Making`space`in`the`city:`a`study`of`the`architectural

MS1465/V3/23.10.2014-(formerly-MS0924)-
Making'space'in'the'city:'a'study'of'the'architectural'and'city6building'
effects'of'Montréal's'homeownership'accession'programme''
Nik'Luka,'Jana'Peruzzo,'Brendan'Pinches,'Brendan'Rahman,'Nadia'Richer,'Carlos'Rueda'
For-Environment*and*Planning*B*:*Planning*and*Design*(2013--IF-:-1.089)or-Housing*Studies*(2013-IF-:-0.895)Acknowledgements:-Martin-Wexler-and-François-Cadotte-(Ville-de-Montréal);-Volvo-Research-and-EducationFoundations-(Smaller-Project-2008T2010);-VilleTRégionsTMonde-(FQRSC-2009T2014)'
'
PROJECT'PURPOSE'AND'GENERAL'METHOD'
To-contribute-to-the-policy-and-programme-evaluation-efforts-of-the-City's-Service-de-la-mise-envaleur-du-territoire-et-du-patrimoine-(SMVTP)-through-mapping,-documentation,-and-comparativeanalysis-of-sites-and-contexts-where-new-dwellings-were-built-with-the-support-of-the-municipalAccession'to'homeownership-programme,-which-is-delivered-to-firstTtime-buyers.-The-researchteam-undertook-a-systematic-overview-of-(a)-where-Accession*grant-recipients-have-locatedthemselves,-(b)-the-physical-form-and-appearance-of-the-buildings/sites-containing-the-dwellings,(c)-the-general-context-or-milieu-de-vie,-particularly-in-terms-of-its-qualities-of-access-to-services-andamenities-using-active-modes-of-transportation-(especially-its-'walkability').--RATIONALE'
Evidence-suggests-that-the-Accession-programme-has-been-successful-over-the-past-20-years-interms-of-(1)-increasing-new-housing-starts-in-Montréal-proper,-(2)-increasing-homeownership-ratesin-the-city-(historically-dominated-by-renters)-without-converting-existing-rental-housing-stock-toownerToccupied-units,-and-(3)-encouraging-households-with-children-to-choose-Montréal-as-well-asinducing-developers-to-build-familyTfriendly-housing.-What-is-not-known,-however,-is-the-extent-towhich-the-programme-is-encouraging-households-to-locate-within-areas-that-are-‘walkable’-and/orinducing-the-reurbanisation-of-the-city-in-ways-that-are-congruent-with-general-policy-aims-of-themunicipality,-notably-the-Plan*d'urbanisme-and-the-Plan*de*transport.-Intrinsically,-this-is-a-concernfor-the-programme-and-for-Montréal-housing-policymaking-in-terms-of-the-comprehensiveness-andcohesiveness-(i.e.,*nonTcontradiction-with-other-policies-and-programs)-of-the-Accession*
programme-as-it-now-exists.-Does-it-account-for-enough-in-terms-of-its-criteria?-Extrinsically,-it-isimportant-to-examine-how-this-housing-programme-acts-as-an-instrument-of-cityTbuilding,-notmerely-in-terms-of-congruency-with-overarching-Montréal-policies-but-also-with-respect-to-theoperationalisation-of-the-general-aims-of-the-Plan*d'urbanisme-and-Plan*de*transport.-Given-theemphasis-placed-on-accessibility-to-amenities-and-services-as-well-as-the-quality-of-public-space-bythese-planning-directives,-determining-the-spatial-distribution-of-the-targeted-units-and-assessingthe-walkability-of-the-contexts-in-which-the-qualifying-households-have-chosen-to-locate-areimportant-tasks.-At-its-most-basic-level,-this-empirical-project-sought-to-fill-an-important-knowledge-gap,-for-the-Villede-Montréal-does-not-have-a-clear-sense-of-the-(sub)urban-contexts-in-which-the-qualifying-projectsare-found.-There-was,-for-starters,-a-need-to-map-the-distribution-across-the-municipal-territory-of1-
MS1465/V3/23.10.2014-(formerly-MS0924)-
