104 - Re-Thinking the Master Plan: Shoppers World Brampton

October 06, 2021

10:15AM - 11:15AM

Round Table

The history of the "master plan" is often associated with a detached understanding of context or driven by a heavy-handed vision. Join landscape architect and urban planner Lina Al-Dajani in a round-table discussion with RioCan and the City of Brampton to rethink a contemporary approach to master planning. They will explore two central concepts: assurance-led consensus building and our understanding of the "land" as the driver of a fundamental and sustained vision. This presentation focuses on Shoppers World Brampton, a transformation of a 53-acre shopping centre site into an urban mixed-use transit-oriented community over the next 20 years.
 
Like a contract between two parties, consensus building within a master plan framework is supported by assurances between private and public interests. For Shoppers World, this includes outlining responsible economic development interventions sensitive to community interests respected by both the City and developer. Because of the project's timeline, the alignment of interests must be resilient and adaptable to unforeseen changes in market trends.
 
The second concept explores our understanding of "land." Land use planners typically focus on "use" ("highest and best use") and seldom the significance of "land." For Shoppers World, "land" includes reconnecting the site to a significant underlying attribute — the cusp between two significant watersheds. Here, the importance of "land" cannot be understated: it secured a central long-term vision to the site while achieving overwhelming support from the City.
 
In December 2020, Brampton City Council approved the Shoppers World Brampton rezoning application after a short two-year process involving only two formal submissions — highly unusual for a redevelopment of this scale. Brampton is currently working with RioCan on concurrent draft plan, site plan, and consent applications. This seemingly quick approvals process is only possible due to an overall commitment to fostering a collaborative approach and shared vision — and a fundamental rethink to contemporary master planning.
 
 

Speakers