James M. Nelson - Creative Portfolio by James MacDonald-Nelson

JAMES M. NELSON CREATIVE PORTFOLIO

Landscape & Urban Designer

MAPPING COMPETITION PUBLICATION DESIGN ANALYSIS

Open Data : Exploring Canada’s Political, Social and Environmental Boundaries Through Open-Source Data Collection and Analysis ____________________________________ DISASTERS THAT SHAPE US

Ground: Landscape Architect Quarterly Ontario Association of Landscape Architects

Issue 39 - Spontaneous

GOVERNANCE & SOVEREIGNTY IN ONTARIO’S NORTH Ground: Landscape Architect Quarterly Ontario Association of Landscape Architects

Issue 40 - North

Status : Ongoing

Collaboration with Katie Strang

As part of an ongoing project in collaboration with fellow landscape designer Katie Strang, we have been creating a series of maps to explore the perceived, physical and temporal boundaries that exist across the province of Ontario. The first map in our series, published in issue 39 of Ground Magazine explores natural disasters that have occurred across the province of Ontario since the 19th century. More specifically, we looked at natural disasters that had a profound effect on communities, either through population displacement or legislative/ policy change. For instance, until a massive forest fire engulfed 250,000 hectares of land in Eastern Ontario in 1870, destroying homes and farms, the government had never intervened or compensated those affected by disasters of this type. While hesitant at first, the Federal government ultimately assisted those who were affected by the disaster, and set a precedent for federal governmental disaster relief, a practice that continues to this day. The second map of the series, explores the subdivision of land designation, governance and sovereignty in Northern Ontario. In Ontario, most privately held land is clustered near the southern border, leaving an expansive 87% as ‘Crown Land’*, primarily north of the Great Lakes. Ten percent of that is held as park and conservation area, while much of the rest is categorized as general use and managed under the Public Lands Act. This land, administered by the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR), can be many things, including logged, mined, or sold. The MNR gives patents and leases for use based on its economic and sustainability goals. Our intention in this mapping exercise is to draw attention to territorial governance policy in Ontario - particularly when the majority of land in question is remote and largely inaccessible. *Crown land is the term used to describe land owned by the federal or provincial governments. Authority for control of these public lands rests with the Crown, hence their name. Presently, 89% of Canada’s land is considered Crown Land.

Disasters that Shape Us

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Disasters that Shape Us

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1980 red lake Forest Fire: Five thousand inhabitants of Red Lake, a remote gold-mining community in Northwestern Ontario, were evacuated, making it one of the largest civilian evacuations in Canadian history.

june 17, 1946, Tornado, windsor: A tornado that developed on the Detroit River damaged and destroyed approximately 400 homes in Windsor and the surrounding area. The tornado took down 150 barns and uprooted hundreds of trees. Seventeen people were killed.

1913 South Porcupine Flood: A major flood in 1913 inundated much of South Porcupine and set the stage for the development of a flood protection system for the Timmins area. 1916 matheson Forest Fire: A forest fire triggered by lightening burned down the towns of Cochrane, Matheson, Iroquois Falls, Porquis Junction, Nushka, and Kelso. The fire killed at least 233 people and remains the most deadly forest fire on record in Ontario. It led to the development of the legislation known today as the Forest Fires Prevention Act and improvements in the techniques used to prevent and control forest fires.

TexT anD maP By jameS maCDOnalD anD kaTie STranG

Seemingly spontaneous, unexpected natural disasters occur worldwide on a daily basis. In many cases, these events have shaped how we inhabit a place—indeed, whether or not we inhabit it at all. They can also have a profound effect on our collective consciousness, particularly in terms of how we prepare for potential disasters. The events that shock us most and affect the greatest number of people tend to illicit a more powerful response— whether that means disaster preparedness, natural resource management, legislation, or the relocation of settlements. This map is a representation of historical events requiring an emergency response, compiled by Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry. Although the ministry’s geo-located tracking began only in 2010, their database includes recorded emergencies dating back to the mid-19th century. These are events that caused significant structural damage, community evacuation, or the involvement of MNR emergency response personnel. Most of the events fall into the expected typologies of natural disaster— forest fire, flooding, erosion/landslides, tornadoes, dam failures, droughts—but there are also data points for disasters such as the E.coli water contamination in Kashechewan First Nation, a mine tailings leak near Sault Ste. Marie, and various communication network failures across the province. While our capacity to respond to and mitigate the effects of disasters has improved over the years, it’s important to recognize patterns in places where geography or climate serve to make emergencies cyclical, even if those recurrence intervals strain our collective memory. Modern mapping can illuminate trends, and traditional knowledge can extend understanding beyond written records. As climate change makes extreme weather patterns more commonplace, it becomes vital that we shift our understanding away from viewing these events as spontaneous. By taking a long view of changes in our environment, we can understand when adaptation is necessary to create resilient landscapes and communities. It’s simply a matter of seeing the warning signs.