where-the-recipients-have-opted-to-reside.-On-a-more-sophisticated-level-of-analysis,-the-projectexamined-the-architectural-and-cityTbuilding-effects-of-this-programme-by-documenting-andanalysing-the-results-of-the-Accession*grant.-In-material-terms,-what-has-been-produced-andsupported-through-this-program?-What-sorts-of-milieuxTdeTvie-are-being-encouraged-(intentionallyor-not)-by-the-Accession*grant?-In-what-ways-is-this-programme-working-as-a-cityTbuilding-project?Can-it-be-said-that-the-programme-is-influencing-useful-change-with-respect-to-the-general-aims-ofthe-Master-Plan?-Is-the-programme-contributing-to-consolidation-of-the-city-fabric?-In-short,-is-itpromoting-the-construction-of-housing-forms-that-are-'good-for-the-city'?-Beyond-the-immediate-information-needs-for-the-purposes-of-programme-evaluation,-this-is-aninteresting-endeavour-because-rarely-do-cities-pursue-strategic-housing-projects-socomprehensively-over-many-years.-It-is-expected-that-the-project-will-therefore-lead-to-one-or-morescholarly-articles-describing-and-commenting-on-the-Accession*programme-and-its-cityTbuildingeffects.-PROJECT'CONTEXT'
The-City-of-Montréal-has-had-a-homeownershipTaccession-programme-(Financial-assistance-for-firstT
time-buyers)-since-1989.-Initially-this-was-delivered-as-a-tax-credit,-but-this-proved-to-becomplicated,-and-it-is-now-offered-as-a-direct-grant.-The-earliest-aims-were-to-increase-the-numberof-new-housing-starts-in-the-city-proper-and-to-increase-rates-of-homeownership;-with-thedevelopment-of-the-city's-first-general*Plan*d'urbanisme,-another-aim-was-to-increase-theproportion-of-residential-uses-in-the-central-city.-Larger-grants-were-therefore-made-available-fordowntown-sites.-Among-other-ways-in-which-the-programme-has-evolved-affordability-has-come-tobe-matched-by-a-preoccupation-with-providing-for-households-with-children.-The-programme-workson-both-supply-and-demand-side-(at-origin-of-program,-builders-did-not-see-city-as-place-to-buildunits-for-firstTtime-buyers).-It-favours-new-units-because-promotion-of-the-grant-programme-is-doneby-the-developers,-making-its-implementation-(in-terms-of-marketing-and-outreach)-relatively-easyand-resourceTeffective.-The-current-incarnation-of-the-Accession*programme-terminates-at-the-end-of-this-year,-and-there-isa-need-to-contemplate-its-continuation-and-justify-this-in-real-terms.-Certainly-the-demand-for-thegrant-is-present;-Montréal-has-seen-an-increase-in-demand-for-ownerToccupied-housing-as-rentshave-increased,-encouraging-more-people-to-buy-(especially-with-low-mortgage-rates).-While-thefundamental-issues-remain-unchanged,-certain-aspects-are-changing;-the-terms-of-the-programmetherefore-may-need-to-be-reformulated.This-project-is-one-of-several-initiatives-now-being-coordinated-by-the-City's-Division-de-l'habitationto-examine-and-assess-the-impacts-of-its-Accession-program,-notably-a-mailTout-survey-of-all-grantrecipients-(contracted-to-a-private-consulting-firm),-a-study-by-a-graduate-student-from-INRS-usinginTdepth-interviews-with-a-small-sample-of-recipients,-and-keyTinformant-interviews-with-builders.-GENERAL'METHOD'
Work-was-done-by-a-team-from-McGill-University-supervised-by-Professor-Nik-Luka-working-withMartin-Wexler-and-François-Cadotte-of-the-City's-Division-de-l'habitation-in-the-SMVTP.-The-team2-
MS1465/V3/23.10.2014-(formerly-MS0924)-
included-four-graduate-students-(Jana-Peruzzo,-Brendan-Pinches,-Brendan-Rahman,-and-NadiaRicher)-and-a-research-associate-(Carlos-Rueda)-employed-by-McGill-as-Research-Assistants-onLuka's-WholeTCorridor-Urban-Design-Strategy-(WCUDS)-project-funded-by-VREF.--The-primary-methods-examined-the-spatial-distribution,-form,-and-functional/experiential-qualitiesof-the-sites-and-contexts-in-which-the-recipients-of-the-Accession*grants-reside.-This-included-threesets-of-documentation-and-analysis:-A.--
EXAMINATION-OF-FORM-AND-LOCATION--
A1.-- Where-are-the-subject-dwellings-located-in-the-city-in-simple-geographic-terms?-Are-theyconcentrated-in-certain-districts-or-along-particular-axes-of-growth?A2.-- What-structural-types-of-dwellings-are-being-produced?-Is-the-programmeeffectivelyencouraging-certain-building-typologies?B.--
