How to Make Open Air Shopping Centres Walkable ( breakout presentation )

Abstract

The planning and design of large retail areas is such an important issue within our cities that it is more than just a retail industry topic. These ever-larger development sites with their “big-box-store format” are separate and isolated from their adjacent communities by an oversized transportation infrastructure. The stores are stand-alone, single-use, lowest FAR formats separated from streets and public sidewalks from large parking areas, without any consideration of the urban context and the public realm is generally of very poor quality. The “Large Retail/Commercial Urban Design Guidelines” of the City of Calgary is a document that positively influences Planning decisions and built outcome. Since introduced in 2014 the Guidelines resulted in multiple new large retail site applications and a new wave of site redevelopment and constructions that successfully promote walkability, a mix of uses, great streets that make connections, create places, embrace “park once” principles and encourage innovation and evolution. Recent examples can be found in the retail areas of Seton, Auburn Bay, Sage Hill, Royal Oak, Northland, East Hills and Deerfoot City. Others are under way. The Guidelines serve as a guide and inspiration for future development decisions for the enhancement and new development of medium and large-format commercial development sites. They build on and expand the objectives of the Municipal Development Plan (MDP) to develop commercial sites with improved form and function that are well-integrated, vibrant and walkable within development patterns that allow for greater diversity, intensity and change. These commercial retail areas should aspire to better serve community needs, strengthen community focal points and encourage better designed and more diverse shopping areas, emphasizing the integration of commercial sites with their urban context Guidelines Applicability: The Guidelines are being tested and developed in close collaboration (the above-mentioned link to the City of Calgary website informs about the outcomes of stakeholder collaboration) with the development industry between 2011 and 2014 and finally adopted by The City’s Planning and Development Administration They apply to all existing retrofits and future commercial sites that provide a retail component of more than 9,300 m2 (100,000 ft2).