Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change (EUC)
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This collection includes award-winning papers, Major Research Papers and Major Research Projects, and specific course outputs from the Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change (EUC). It also includes research and scholarship produced by faculty members and graduate students. This faculty was previously known as the Faculty of Environmental Studies (FES) from 1968-2020. Starting 1 September 2020, all scholarly outputs from faculty and graduate students previously affiliated with FES and the Department of Geography at York University will be deposited under this collection.
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Browsing Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change (EUC) by Author "Abbruzzese, Teresa"
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Item Open Access Community Land Trusts in Ontario: Opportunities to Preserve Affordable Housing(2024-08-31) Su, Pauline; Abbruzzese, TeresaCommunity Land Trusts (CLTs) are a type of shared equity model, offering an innovative alternative in the housing system that is accessible for low-to-moderate income households to access housing ownership, build wealth and equity over time, and contribute to community-wide benefits. This Major Paper intends to explore and discuss the potential of community land trusts in providing and preserving affordable housing stock for Canadian cities, focusing on Toronto specifically. Therefore, this paper will provide an overview of the history of Canadian housing policies, the evolution of CLTs, its advantages and limitations, and opportunities to apply objectives or learnings of land trusts in the process of providing affordable housing. The purpose of this paper is not to suggest community land trusts as the only solution to addressing affordable housing challenges; rather it seeks to amplify information and draw awareness to CLTs as a relevant and emerging topic in housing discourse.Item Open Access Lessons from the Garden City Movement: Making a Case to Regionalize City of Toronto’s Tower Renewal Program(2022-08-31) Daci, Enxhi; Abbruzzese, TeresaThe urban landscape spatially articulates diverse urban realities and historical trajectories of urban development, ideals and visions, and governance structures. Urban thinkers have often proposed utopian ideals of cities, which would alleviate the social issues of the society they were living in. Ebenezer Howard and his Garden City vision is a sustainable city utopia that offered an alternative to the industrial capitalist city. On the other hand, Modernist urban thinkers such as Frank Lloyd Wright and Le Corbusier championed car-oriented cities. The ‘tower in the park’ vertical city of Le Corbusier has deeply impacted the urban landscape of Toronto, and now more than 50 years later, these towers provide the largest proportion of affordable housing stock for low-income groups and newcomers. This paper analyzes the place-based Tower Renewal program of the City of Toronto, which sets to ameliorate the physical and social disparities that are disproportionately concentrated in tower communities. This paper proposes the 15-minute city as a 21st-century approach to the Garden City for the tower communities of Toronto, which helps to connect this place-specific initiative to broader economic and urban restructuring trends in the region.Item Open Access Memories to Futures: Re-Imagining Planning Toronto through Black Art and Stories(2023-08-31) Mohamed, Nasra; Abbruzzese, TeresaMemories to Futures: Re-Imagining Planning Toronto through Black Arts and Stories is a two-part portfolio project. The purpose of this research is to honour and document moments of community amid rapid change. To demonstrate what the everyday lives and challenges of blackness in Toronto may look like. The first portfolio component is platformed through a digital gallery https://firgroveviewsruins.wordpress.com/ and combines storytelling, photography as a reflective piece of revitalization of the Jane and Firgrove community. The second component is demonstrated as a critical mapping project profiling Black Toronto artists https://toblackartmapping.wordpress.com/.Clyde Woods, Blues epistemology informs mapping as the cultural history of Hip Hop, Blues operated as tools of resistance and expressing urban realities.Item Open Access Suburban Retrofits and Form-based Codes as Tactics for Strategic Densification: Evaluating Viability and Potential in the GTA Fringe(2014) Napoli, Amanda; Abbruzzese, TeresaSuburban retrofits and form-based codes are innovative planning and regulatory tools that may provide a desirable alternative to conventional suburban development practices which often produce sprawling, low-density landscapes. This research paper evaluates the viability of retrofitting tactics and form-based codes in select sites within three Greater Toronto Area municipalities and explores present barriers to implementing these tools through a collective case study. Through evaluation, it was found that retrofits and form-based codes may prove suitable for application within the selected sites, though a lack of experience with these tools by municipal staff and general resistance to intensification by residents are two major barriers preventing their implementation. Based on the barriers identified, recommendations relevant to all municipalities are outlined for incorporating retrofits and form-based codes.Item Open Access The Production of Smart Cities: An Analysis of Barcelona and Toronto(2024-08-31) Tadesse, Marisabel; Abbruzzese, TeresaThe paper examines the discursive, governance, and territorial strategies of smart city initiatives, focusing on the comparative analysis of Barcelona and Toronto. By analyzing the narratives, systems of governance, and geographical consequences of these technological changes, the research uncovers the intricate and difficult aspects of the idealistic concept of smart cities. Barcelona's citizen-centric strategy, which prioritizes participation and municipal control, stands in contrast to Toronto's corporate-driven approach, underscoring notable disparities in social equity and stakeholder engagement. The results emphasize the significance of inclusive and participatory governance structures in guaranteeing that smart city projects contribute to equitable and sustainable urban development. Furthermore, the study explores the profound implications for urban planners, who are required to include innovative technology, foster cross-disciplinary collaboration, and tackle challenges related to digital exclusion, privacy, and community cohesion. This research proposes a balanced approach to smart city development that combines technology developments with social justice and environmental sustainability. By drawing lessons from Barcelona and Toronto, the aim is to create urban futures that are more democratic and resilient urban futures.Item Open Access Working Toward Spatial Justice Through Planning(2024-08-31) Walker, Arthur; Abbruzzese, TeresaThis paper explores the development of Community Benefit Agreements (CBAs) and Community Benefit Frameworks (CBFs) in Toronto through the examination of four local case studies⎯Rexdale-Casino Woodbine Community Benefit Agreement; Jane⎯Finch Metrolinx Community Hub; Parkdale Community Benefits Framework; and the City of Toronto Community Benefits Framework. CBAs are legally binding agreements between developers and community groups which aim to ensure that local communities can receive benefits from urban development projects. The study sheds light on the role of CBAs in promoting social justice and community empowerment, highlighting their potential significance in marginalized neighborhoods by providing decent work, affordable housing, and spaces for community use. This paper views these case studies through a spatial justice perspective which critically examines the formation, regulation, and the use of urban space with an emphasis on the use-value of space by acknowledging the attachments individuals have to their neighbourhoods. This paper argues that through CBAs⎯which seek greater community inclusion in the planning and development process⎯the alienation and displacement of community members can be resisted against. This study contributes to the emerging discussion of CBAs as a planning tool, in addition to the broader scholarly and planning discussions on urban development and social equity, offering insights for policymakers, community advocates, and urban planners. In addition, this paper makes the case for continued expansion of resources dedicated to CBAs as they can serve as a planning tool which can aid in fostering community resilience, reducing the displacement and alienation of people within their own communities, and promoting more equitable development within cities.