URBS 250: SWOT Analysis
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Transcript of URBS 250: SWOT Analysis
URBS 250: SWOT Analysis and Area Renewal Planning Proposal of 3 City Blocks Surrounding Concordia University SGW Campus
INTERNAL: Strengths
Strengths
Physical Features & Natural Condition
Land use
Transportation
Demographic
Economics
Planning Process
Physical Features and
Natural Condition
Physical Features & Natural Condition
• Blocks are well defined by sidewalks • High rise apartment buildings (+15 floors) • Streets in good condition due to proper
maintenance methods• Maisonneuve street is lined with trees on one
side
Physical Features and Natural Conditions
• Adequate lighting on main streets (Sherbrooke, St. Catherine)
• Seating areas on both sides of Maisonneuve Street• Structures are mixed architectural typology; old
facades (homes on St. Mathieu) and new age design (JMSB). (strength AND weakness: see weaknesses)
LAND USE
Land use (legend) • University (JMSB).
………….....institutional
• Bank (TD).……………………institutional
• Restaurants, Dépanneurs ……..commercial
• Apartments, Town Houses……residential
• Fire Station ....………………….services
Assignment #3: land use map
Between Sherbrooke and Lincoln Street
2285 St. Mathieu = Depanneur and B3 Café below + 16 floors of apartments
2255 St Mathieu = sushi shop + 14 floors of apartments
2300s Sherbooke = all town houses
1610 Sherbrooke = Chocolaterie, Optometrist and FINO restaurant + 4 floors of apartments
2250 Guy = Depanneur and Discount + 30 floors of apartments
2355 Guy = Depanneur + 18 floors of apartments
Between Lincoln and de Maisonneuve Street
1608 – 1630 Lincoln = Subway, Computer Repair, Dollar Store, Kebab Palace …
1625 de Maisonneuve – Starbucks, Liquid Nutrition, Quiznos, Altaib + 18 floors of apartments
1645 de Maisonneuve – Tropical Hawaii, Hair Salon + 18 floors of apartments
2055 de Maisonneuve – La Ficelle, Depanneur, Fruiterie + 20 floors of apartments
2121 St Mathieu – Sushi + 16 floors of apartments
1666 – 1682 Lincoln – Bronzage, Restaurant, nail Salon
1650 – Café and Santangelo + 15 floors of apartments
Between de Maisonneuve and
St. Catherine Street1600 St Catherine = TD Canada Trust
1602 – 1651 St Catherine – Dagwoods, Mourelatos, O Noir, Salon Octopussy
1648 Pierce = town houses
1630 Pierce = Double Pizza, Photocopy, Travel Agency
1455 de Maisonneuve = JMSB Concordia University
Between de Maisonneuve and
St. Catherine (cont.)1655 St Catherine = 3 amigos, YEH! Yogourt, Western Union
1675 St Catherine = Jean Coutu and Clinic
1439 St. Mathieu = Noodle restaurant, Du Bonheur Restaurant, Dentist
1455 St Mathieu = Fire Station
1662 de Maisonneuve = Angelo restaurant, Thai restaurant + 2 floors of apartments
1650 de Maisonneuve = Depanneur, Dry Cleaning + 13 floors of apartments
TRANSPORTATION
Assignment #3: transportation map
BUS ROUTES
#57
#165
#15
METRO STOPS
GUY CONCORDIA
Green Line
BIKE PATH(S)
On De Maisonneuve
Demographics
• Leasing apartments provide housing for students
• Visible population includes students, staff of the university and predominantly; workers passing by the area to get to their destination
• Ages: 18 - 65 • Both sexes• Caucasian, Middle – Eastern and
Asian ethnicities
Economic$
• Generally, the government finances all improvements of roads, infrastructure and landscape architecture (through property tax and budget allocation)
• Low effort of landlords attempting to finance interior apartment improvements
• Store/Restaurant owners finance their respective improvement programs and updates to their businesses
• The area’s economic growth is largely dependent on students and staff of the University
Planning Process
• New Age infrastructure improvements (steel and glass facades)
• Areas for sitting (in front of Tim Hortons and Java U) shows initiative to accommodate public comfort
• Very good street maintenance
• Private interest in improving the area must be high due to the constant construction (especially on de Maisonneuve Street)
Weaknesses
PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT
Potholes and Sidewalks
Even though the street is very well maintained, there are many potholes and deep cracks in the sidewalks
Bad sidewalks on de Maisonneuve Street from and including Lincoln ave.
Clear degeneration of sidewalks in front of the metro station and going toward the University’s Hall Building.
