Call for change in urban renewals

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33963, 2 October 1975, Page 13

Call for change in urban renewals

Government urban renewal aid should be directly available to individual property owners in some cases to avoid neighbourhood disruptions, according to a recent report of the Environmental Council on urban objectives. Urban objectives report The report — prepared after a year’s study byseven working groups — suggests policy guidelines for a wide range of urban services, including public transport, housing and recreation. Most of the objectives are common planning goals, but I the report also calls for improved local authority programming, and smaller urban renewal schemes to speed their completion. Local authorities should also be allowed to build, and

maintain, furnished or semifurnished houses in urban renewal areas to meet needs of persons on a low income. When building conservation will not meet renewal needs, local authorities should encourage the formation of neighbourhood associations, and work closely with them during redevelopment, the report says.

Since some people will want to be re-housed in the same neighbourhood after renewal, they should be given priority. The report’s authors called for amendments te the Urban Renewal and Housing Improvement Act, 1969 which would allow local authorities to apply for Government finance on an annual allocation basis, without having to first define specific areas for renewal. Then each community could be assured of finance when particular areas of renewal needs developed. Local by-law's should also ;be more effective in the design field, the report says. They should cover advertising, street furniture, shop fronts, service stations, and rubbish tips. “Aesthetic judgments should not be exercised by legalistic appeal boards bound by a standard code of ordinances.” The use of buildings, and the outdoors for advertising should be discouraged. Better use of city centre' land will require more high! density development of resi-! dences and businesses, and these should be concentrated, around public transport 1 routes and terminals. To encourage more use of public transport, central areas should give it priority through such changes as separate traffic lanes. Increased residential densities would also reduce trip lengths, and make more economical use of public services. Even industries should be located where their employees can get to them on public transport.