DOCUMENTATION-OF-MILIEUXTDETVIE--
B1.-- What-services-and-amenities-are-found-within-easy-(fiveT-or-10Tminute)-walking-distance-ofthe-subject-dwellings,-as-indicated-by-the-simple-online-tool-'walkscore'(www.walkscore.com)?-B2.-- What-is-the-richness-of-these-milieuxTdeTvie-in-real-terms,-as-revealed-by-groundTtruthing-ofthe-'walkscore'-results,-and-more-realistically-integrating-contextual-factors-such-as-physicalbarriers-to-walkability,-publicTtransit-accessibility,-and-the-quality-of-the-shops,-services,-andamenities-within-easy-walking-distance?-B3.- What-sorts-of-city-and-suburban-districts-contain-the-subject-dwellings,-as-indicated-by'classic'-urban-form-attributes-such-as-permeability-of-pedestrian-circulation-networks,-builtform-typologies,-and-architectural-heterogeneity?-B4.-- What-experiential-qualities-characterise-the-settings-in-which-the-subject-dwellings-arefound?-What-are-some-of-the-phenomenological-attributes-that-can-be-associated-with-thesenew-(sub)urban-spaces?-Are-they-places-of-high-experiential-quality-or-are-they-banal?-C.--
CRITICAL-REFLECTIONS-
C1.- To-what-extent-to-do-subject-dwellings-meet-milieuTdeTvie-qualities-outlined-and-codifiedusing-a-point-system-in-the-parallel-City-initiative-Habitations*urbaines*pour*familles?C2.-- In-what-ways-do-the-results-of-the-Accession*programme-meet-broader-CityTwide-planningaims-as-outlined-in-the-Plan*d'urbanisme-and-the-Plan*de*transport?-In-what-ways-couldcontradictory-results-be-brought-more-in-line-with-general-cityTbuilding-aims?C3.- What-are-some-ways-in-which-the-Accession*programme-can-be-made-to-both-correspondwith-and-operationalise-the-broader-CityTwide-planning-aims-(as-outlined-in-the-Plan*
d'urbanisme-and-the-Plan*de*transport)-as-a-'jointTdevelopment'-and/or-'locationTefficientmortgage'-initiative,-given-a-general-preoccupation-in-current-planning-policy-with-transitT
oriented-development?3-
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The-City-provided-detailed-data-on-the-addresses-of-the-grant-recipients-under-terms-ofconfidentiality-and-nonTcommercial-use.-The-tasks-outlined-here-were-grounded-in-relevant-scholarly-literature-and-policy-documents.-Thequestions-articulated-for-A-and-B-involved-a-miseTenTrelation-with-household-profiles-(size,composition,-income,-education,-employment,-etc.).-Task-A1-entailed-cartographic-work-using-GISand-complementary-Census-data,-while-Task-A2-involved-written-descriptions-and-graphicdocumentation-of-the-buildings-in-which-the-units-are-found.-Tasks-B1-and-B2-were-more'quantitative'-and-documentative-in-nature,-providing-a-frame-of-reference-for-the-morecomparative-and-qualitative-work-of-Tasks-B3-and-B4.-Tasks-C1-and-C2-were-intended-as-a-criticalsynthesis,-providing-recommendations-for-the-City.-Task-C3-was-an-exploratory-exercise-inidentifying-opportunities-to-link-cityTbuilding-projects-focusing-discretely-on-transportation-andhousing-matters;-it-corresponds-to-preoccupations-of-the-WholeTCorridor-Urban-Design-Strategy(WCUDS)-project.Supervision-of-the-project-RAs,-everyday-expenses-for-travel,-and-liabilities-were-assumed-by-McGillUniversity-under-the-umbrella-of-the-WCUDS-research-project.-DELIVERABLES'
For-the-Ville-de-Montréal,-the-project-team-prepared-a-detailed-report-with-illustrations-(in-French).Internally—with-the-collaboration-of-MM.-Wexler-and-Cadot-if-they-so-agree—the-project-team-willalso-prepare-one-or-two-submissionTready-manuscript-journal-articles-under-the-lead-authorship-ofProf.-Luka.--V2-/-01.07.2010--V1-/-26.02.2010---
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