*Graphic Layout by Noël Nanton at typotherapy

1986 landslide, Brantford: A huge landslide close to the Grand River occurred in 1986 and affected a lumber yard, florist shop, gas bar, car wash, and the railway line. Four residences were evacuated. This site is now closely monitored and efforts to develop and refine remediation to address slope stability issues are ongoing. 1998 mississippi river/The Clyde river Flooding: The Clyde River peaked at a 1-in-500-year flood level, while the Mississippi River peaked in excess of the 1-in-100-year level. Extensive flooding occurred in communities along the system, forcing the evacuation of nearby residents.

Continuity of Operations Event (including loss of communications networks) Petroleum Resource Centre Event Emergency Management Ontario Requested Assistance - No Evacuation Emergency Management Ontario Requested Assistance - Evacuation Fire - No Evacuation Fire - Evacuation Flood - No Evacuation Flood - Evacuation Erosion - No Evacuation Erosion - Evacuation Requested Assistance Drought or Low Water Dam Failure National Fire Database Ontario - 1960-1969 National Fire Database Ontario - 1970-1979 National Fire Database Ontario - 1980-1989 National Fire Database Ontario - 1990-1999 National Fire Database Ontario - 2000-2009 National Fire Database Ontario - 2010-2019

BiOS/ jameS maCDOnalD GraDUaTeD FrOm The UniverSiTy OF TOrOnTO’S mla PrOGram aT The jOhn h. DanielS FaCUlTy OF arChiTeCTUre, lanDSCaPe, anD DeSiGn in 2015. SinCe GraDUaTinG, he haS Been wOrkinG aS a lanDSCaPe DeSiGner in TOrOnTO while PUrSUinG reSearCh COnCerninG ClimaTe ChanGe aDaPTaTiOn. kaTie STranG iS a TOrOnTO-BaSeD DeSiGner anD memBer OF The Ground eDiTOrial BOarD.

1870 Great Fire of Carleton County: A forest fire swept through Carleton County moving north towards Ottawa during a particularly hot and dry summer in 1870. It burnt 250,000 hectares of pine forest between Smith Falls and Ottawa, resulting in approximately 20 deaths and forcing 2,000 people out of their homes. The fire was extinguished by breaking up the dam at Dow’s Lake, which stopped the fire from moving into Ottawa. The federal government, though hesitant at first, assisted those who were affected by the disaster, and this set the precedent for federal governmental assistance at the time of a disaster, a practice that continues to this day. 1954 hurricane hazel, Toronto: The remnants of Hurricane Hazel, combined with a wet and rainy few weeks preceding the storm, resulted in unprecedented flooding and Toronto’s worst recorded natural disaster. It left 81 people dead and caused between $25 and $100 million in damages. However, the storm sparked the expansion of the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority’s responsibilities to include flood control. COnTainS inFOrmaTiOn liCenSeD UnDer The OPen GOvernmenT liCenSe—OnTariO, inClUDinG DaTa FrOm The naTiOnal Fire DaTaBaSe. mOre inFOrmaTiOn anD The COmPleTe liCenSe Can Be FOUnD here: hTTPS://www.javaCOeaPP.lrC.GOv.On.Ca/ GeOneTwOrk/Srv/en/main.hOme?UUiD=42FF03B0-12DD-446a-88F1-73CB5D97126D.

Governance & Sovereignty in Ontario’s North Indigenous Reservation Crown Land - General Cultural Heritage Designation Provincial Parks Recreation Remote Access Waterway

Woodland Caribou Provincial Park

‘Far North’ Boundary Line

far north boundary

Kesagami Park

Legend

Indian Reserve Cultural Heritage Natural Environment Recreation Remote Access Waterway Wilderness

