25 October 2006
the smart city* revisited
The past two decades have witnessed the rise of powerful multinational corporations who have internationalized and dispersed their production process along a global assembly line. According to Luciana M. S. Presas in "The Environmental and Spatial Transformation of World Cities," ** some cities have emerged as 'world cities'--nodal points in the world economy. Such cities have become command centres where dispersed production processes are reintegrated and controlled. These cities are part of a transnational urban system and undergoing processes of socio-economic change that put them at risk of environmental problems and infrastructure limitations.
L. Presas identifies three main trends in the spatial transformation of "world cities":
first, verticalization:
- the proliferation of high-rise buildings and high-density land usage;
- sharp increases in urban commercial and residential property prices;
- higher energy consumption to operate more indoor lighting, refrigeration/heating and ventilation.
Top photo shows the gradual replacement of Berlin heritage stock housing
with high-rise buildings on Queen Street South in Kitchener, Ontario.
with high-rise buildings on Queen Street South in Kitchener, Ontario.
second, expansion and suburbanization:- urban sprawl results when development occurs on the peripheral areas where land costs are more affordable;
- increase in transportation costs leading to more energy use and more pollution;
- heat island effect as increase in paving and decrease in green areas brings about an average of 10C degree rise in temperatures (requiring more air conditioning);
- increased infrastructure costs to service suburban developments;
Middle photos of Kitchener's urban sprawl: top photo of the Mannheim Estates subdivison bordering Trussler Road shows precious farmland being covered over by monster houses and pavement. Next photo shows the grading operations adjacent to Strasburg Creek/Huron Natural Area to prepare for the sewer infrastructure . Both subdivisions have removed more of the Waterloo Moraine, source of 80% of the Region of Waterloo's drinking water supply
.
third, discontextualization and decharacterization:- even the property sector of the global economy becomes internationalized and homogenized;
- more buildings respond to international standards of design, construction techniques and building services that no longer respond to local climatic and cultural context;
Last two photos are of Kitchener's Market Square Development
which replaced the locally built and designed 1924 City Hall in 1973.
The current building owner The Record has covered the building's red brick facade with aggregate panels,
thereby covering over the red brick that defined the old Berlin streetscape.
A good example of "the geography of nowhere."
which replaced the locally built and designed 1924 City Hall in 1973.
The current building owner The Record has covered the building's red brick facade with aggregate panels,
thereby covering over the red brick that defined the old Berlin streetscape.
A good example of "the geography of nowhere."
*Rambling Rose notes as well the increasing use of smart as an adjective to suggest intelligent
as in the phrase 'smart growth' coined by Ontario Nature to sum up strategies to save the environment from urban sprawl. Most recently The Record coined the phrase 'smart city' to review issues of local governance in order to set in motion yet another argument for amalgamation of three local municipal governments-- a most rational argument indeed for more discontextualization and decharacterization of three unique socio-cultural entities: Cambridge-Galt/Hespeler/Preston, Kitchener, and Waterloo!
-- Once upon a time, the word smart was used only as a verb to indicate sharp pain. Ontario's Places to Grow Act 2005 has
-- Once upon a time, the word smart was used only as a verb to indicate sharp pain. Ontario's Places to Grow Act 2005 has
- identified the Region of Waterloo as a future growth area;
- mandated 40% intensification of the downtown and central neighbourhoods area.-- at what future cost? what tradeoffs are being made here? who stands to benefit?
Photos copyright to Sandamara Images 2004-2006.
Labels: land use
12 October 2006
then and now: Berlin transformed into Kitchener
Gentle reader,RR offers up these two photos by way of apology -- with one more black and white drawing to come -- whenever blogger is up and running again! These photos provide views of the historic Queen Street South streetscape.
Of all the buildings on this very valuable heritage block --both sides-- only two are protected under OHA 2005.
The heritage status of the remaining buildings is awaiting City of Kitchener's Council's approval of the process to add previously listed properties of cultural heritage value to the City's Heritage Register as required by OHA 2005.
