A walkable town: adapting for Parry Sound's future through active living revitalization

Abstract

Ontario’s development practices need change. The current housing crisis in Canada has created a rapid need for development. Parry Sound, a small northern Ontario town, has been impacted by this. With its current low-density development and car-centric streets, the town needs housing and transit solutions. Parry Sound wants to grow but currently lacks a thriving town center to retain and draw in residents. Implementing walkable interventions can make Parry Sound more resilient and help meet its needs for future growth. Adapting the town’s current development can create a day-to-day life that allows residents to thrive in their neighbourhoods. Key pieces of this transformation are a new transit system, redesigned streets throughout the town, and the design of an Active Living Waterfront development. Walkable neighbourhoods ultimately consist of three key components: dense mixed-use development, active transit, and pedestrian-first design. This thesis proposes walkable urban design guidelines to revitalize Parry Sound’s development.