Tag: Urban Planner

By: Nicolas Di Nardo

The city of Brampton has hired a world-renowned urban planner to make the suburb of Toronto future-ready.

Larry Beasley, urban planner, has been involved in the development of urban landscapes like Vancouver, Abu Dhabi, Dallas, and Moscow.

Brampton is a rapidly growing suburb, and has one of the youngest demographics in the GTA. Currently, Brampton’s population of 600,000 is expected to grow to 1,000,000 in the next 20 – 25 years.

This realization has caused the city to seek some direction from Beasley, by hopefully reinventing the city centre, and neighbourhood developments. A tough task for Beasley, considering Brampton has never had a master plan.

There are certain things Beasley must put some focus on, as Brampton does lack:

• Alternative transportation infrastructure
• Business hubs
• A university
• A white collar market for residents to work in
• No “downtown”

Beasley noticed all of the above, and also found that the city does not know what direction it needs to go, they lack a sense of how it needs to change, and hopefully he can guide them in the direction they want to go. This is evident through the residents’ comments about local councillors, saying “there has been a steady decline in the conduct, passion, and professionalism…people are beginning to lose hope that change is even possible.”

By enlisting Beasley, change is possible, but it is up to the city to take his recommendation and vision, and implement it.

The public will be heavily involved and informed through the process, with “community-wide conversation” and public outreach campaigns, which Beasley says they will “craft their dream in front of them.”

Beasley is hoping to have the vision for Brampton’s future completed by May 2018.

Suburbs have been through constant struggles, being in the shadow of big core cities like Toronto in the current landscape doesn’t help much either. A number of factors effect suburbs, such as soaring home prices, employment, and overall lifestyles of city inhabitants, which trends have shown more and more Canadians seeking suburb living over the hustle and bustle of the big city.

This prompts a need for improvement to Toronto suburbs, and Brampton is looking to benefit greatly by improving their city for the future, to help it flourish.

Being situated between Toronto and Waterloo, within Ontario’s planned innovation corridor, it is surprising that Brampton hasn’t called for improvements earlier.

It’s time for Brampton to dream big and prepare themselves for a bigger, better future.

If you need assistance navigating Ontario’s provincial policies regarding development and growth, are considering developing a piece of land, or have concerns about a development near you, Devry Smith Frank LLP’s Planning and Development Group can provide you with the guidance and support that you require.

“This article is intended to inform and entertain. Its content does not constitute legal advice and should not be relied upon by readers as such. If you require legal assistance, please see a lawyer. Each case is unique and a lawyer with good training and sound judgment can provide you with advice tailored to your specific situation and needs.”