As well, two buildings are even further at risk as a result of landlord neglect. The new Heritage Act has provisions that allow local municipalities to enact bylaws requiring owners of locally recognized heritage properties to maintain and preserve the historical features. How long until this community speaks up to preserve these historic properties?
We still have time if we want to and the will is there.
Let's begin by pondering the tremendous growth Berlin experienced between 1863 and 1903 -- the change recorded in these three photos. Rather amazing when one considers this statistic: that Berlin in 1903 had yet to achieve town status with the necessary population of 15,000. Next step? head out to walk just this block and to inspect our living history book in front of our eyes. That done reward yourselves with a cup of coffee for a bargain price of $1.06 in the new cafe on the ground floor of 43 Queen Street. Look around you and marvel at what can be done with an historic building that has tons of character and Berlin history when the desire and will to preserve are there. Why not experience our historic properties as if you were a tourist right now here at home? Just do it!
Labels: Berlin/Kitchener history, built heritage
06 October 2006
urban renewal's three r's-
Today's blog, gentle reader, is a case of better late than never. RR began researching the stories behind today's photos to provide background to Bell Canada's Community Development's notice that local residents could vote online to "renovate and revitalize 66 Queen Street" (1 of 3 local community improvement projects). However, posting the blog encountered necessary computer maintenance issues.Time out provided an opportunity for more extensive research and a better blog. -- almost a week later, RR encounters yet another frustration/learning challenge in that there is an error in HTML code that is mixing up font sizes. Next skill to learn? You betcha. But not with this blog as it has taken forever to complete.
First photo today is of the historical Queen streetscape L to R: 58 Queen St (1900), 44-54 Queen Street(1900), the former C. E. Hoffman Button and Suspender Factory, and 1-11 King Street West (1893), The Walper Hotel designated under OHA part IV. --For the better part of the last two decades, the City of Kitchener has been engaged in a wide variety of downtown renewal projects --the latest version detailed in the revised Centre Block redevelopment Request for Proposals soon to be advertised. During this time, the renewal of three significant historic properties on Queen Street has been undertaken and completed quietly without much public fanfare. It's a great story that deserves to be told as it continues a theme that has been part and parcel of Kitchener's history from the beginning. There's three values represented in this story that tie our past to our present: resilience, responsibility, and resourcefulness.
These three values are central to the story of the transformation of four historical properties in downtown Kitchener under the auspices of The Working Centre. The story begins with two dreamers-- Joe and Stephanie Mancini, a young married couple who had just graduated from St. Jerome's College at the University of Waterloo. They saw the potential for building a community of interest around responding to unemployment and poverty, developing social analysis and engaging in creative action. In 1982, Joe and Stephanie established the Working Centre established as a response to unemployment and poverty in downtown Kitchener. You can read the rest of their story and more details as to how they restored these buildings here: http://www.theworkingcentre.org/wscd/revitalizations/66q/66q.html
"Two decades later, it has survived as an independent instrument of self-help community development, and has woven itself into the fabric of Kitchener-Waterloo.”-- Ken Westhues, The Working Centre, Experiment in Social Change
Photo above is of 58 Queen Street South that features a rare 16 foot tin ceiling that is 75 feet long and 25 feet wide.
"The Working Centre purchased this building in 1995 after renting it for 10 years. It was entirely renovated to provide free access to computers, courses, counselling, a large kitchen for vegetarian-only meals and a resource centre that's used by 2,400 people a year."--per T. Pender, T. Pender Renovations reviving the downtown core's upper crust The Record 7 Oct 06 at this link:
The main floor of 58 Queen is now a bright and open expanse of space with a dark green tin ceiling, original red maple wooden floors, new counters, work tables, and cafe tables strategically placed to ensure maximum work and meeting space.