Wabakimi Provincial Park

CROWN LAND + RESERVATIONS

TreatiesMorrisMap1943 Adhesion to Treaty, No. 5, 1908, 1909 and 1910 Adhesion to Treaty, No. 9, 1929 Crawford's Purchase, 1783, Algonquins and Iroquois Crawford's Purchase, 1783, Mississagas John Collins' Purchase, 1785 Johnson, Butler Purchase, 1784, 1787, 1788 Treaty No. 11, 1798 Treaty No. 13, 1805 Treaty No. 13A, 1805 Treaty No. 16, 1815 Treaty No. 18, 1818 Treaty No. 19, 1818 Treaty No. 2, 1790 Treaty No. 20, 1818 Treaty No. 21, 1819 Treaty No. 27, 1819 Treaty No. 29, 1827 Treaty No. 3, 1792 Treaty No. 3, 1873 Treaty No. 3.5, 1793 Treaty No. 3.75, 1795 Treaty No. 35, 1833 Treaty No. 381, 1781 Treaty No. 4, 1793 Treaty No. 45, 1836 Treaty No. 45.5, 1836 Treaty No. 5, 1798 Treaty No. 5, 1875 Treaty No. 57, 1847 far north Treaty No. 6, 1796 boundary Treaty No. 60, 1850 Treaty No. 61, 1850 Treaty No. 7, 1796 Treaty No. 72, 1854 Treaty No. 82, 1857 Treaty No. 9, 1905-1906 Williams Treaty with the Chippewa, 1923 Williams Treaty with the Mississauga, 1923

TreatiesMorrisMap1943 Adhesion to Treaty, No. 5, 1908, 1909 and 1910 Adhesion to Treaty, No. 9, 1929 Crawford's Purchase, 1783, Algonquins and Iroquois Crawford's Purchase, 1783, Mississagas John Collins' Purchase, 1785 Johnson, Butler Purchase, 1784, 1787, 1788 Treaty No. 11, 1798 Treaty No. 13, 1805 Treaty No. 13A, 1805 Treaty No. 16, 1815 Treaty No. 18, 1818 Treaty No. 19, 1818 Treaty No. 2, 1790 Treaty No. 20, 1818 Treaty No. 21, 1819 Treaty No. 27, 1819 Treaty No. 29, 1827 Treaty No. 3, 1792 Treaty No. 3, 1873 Treaty No. 3.5, 1793 Treaty No. 3.75, 1795 Treaty No. 35, 1833 Treaty No. 381, 1781 Treaty No. 4, 1793 Treaty No. 45, 1836 Treaty No. 45.5, 1836 Treaty No. 5, 1798 Treaty No. 5, 1875 Treaty No. 57, 1847 Treaty No. 6, 1796 Treaty No. 60, 1850 Treaty No. 61, 1850 Treaty No. 7, 1796 Treaty No. 72, 1854 Treaty No. 82, 1857 Treaty No. 9, 1905-1906 Williams Treaty with the Chippewa, 1923 Williams Treaty with the Mississauga, 1923

Indigenous Reservation

LAND TREATIES + RESERVATIONS fig.1

Canadian Crown Land is deeply connected to ideas of sovereignty, and to the North. The shifts in its administration and use reflect how these ideas have changed in Canada. When the Hudson Bay Company sold Rupert’s Land to the Dominion of Canada, it was done without acknowledgement of Aboriginal Title to the land, leaving these land claims to be settled through the Numbered Treaties. These treaties established much of the Crown Land in Ontario, and continue to be disputed. Figure 2 shows the contrast between the large area claimed by the Crown, and the diminutive reserves established by the treaties. Most Federal Crown Land is in the Northern Territories, where it is also Inuit land. The remainder exists as pockets within the Provinces; primarily National Parks, Reserves and Canadian Forces bases. In Ontario, most privately held land is clustered near the southern border, leaving a expansive 87% as Crown Land, primarily north of the Great Lakes. Ten percent of that is held as park and conservation area, while much of the rest is categorized as general use and managed under the Public Lands Act. This land, administered by the Ministry of Natural Resources, can be many things, including logged, mined, or sold. The MNR gives patents and leases for use based on its economic and sustainability goals. Although these goals have changed over time, Crown Land has a long history as an economic catalyst. The Dominion Lands Act of 1871 bestowed huge areas of Crown Land on the Canadian Pacific Railway for its transcontinental line, and apportioned southern Ontario into farmland for settlers. In the 1940s, the MNR disposed of lands for private recreational purposes, and in the 1960s it took this policy further, acting as a developer proactively creating cottage lots. Environmental concerns halted this process, although Crown Land can still be sold for cottages by municipalities that apply for permission. In 2011, the Far North Act came into effect, establishing a new direction for land planning beyond the Far North Boundary, or north of Woodland Caribou and Wabakimi Provincial Parks. The intention is to protect 225,000 square kilometres of boreal forest (21% of Ontario), and establish community based land use planning which is consistent with Indigenous treaty rights. However, this move is not supported by the Nishnawbe Aski Nation, the primary occupants of the Far North, who maintain that the freezing of so much of their territory prevents them from participating in modern economic development. You can continue to explore the evolution of Crown Land in Canada by using Ontario’s Crown Land Policy Atlas, an online mapping tool provided by the MNR. (http://crownlanduseatlas.mnr.gov.on.ca/)

