June 2012 will forever hold a fond place in my heart, as it signalled the beginning of so many great things. In June I received my degree from the University of British Columbia, embarked on my first full summer in Canada’s Okanagan valley, and started writing my first blogs for The Grid. I have since [...]
While I don’t have a background in design, I know a good website when I see one. Elton Consulting Group is a planning firm with three offices in Australia. In addition to consulting services, Elton Consulting Group operates a news bulletin called Urban Affairs. Here are five things that make their website stand out. 1. [...]
For a city of nearly 180,000, Kelowna, Canada boasts one of the most extensive bike networks in the country. Spread across the city are over 300 kilometres of bike lanes, multi-use paths, and greenways. Infrastructure projects such as the Mission Creek Greenway and Rails with Trails corridor show Kelowna’s dedication to encouraging cycling as a [...]
Most successful developments follow a straightforward cascade of events: the developer puts a plan in front of a city’s urban planners, the concerned parties haggle over proposed amenities, variances, infrastructure and the like, and finally the development is approved and built. The forces behind Kelowna Mountain, a proposed 259 hectare (640 acre) resort and recreation [...]
As a waterfront city, Kelowna, Canada is heavily reliant on its shoreline. Okanagan Lake provides many things for the city, though the limited points of access pose a complex question when it comes to the provision of space. Competing for use of the shore are the tourism industry, public parks, boat launches, marinas, a logging [...]
If there’s one thing The Grid’s bloggers are passionate about, it’s putting people back into the urban equation. One example of this ideology is the push for pedestrian-friendly communities. We have explored car-free towns, lamented the “National Automobile Slum,” and pondered Neotraditionalist and New Urbanist design. But how can your community achieve a vivacious streetscape? [...]
As people continue to flock to cities, urban planners and property developers are increasingly pressed to come up with novel land use solutions to everyday problems. One problem that affects nearly every aspect of city life is transportation, with transportation networks strained by the pressures of increased usage and the sustainable agenda. Thankfully, creative solutions [...]
The site of the former Kelowna High School sits vacant only blocks from the downtown waterfront. The city of Kelowna, Canada, has grandiose plans for this piece of property: a mixed-use neighbourhood anchored by a large public park. The project is aptly titled Central Green. While the City of Kelowna will not be constructing any [...]
On opposite sides of the country are two of Canada’s iconic cities: Vancouver, British Columbia and Toronto, Ontario. In this age of green building practices and sustainable development, both cities are pushing forward to be leaders in environmentally conscious city planning and design. Toronto has adopted a green roof strategy and passed bylaws to require [...]
Canada is often imagined as a country of towering mountains, vast prairies, frozen lakes, and lush forests. However, tucked between two mountain ranges is the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, a semi-arid swath of land containing the country’s sole desert. Kelowna, Canada, is the largest city in this region, and is subject to the many [...]
Cities are built for a variety of reasons, but are ultimately places for people to live, work, and play. As such, architects and urban planners need to keep in mind the concept of human scale, or designing buildings and spaces for human use. This impacts everything from the height of buildings to the size of [...]
With one of the fastest growing populations in Canada, Kelowna has been investing considerable time and effort into long-range planning. The city’s most recent Official Community Plan (OCP), revised in 2011, imagines Kelowna in 2030. Key aspects of this plan include social, environmental, cultural, and economic sustainability. Smart growth is the driving ideology in many [...]
Summer has arrived in Canada’s Okanagan valley, and with the warmer weather, people are venturing outside to enjoy the many parks in Kelowna. Among these is Mission Creek Regional Park and Greenway, arguably the most visited park in the city. It includes an educational centre, salmon spawning channel, picnic areas, and a playground. The greenway [...]
