Improved urban design the focus of City’s new advisory panel

BRAMPTON, ON – The City of Brampton has established its first-ever Urban Design Review Panel (UDRP) to help elevate the role of urban design in all facets of city planning and building.

As an independent advisory body to the Planning and Development Services Department, the UDRP will provide professional design recommendations on various development applications and City-initiated studies. Urban design assessments will complement and inform the City’s existing development review process to ensure new projects contribute to a well-designed community.

The eight volunteer members of the panel are: 
• Chair – Eric Turcotte, Partner, Urban Strategies
• Vice-Chair – Wai Ying Di Giorgio, Principal, The Planning Partnership
• Brent Raymond, Partner, DTAH
• Daniel Ling, Principal, Montgomery Sisam
• Jason Wu, Urban Designer, City of Mississauga
• Khaldoon Ahmad, Manager of Urban Design, Niagara Region
• Nick Onody, Director, MTPlanners
• Zaid Saleh, Associate, HOK

Projects subject to UDRP review could include:
• residential and office applications (e.g. apartments and office buildings)
• institutional applications (e.g. schools, places of worship)
• mixed-use development applications (development that includes any combination of residential, retail, office and institutional uses)
• transit-oriented developments (mix of commercial, residential, office and entertainment centred around or near a transit hub)
• important parks
• significant streetscapes

The City’s Commissioner of Planning and Development Services will have the authority to require applications and special studies to be brought to the UDRP for review.

The panel met for the first time on March 27, and will continue to meet monthly. This two-year pilot project will run until March 2020, at which time staff will report back to Council with findings and recommendations for future action.

Quotes:
“Recently we hosted a public engagement session showcasing our City’s planning vision. Great urban design is a collaborative process, and it’s a key component of a livable, sustainable and vibrant community – we heard how important well-designed buildings and inviting public spaces are to our residents and businesses. The Urban Design Review Panel is one of many great initiatives that helps position the City of Brampton to be future ready on a global scale.”
- Mayor Linda Jeffrey

“Brampton is one of the fastest growing cities in the country, and it’s important that that growth happens in an appropriate and sustainable way. The Urban Design Review Panel will be a critical tool to ensure new development applications contribute meaningfully to a well-designed community.”
- Regional Councillor Elaine Moore

“As a rapidly growing city, Brampton is seeing more urban and complex forms of development. The Urban Design Review Panel is another great tool to improve the quality of design in Brampton, and will bring added value and professional expertise to the City’s existing design review process.”
- Rob Elliott, Commissioner of Planning and Development Services

 
  (From left to right) Eric Turcotte, Nick Onody, Khaldoon Ahmad, Wai Ying Di Giorgio, Jason Wu, Brent Raymond, Daniel Ling, Zaid Saleh.

​​​​-30-

​Brampton is thinking bigger. We are a future ready organization with a sharp focus. We know our community’s growth, youth and diversity set us apart. We sit at the centre of Canada’s innovation super corridor, encouraging investment and growing our global success. We are building vibrant urban centres that ignite opportunity and instill pride in the people who live and work here. We are moving Brampton forward to be a connected city that is innovative, inclusive and bold. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook. Learn more at www.brampton.ca.