fig.2

CANADIAN CENTRE FOR URBAN RESILIENCE NXT CITY DESIGN COMPETITION Toronto

Fall 2017 Status : Top 10 Finalist

NXT City Design competition is a Toronto-based, annual design competition organized by a not-for-profit organization that “connects young leaders with city builders to create, activate and program public spaces.” The 2017 competition included 4 sites across the city that participants could chose from including the site included here - the Wellington Destructor. A now derelict waste incinerator in the centre of one of Toronto’s fastest growing neighbourhoods, this historic building is intended to be transformed into a community hub in the coming years. Through this competition, participants were asked to propose highlevel, visionary ideas for how the site could become a world class example of a sustainable and innovative community space. Below is my proposal for the site - the Canadian Centre for Urban Resilience. Project Brief: This proposal responds to the need for an innovative community hub in one of the country’s fastest growing urban areas. With a number of new parks proposed and some already underway in the neighbourhood, the Canadian Centre for Urban Resilience will not only connect these future green spaces, but proposes to bring together some of the city’s most forward-thinking organizations and businesses. In doing so, the CCUR would become a hub for the creation and promotion of innovative and sustainable urban policy and practice. Through a unique partnership scheme that brings together public, private and not-for-profit stakeholders, the CCUR will act as an central hub for large-scale green roof technology research, urban farming and food production for an on-site food bank, and community outreach efforts– in the form of education, volunteer and employment opportunities. By combining typical community spaces such as a library and a park with research facilities and office space for local NGOs and community organizations, the CCUR would become a world-class example of how sustainable urban policy and practice can be generated at a community scale for the benefit of an entire city.

COMPETITION

CANADIAN CENTRE FOR URBAN RESILIENCE

BUILDING PROGRAM Primary Community Space - Library, classrooms, gallery, information about how the centre functions On the roof - planter beds, a green house and bee hives Additional buildings Food bank storage and distribution, space for creative offices, NGOs and community groups.

Biosphere Stage and hillside seating

Mixed planting

Paving pattern indicating the original path of Garrison Creek

Plaza for events, farmers markets etc.

Urban farm - including greenhouse, planter beds and bee hives

Green Roof Testing Labincluding photovoltaics, meadow planting and experimental plant groupings

On the roof - Solar panels, meadow, green roof test planting - vegetables and native planting (west)

PARTNERSHIP MODEL LOCAL COMMUNITY

COMMUNITY HUB AND PARK SPACE

University of Toronto

FOOD PRODUCTION / DISTRIBUTION COMMUNITY OUTREACH, EDUCATION

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES, FOOD SECURITY FOR ALL MEMBERS OF COMMUNITY

BUSINESS PARTNERSHIPS

RESEARCH COLLABORATION

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

COMMUNITY BENEFITS

RESEARCH COLLABORATION

POLICY CREATION, BEST PRACTICE STANDARDS

Letter from Europe....Adaptive Design and Climate Change Ground: Landscape Architect Quarterly Ontario Association of Landscape Architects Issue 37 - Spectrum

In the Spring of 2016, I had finished a temporary work contract and I decided to take the opportunity to travel, visit design projects that I had admired from abroad and meet with the designers that made them happen. This took me to Scandinavia, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. My agenda was clear, I was interested in talking to them about climate adaptation practice and policy - something that is far more developed in Europe than it is in North America. I was able to meet with some very inspiring people and visit some equally inspiring projects and as a result, I produced an article for Ontarioâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s quarterly Landscape Architecture magazine, Ground. Ultimately, the trip taught me that there is no blueprint for adaptive design. Yes, we should look to other countries for inspiration, but mitigation and adaptation must be contextualized in order to truly work. As designers, we are constantly looking ahead and using our imagination to creatively change our physical environment. In doing so, we also have a responsibility to use our skills to positively impact the earth. Ecological systems and the built environment do not function separately, but rather in tandem, and it is imperative that we seek to integrate them so that they complement and enhance one another.

