Residential

Design Principles:

1. Positive Image: A positive residential image is a key design consideration for enhancing the quality and character of the overall streetscape and neighbourhood. Housing should incorporate architectural design elements to create a positive street image. Elements such as front-attached garages or blank walls must be avoided.

2. Context Sensitive: The mass, scale, and architectural elements of residential buildings should be sensitive to adjoining areas. Design elements such as the height, building mass, and architectural features should complement the overall neighbourhood character. Context sensitive design will support the creation of a unique sense of place that respects local cultural and natural environmental features.

3. Housing Variety & Choice: A full range of housing types (i.e., detached, semi-detached, townhouse, apartments) and tenures (for sale, rent, affordable, and aged-care) should be provided so as to provide options for a wide range of residents/family types
(i.e. single parents, couples, families with children, seniors, people with special needs, and others). A range of housing types will address changes in market conditions and provide flexibility for people at a variety of income levels.

4. Flexible & Adaptable: Multiple unit and apartment housing should create opportunities for a wider range of uses, other than residential, such as home office
and apartments situated above street commercial. Mixing land uses gives a social and economic focus for new and existing residential neighbourhoods.

5. Environmentally Sustainable: Residential development should be designed to achieve a high degree of environmental sustainability and address opportunities for solar orientation and water runoff minimization.

Source: Regional Municipality of Niagara, Model Urban Design Guidelines, 2005

Additional Resources:

MacBurnie, Ian, Reconsidering the Dream: Towards a Morphology for a Mixed Density Block Structure in Suburbia, Parts 1 & 3. Ottawa: Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation, 1992.

Quadrangle Architects Limited, Multiple Housing for Community Sustainability. Ottawa: Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, 2000.

Creating Great Neighborhoods: Density in Your Community
www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/density.htm