Building EdgesThe towering structures that line the streets create several shaded spots on Guy and de Maisonneuve Street.
Lincoln ave. and the parking lots between blocks are completely covered in darkness for most of the day
This can be unpleasant and unsafe for pedestrians at night
Architectural Disharmony
Land UseSome businesses on the block are open 24 hours or open until late which creates pedestrian and vehicular traffic until late at night
On the residential streets, it gets empty around 10:00pm on week days
Questionable land occupancy like strip clubs and massage parlors.
*The highlighted squares indicate the businesses open late ( St. Catherine )
Transportation
• Constant construction on de Maisonneuve Street leading to heavy traffic and detours
• Low frequency of bus departures
Transportation
Very high pedestrian traffic around Concordia University leading to slow vehicle traffic
Transportation
Several one way streets makes getting around confusing and time consuming.
Lack of parking
Demographic/Behavioural
• Very young attitude (imbalanced user group) – more likely not to care about the built environment
• Although the area is neither dull nor abandoned, there is still a considerable amount of garbage rather than recycling programs in affect
• Pedestrian traffic is fast pace leaving little regard or respect for the fellow pedestrian/environment
Economic$
• Excellent location leads to high rent• Businesses cannot afford these rents and close
Economic$
Large corporations and chains occupy busy areas leaving no room for family owned businesses or sit-down restaurants that would attract the creative business class and touristsMakes the area look typical of cliché student commodities – coffee and fast food
Planning Process
• Public is interested in improvements but expectations are too high for municipal budget or undermined by politicians (wider sidewalks, fix potholes, better lighting, more seating…)
EXTERNAL
Opportunity
Physical Environment
Lighting
Better lighting on the streets that are particularly dark and in between buildings on the blocks that have alley ways.
Greeneryshrubbery in the seating areas ( Tim Hortons and Java)
Also add more green in between buildings (in alleys)
Greenery + lighting ideas
seen in the previous slide = a more pleasant environment on de Maisonneuve Street and in shaded areas thereby eliminating weakness
Architectural Harmony
We should try to achieve architectural harmony… at least with the structures that line the main streets
Land use
Parking
Add a paying parking complex with many floors to relieve drivers
We can also then turn surrounding asphalt parking areas into green space and retail opportunity for students and pedestrians
Appropriating Land
Concordia University should appropriate the strip clubs, billiard pubs and run down small businesses on St. Catherine.
Turn properties into class rooms, offices for the administration and facilities to be used by students.
A student mall or pool could generate revenue for the school and in turn the municipality.
Demographic
• Attract business class that work in the surrounding areas by building nicer, sustainable restaurants (Baton Rouge…) instead of small noodle shops that don’t last more than a few years.
• Attract more tourists by putting an information stand in Concordia or outside that gives info on the site, the history of Concordia University (etc) … offer free/paying tours around campus a few times a week. This also has the potential to attract prospective students.
Economic$
• Lower rents would be ideal but not reality• Attract creative business class to stimulate
economy
Planning Process
• Do a survey to figure out what matters most to the population in terms of improvements
• Gather information on what businesses’ income is during the year to know where to focus the improvements (in terms of physical environment, the focus should be on needy areas to give them a boost)
• The city in collaboration with Concordia University is enthusiastic about construction around de Maisonneuve Street but nothing has been done to the surrounding streets.
Threats
Physical Environment
• A parking structure would be initially costly and aesthetically unpleasant
• Buildings become landmarks and are protected by the law against developing new and improved infrastructure (TD BANK).
• Architectural Harmony is especially costly
Land use
• Small store fronts like the ones on St. Catherine and St. Mathieu (small noodle or sushi shops) are an inefficient use of land…they do not attract as many pedestrians and do not generate as much economy as building known sit-down restaurants and ammenities
• Too many neglected small businesses threaten to make the area look poor, rundown and unappealing to pedestrians
Demographic
• Imbalanced user group creates a stigma within the area and is threatening to outsiders or non-students
• The youth is not exposed to non-students as much as they would be in other areas of downtown and therefore they can adopt behaviours that are not necessarily appropriate outside of their respective districts (pushing and shoving to get to class, talking on cell phones while crossing the street)
Economic$
• No boost of local economy because employment is outsourced
• Taxes and rents are too high which leaves little budget for the proper maintenance of family-owned or small businesses.
• Though lowering rent is ideal, it is not feasible for the municipality whose income is mostly generated by property tax
Planning Process
• Different or increasing regulations imposed by the municipal government can impede or divert progress on development
• Undermining of projects or misinterpretation of data can lead to false conclusions or assumptions and convoluted planning initiatives
RELATIONSHIPS
SUMMARY