Abstract

I believe that building and urban design in Kamloops BC is not held to a high enough standard. The population density is very low and urban sprawl is huge for a city of 93,000 people. New buildings being built are basic and minimal, and developers don’t go the extra mile to build beautiful developments, with quality architecture. If you compare architecture in Kamloops with many similar sized, (and even much smaller cities), Kamloops is behind. It is my opinion that denser cities, with multi use sites, are better cities. I would like to propose new zoning be developed for the city of Kamloops.

I would like to develop a live/work zone that includes sites where residents wouldn’t have to leave the site for every day activities. Their work place and home would be on site, as well as shopping and possible recreational activities. I would like to include high standards of design and architecture as mandatory parts of the zone. I also want to include design at the infrastructure and street level. If a developer of a building is being held to a certain design, he can’t be short changed in the infrastructure around his building. Beautiful areas with nice architecture attract residents and business. Another question I intend to answer and prove is that high levels of architecture and design can be achieved in an area while still including all classes. Not just the rich.

I would like to study planned communities in the area, like Sun Rivers and Sun Peaks. Can their design standards be applied to a much larger population, with much larger problems and constraints? I would also like to study well planned cities like Portland Oregon, and Tulsa Oklahoma which have multiple live/work communities. I would like to find out what ideas can, and can’t be applied to Kamloops. What have they done right? Can the planning concepts in those city plans, and others like it, be used and applied to a zoning by law?
I believe that part of the problem in the past has been that when the economy is struggling, developers are held to very low standards, in order to stimulate the economy. For example, when the developer for Pineview Valley proposed that the city of Kamloops boundaries be extended to include his development, it was allowed. It was allowed even know it went against the community plan of making Kamloops denser (and in my opinion, more livable). The city saw more tax dollars coming in and decided that that was more important than the long term community plan.

Once I have developed a new zone I would like to try and find a suitable site to apply it, possibly on quite a large scale. I plan to build a concept of what this site would be like and if it would be feasible economically and socially in Kamloops. From my research, I would also like to apply this zoning to planning maps of Kamloops, and show all areas in town that could possibly be zoned live/work. I hope to contribute to a better, more livable more attractive Kamloops. A place where people want to move to and stay.

Academic Sources


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