Transforming Suburbia : The Networked Pedestrian Village of Bayview Hills

Abstract

The ubiquitous North American suburban model has created devastating challenges for successful community life in the twenty-first century. This thesis addresses those challenges through the transformation of the existing suburban model into networked pedestrian villages. The urban and architectural design strategies of the networked village reintegrate community programs, workplaces, and residences to create self-sustaining, socially integrated community life for the twenty first century. The specific suburban town of Richmond Hill was chosen to study how greater densification and mixed-use zoning are necessary at the regional scale. Within Richmond Hill, the neighbourhood of Bayview Hills is adapted through changes in building types, setbacks, street definition, and a central public space. The creation of the new village hall and community telecentre are necessary to define the central public space and to generate the successful urban transformation from suburban neighbourhood to networked village.