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