Next photo is of the upper storey windows of 66 Queen Street South (built 1895 by Randall and Roos) that is currently being renovated to provide ground floor office/meeting space for the Working Centre and affordable housing i.e. five apartments at a cost of $250,000. The city's renovation program is providing $75,000. Half of that amount, or $37,500 must be repaid during the next 10 years. By re-opening a doorway, the two buildings (58 and 66 Queen Street) have now been reconnected as they were 1958-1976 when Ontario Office Outfitters operated its store there. "This is reclaimed space. We are the contractor on all this, we don't hire someone," Joe Mancini as quoted in T. Pender article cited above. Joe shares more of his experience as building contractor on his website: "We approach renovations with a healthy and proper fear of the reality that costs can escalate out of control and we attempt to do the majority of the work ourselves. This means completely gutting all the false ceilings and walls and installing new electrical, heating and plumbing. Creating proper exits with quick access to the street is also a major issue with older buildings. These revitalized buildings are a rich community resource that has been made possible through a frugal administrative structure and hard working volunteers and staff. The work of self-building means breaking down the renovation tasks and training people to do the work that most organizations would rather hire out to a contractor."
Next photo is of 58 Queen Street South upper facade adjacent to 44-54 Queen Street South/the Bricker Block ca 1900: second and storey windows (heavy mullions and divisions) & parapet with three large panels of decorative brickwork characteristic of Renaissance Revival architecture. The original red brick facade was covered with white paint in 1953.The Working Centre's first renovation project at 43 Queen Street South won a national award from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp.
Joe Mancini continues the story of his life as social activist and building contractor thus: "Renovating an 85-year-old building is filled with surprises and the seemingly never-ending removal of old walls to find the original structure. And a lack of experience in this area is probably normal. After all, it's not every year that the opportunity comes along to revitalize and make new what has become old and dilapidated. We have found that it is useless to try to move ahead quickly. Each construction detail has had to be considered from the perspective of the fire code and the building code, not to mention the effect on insulation, plumbing, heating, the sprinkler system, natural gas, electricity, venting and the roof (just to name the major protagonists). How to create occupancy on the 1st and 2nd floor when the 3rd floor is not complete?"
Completed this year and ready for its grand opening on Thursday 19th October between 4:00 and 8:00 p.m. is another historic building, 97Victoria Street North(former Mitchell Button Co factory) that is home now to St. John’s Kitchen, a Medical clinic, and a second-hand furniture store, Worth A Second Look. Total renovation cost for these two projects i.e. 66 Queen & 97 Victoria? $1,277,882 of which $1,018,824 has been funded by private donors with balance of $259,058 still to be raised. Sounds almost biblical doesn't it? how a group of believers can take two loaves of bread and five fish to feed 5,000 mentally, physically, and socially?
Next set of photos: 66 Queen Street South now and earlier when it served as office space to Weber Hardware, one of Kitchener's century + business forms-- currently located farther south on Queen just past the railway tracks. Next photo of is of George Randall (1832-1908) who with his business partner and brother-in-law, William Roos, built 66 Queen South to house Randall and Roos, Wholesale Grocers & Liquor Dealers -- at the time, the largest distributors in south-western Ontario.
Randall and Roos established this business in Berlin in 1884 following the dissolution of their partnerships with Joseph Emm Seagram, known locally as the founder of the world-famous Seagram distillery. However, City of Waterloo historical research traces the founding of this distillery in Waterloo back to 1857 when theGranite Mills and Waterloo Distillery, was established by William Hespeler, a merchant from Berlin (Kitchener), and George Randall, a contractor for the Grand Trunk Railway. In 1863, William Roos, Randall's brother-in-law, joined the partnership, having been previously employed by the firm as a clerk. In 1864, Joseph Emm Seagram was asked by Hespeler to look after his interests in the business while he went travelling abroad. Shortly after returning, Hespeler decided to sell his share of the business to the young Seagram. In 1869, The firm of Hespeler, Randall and Roos was dissolved and a new partnership with Seagram was formed under the name of George Randall and Company. In 1878, the partnership of Seagram, Randall and Roos was dissolved and a new partnership between Seagram and Roos was formed under the same name of George Randall and Company."
