The consolidated Draft Niagara Official Plan defines how Niagara will use its available land to shape the physical, economic, and social development of the region over the next 30 years.
The Niagara Region is growing and diversifying, which necessitates carefully constructed and appropriate policy changes that encourage the development of neighbourhoods that are diverse, walkable, safe, sustainable, and provide a sense of place.
Amongst the many policies of the Official Plan that may be necessary to fulfil this objective, Better Neighbourhoods has focused on nine aspects of development that we believe should be incorporated:
Mandate fewer parking requirements
Eliminate discriminatory language and policies that hinder the evolution of neighbourhoods
Eliminate red tape
Prioritize people over cars
Regional Roads in built-up urban areas should not exceed 3 lanes
Laneways should be strongly encouraged where context appropriate unless it is demonstrated unpractical
Mandate Missing Middle Housing (MMH) and control the oversupply of single-family housing 8. Sustainability policies should encourage infill and integrated design
Propose effectively and practically connected bike networks
Propose effectively and practically connected bike networks
Below is the entire submission to the Region of Niagara.
Dan Romanko is a consulting Professional Planner practicing urban design, and neighbourhood development in Ontario with over 25 years’ experience.
Growing up in Mississauga in the ’80s, his childhood years were spent in a categorically suburban environment. This experience sparked an interest in land-use patterns and ultimately the Urban Planning profession. Dan began his academic career at Sheridan College, graduating as a Civil Engineering Technician in 1992; he then went on to complete the Honours Urban and Regional Planning program at the University of Waterloo, graduating in 1997. Years later, his interest in community scale sustainability found him continuing his education and he received a Master of Engineering Design in Sustainable Infrastructure from McMaster University in 2012.
Dan has worked as a planner in a consulting role since 1998. From 2000-2009, Dan worked with Barr Associates in St. Catharines as urban designer. After a five-year stint at another multi-disciplinary firm downtown St. Catharines, Dan returned to Barr Associates in 2015 as partner and the company changed its name to Better Neighbourhoods Inc.
In addition to his managing partner role, Dan is a full member in the Canadian Institute of Planners and the Ontario Professional Planners Institute and been qualified as an expert witness at the Ontario Land Tribunal. He has been an accredited member of the Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU-A) since 2009 and has attended annual Congresses since 2006. Dan lives downtown St. Catharines with his family and is fortunate to have a seven minute walk to work.
