher density mixed use urban neighbourhoods Uptown
Post-war highways and arterial roads enabled the community to grow outward
Post-war developments have followed a more suburban pattern: low density, single-use areas with fewer streets and less housing choice
Scatteration extends across the rural landscape
Today, Saint John is using more land for fewer people 1951 Population: 73,100 2006 Population: 67,000 36 sq.km Land Base 14 sq.mi 316 sq.km Land Base 122 sq.mi
Everything new on the edge leaves something vacant in the core.
Saint John maintains more roads per resident than other cities Saint John 760km /68,000 residents Fredericton 427km / 50,500 residents Moncton 496km / 64,100 residents Vancouver 9270km / 1,817,681 residents 2001 Statistics 11.2m/resident 8.5m/resident 7.7m/resident 5.1m/resident
1965 Population: 87,000
1980 Population: 80,500
2006 Population: 68,000
If the Status Quo were maintained into the future 2031
Past patterns of growth are clearly not sustainable, New directions are needed to guide growth & change in Saint John Creating the Plan
The Plan SJ Project 2009-2011
PlanSJ Foundations Previous City Initiatives Research & Technical Studies Community Engagement
THE PROJECT TEAM The PlanSJ Team City of Saint John Citizen Advisory Committee ADI & Urban Strategies
How It Is Created Growth Two Phase Strategy Project Phase 1 Growth Strategy Where to Grow Target development in Intensification Areas inside the Primary Development Area Restrict rural development Limit expansion of infrastructure Create a more compact City Interim implementation Phase 2 Municipal Plan How to Grow Compact, urban growth pattern targeted to key areas in the City Encourage greater investments in public and active transportation Greater involvement by Community in Neighbourhood Planning
The PlanSJ Storefront
The PlanSJ Storefront The Heart of the Project Dedicated, Flexible Space Staff Presence Total Cost $100,000
PlanSJ Videos 3 Videos Wide Distribution Excellent tool to address literacy challenges Total Cost $40,000
Youth Engagement Activities for kids at all major events Targeted involvement from all high schools and youth resource centre Total Cost $20,000
Major Engagement Events Nine major workshops & open houses Spread across city Different format each time
53 presentations to community groups 1,017 visits to the Storefront 26 Citizen Advisory Committee Meetings 616 Written comments received = fantastic community response!
Other Major Inputs to PlanSJ Technical background report Legislated Requirement Population Projections Fiscal impact analysis Understand current growth pattern Evaluate growth options Development Review Model
Projected Population
The New Plan
PlanSJ Directions directions Shaping the best future for the City Celebrating Saint John s many waterfronts The strong heart of the Greater Saint John Region Healthy, unique and inclusive neighbourhoods A progressive, robust and prosperous economy Protecting the natural environment and ecosystems Growing the City smarter with complete & compact communities An enviable quality of life, choice and experience A strong plan for action and making change
PlanSJ establishes an urban growth boundary
PlanSJ promotes environmental leadership Implements the Sustainability Plan Improves air quality Protects water resources & floodplains, manages storm water, plans for climate change Connects natural systems & open space Leads in energy efficiency & waste management Encourages local food production
PlanSJ targets growth in urban & suburban neighbourhoods Provides an adequate supply of land for housing Targets growth in areas which benefit most and promotes efficient community form at densities that support transit Promotes complete communities where people can live, work, play & learn Increases housing choice quality & affordability in all areas of the City Provides incentives to encourage residential development in Neighbourhood Intensification Areas
PlanSJ enriches quality of life Invests in priority neighbourhoods Increases quality of parks & community amenities Invests in streetscaping of major gateways, corridors and parks Reinforces sense of place in neighbourhoods, continues strong legacy of heritage conservation Promotes excellence in design of new buildings and public spaces
PlanSJ supports economic prosperity Supports diversification of economy Maintains Uptown as centre for major office, retail & finance Strengthens Tucker Park campus Supports retail east and west Encourages clustering of related industries in industrial parks, responds to unanticipated industrial growth Improves predictability for development
PlanSJ provides more choices for getting around Supports transportation choice Encourages active transportation, implements Bikeways & Trails Plan Focuses transit service in Intensification Areas Reinforces a connected hierarchy of streets Improves accessibility for all users Ensures parking is managed to promote transit and urban development Supports growth at the Airport and Port as vital components of the national transportation network
Challenges & Issues Resistance from landowners and developers Financial constraints Need for continual community support Political leadership / the courage to say no
Moving Forward
PlanSJ - a plan for action Delivers a holistic Plan to drive City decision making Municipal Plan Supports an integrated investment strategy with capital budget priorities and service based plans Encourages sustainable and innovative development Zoning & Subdivision Bylaws Neighbour hood Plans Strategic Plans Investment Strategy Provides accountability through a monitoring program with: metrics, annual report card, 5-year review Creates a framework for Neighbourhood Plans to continue strong culture of planning & community engagement
Implementing the Plan Council Adoption January 30, 2012 Strategic Plans Neighbourhood Plans Zoning By-Law Review 2012 Capital Budget
The First Strategic Plan PlaySJ is the process to create a new Parks & Recreation Strategic Plan for the City of Saint John. The Strategic Plan will guide decisions for investment, maintenance and development of recreation facilities for 10-15 years. Large number of aging recreation facilities Limited City Budget Citizens want better quality service and facilities Recommendation of PLANSJ More Tax? Reduce Supply? Reduce Service?
Golden Mile Corridor Study
Zoning By-law Review
Land Use Zoning Key Issues Simplify and Modernize Zones 41 existing + 27 site-specific Draft 27 Residential Areas Reduced lot areas and frontages Range and mix of housing types Secondary Dwelling Units Home Occupations
Land Use Zoning Key Issues Industrial Areas Limit commercial and retail activity Heavy Industrial Impact based provisions Risk Assessment Commercial Areas Zones for appropriate scale of use Redevelopment of Business Centre Areas Zoning for Commercial Corridors
Land Use Zoning Key Issues Rural Areas Rural Settlement Residential compatible with existing form Fishery in Lorneville Area Rural Resource Limited Residential Development New aggregate extraction through rezoning Previously approved Rural Residential development Urban Reserve Holding Zone
Land Use Zoning Key Issues Parking & Access Reduced Parking / Maximum Standard Cash-in-lieu Active Transportation, Bicycle Parking Loading Areas Signage
Best Practices Document Layout
Best Practices Document Layout
Project Schedule
Questions? mark.reade@saintjohn.ca www.saintjohn.ca/plansj (506) 658-2835