The business appears to have thrived and required much larger premises that are shown in the black and white etching of the three storey Randall & Roos building now housing Second Look books on the east side of Queen Street below. The adjacent photos provide details of the second and third storey windows and cornices at present. Hopefully, the current owners of this historic 1880 building at 33 Queen Street South will follow The Working Centre's example and take advantage of the City of Kitchener's facade and upper storey renovation programs !
"German immigrants created a New Berlin of hard work and self-reliance out of the Southwestern Ontario countryside of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. "The early history of Berlin was all entrepreneurial," says Charles Greb, whose second-generation immigrant grandfather started a shoe-making business in 1910 - just before Berlin's name was changed to Kitchener during the First World War. Successive waves of immigrants built on this pro-business foundation, even as the old family companies closed down or evolved into something."-- Source Globe and Mail article on entrepreneurship; RR cannot provide link as the link she saved now takes her to an entirely different section of our national rag. Sincere apologies!
Footnotes: RR found this advertisement for the Germania Gold Mining Co that indicates W. M. Roos was president. Elsewhere, RR learns that " As a park Commissioner and President of the Medical Soceity, William Roos gave the city good service. Source: Uttley’s A History of Kitchener Ontario (1937), p. 312. Portrait of George Randall (1832-1908), by James William Trussler; circa 1888; oil on canvas; 83x70cm; 2001.8.2. Black and white illustrations taken from online sources in public use. Colour photos by Sandamara Images 2002-06.
"It takes so long to build something and it's so easy to destroy it."--Raffi Armenian
Labels: Berlin/Kitchener history
02 October 2006
a day in the civic arena
This Monday finds our Mayor, Councillors, and Committee members extremely busy dealing with a variety of reports and recommendations that will shape our downtown core for years to come! Highlights and links are provided in order of significance as follows:
Redevelopment of Kitchener's Centre Block/ Request for Proposals (RFP) perFinance & Corporate Services Committee i.e. City Council Agenda Monday, October 2, 2006 3:30 - 5:50 pm Council Chamber :
"Retaining the external façade of both the Mayfair and 156-158 King Street; retaining the Mayfair building in its entirety; and retaining the interior features in both buildings have all been deemed significant by Heritage Kitchener and have all received a high weighting in the evaluation criteria. The addition of three levels to 156-158 King Street buildings has been identified as a preferred feature. The RFP asks that proposals respect a Council resolution of February 2006 that indicates both the former Mayfair Hotel and the adjacent 156-158 King Street building are of significant cultural heritage value and must be retained in their entirety. Developers are also encouraged to reuse/maintain certain interior elements identified in both buildings that have been listed on the City’s Heritage Inventory because they are deemed of cultural heritage value."
http://www.kitchener.ca/Files/Item/item9515_cao-06-060_-_centre_block.pdf
http://www.kitchener.ca/Files/Item/item9515_fcs_agenda_october_2__2006.pdf
"The impact of the supply rate change is expected to produce a decrease of 4.1% or savings of approximately $52 per year for the average residential customer. In all estimations, we use a 2600 m3 annual consumption as an average residential customer consumption." http://www.kitchener.ca/Files/Item/item9515_fin-06-031.pdf
http://www.kitchener.ca/Files/Item/item9523_dts-06-142_-_mpa_64.pdf
Photos L to R copyright Sandamara Images 2002-06: the historic buildings referenced by the RFP L to R, the former Mayfair Hotel, now taxpayer-owned, the Hymmen Hardware now Artery, also taxpayer-owned, the historic Weber Chambers now Casablance bookstore, privately-owned; view of the downtown Kitchener cityscape as seen from the Victoria Park Commons with the demolished City Hall Clock tower in the foreground (cost us one full block of historic heritage buildings) and Toronto-Dominion/Canada Trust behind (cost us half of another historic block); and front entrance of the new Downtown Community Centre that needs parking on the "Forsyth" parking facility.
Labels: built heritage
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