PUBLICATION

Letter From… Europe

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Letter From… Europe

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A month-long tour of European projects that address climate change adaptation and mitigation in effective and instructive ways 01-02/

TExT by JAMES MAcDonALD-nELSon

Tredje Natur’s design for Saint Kjelds Square in Copenhagen incorporates green infrastructure to mitigate flooding.

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Tredje Natur

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Helsinki waterfront

The London-based organization Groundwork is working in partnership with the Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham to transform three housing estates into demonstration sites for affordable, light engineering climate change adaptation measures, including Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS).

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Tredje Natur

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I also spoke with Mark Bentley of the U.K.-based environmental organization Groundwork, which works across the spectrum of community-building, promotion of environmental sustainability, combatting climate change, and providing work training and experience for youth. Bentley, a landscape architect, has been working on an EU-funded demonstration project on a housing estate in southwest London. Here,

My first stop was London, where I spoke with Tom Armour, director of landscape architecture at the global engineering firm ARUP. In 2014, ARUP’s internal think-tank,

03-04/

*Graphic Layout by Noël Nanton at typotherapy

Finland, Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom have all, to varying degrees, begun to address climate change adaptation in unique and inspiring ways. Through policy and practice, these countries have implemented strategies to rethink urban infrastructure, be responsive and adaptive to flooding, increase biodiversity, and reduce the amount of energy required to sustain an ever-expanding urban population. In order to find out more about these initiatives, I travelled to Europe in the summer of 2016 to speak with people and visit projects that have been built with climate change adaptation and mitigation in mind.

ARUP Foresight, produced a report called Cities Alive: Rethinking Green Infrastructure, which argues that cities must reintegrate natural processes through green infrastructure. This, Armour suggests, will create an adaptive functionality that embraces and works with the effects of a changing climate within the urban environment. Armour believes that this idea is starting to gain some traction in Europe. Indeed, in November 2015, Europe hosted its first annual conference completely dedicated to urban green infrastructure.

Mark Bentley

his team retrofitted a number of housing blocks using some very basic, but effective, design strategies. Employing SuDS (Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems), the team installed green roofs and walls, bioswales, and rain gardens to better manage stormwater on site, and a monitoring system to demonstrate the impact of a few, seemingly small, design moves. Bentley suggests that while it’s important to think of green infrastructure from a regional perspective, we must remember that working from the bottom up is often the first step, and that pilot projects such as this can, and must, lead to a wider application of this type of design and planning. From England, I flew to Helsinki, Finland, where I took a long walk through the city’s central parks with Sirkku Juhola, a professor at Aalto University’s Department of the Built Environment. Sirkku explained that across the Nordic region, there is strong research collaboration between nations. Finland, Sweden, Denmark, and Norway have established a research consortium called Nord-Star, which seeks to “enable Nordic stakeholders to design and implement successful adaptation policy and practice.” As deputy director of research for Nord-Star at Aalto, Sirkku heads a research panel that performs comparative policy and case analysis intended to influence planning policy across the region. Specifically, their research looks at how climate change adaptation and mitigation policy is funnelled through layers of governance at the city level and what effect that has on the build-out of projects. By conducting a comparative case-study analysis between

Letter From… Europe

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Letter From… Europe

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environmental adaptation, and has won numerous design awards. Again, we see how adaptation and, in this case, mitigation, can begin to take form when intentions are clearly set. But a major aspect of adaptation must also include redesigning the existing urban fabric. For this I went to Copenhagen, where some very exciting things are happening.

neighbourhood has emerged. The “City of Tomorrow,” as it is often called, was an ambitious plan to create a carbon-neutral zone in the city. The new neighbourhood uses progressive stormwater-management practices, 100 percent renewable energy, and efficient building design. It is often considered a leading example of

Copenhagen and Helsinki, they have found that Copenhagen’s progressive policy has led to the support and implementation of projects built in the name of adaptation. Helsinki, on the other hand, is equally threatened by storm events and sea-level rise, but is slower in adopting such an approach. But, as Sirkku points out, it’s important to cross-examine policy and practice on a regional scale, so that countries can learn from each other and ultimately support the implementation of progressive design.

Copenhagen’s maritime history is evident in the endless miles of harbourfront that surround the Danish capital. Much of this land is slowly being transformed into residential neighbourhoods, but the Danes have also made an effort to integrate miles of public space along the water. With this close relationship to the sea, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the city has had its fair share of storm events, or cloudburst as they refer to them. Over the years, this has caused billions of dollars in damages, and the city has had to respond in innovative ways. In 2011, a massive storm flooded many parts of the city, including the western district of Østerbro. As a response, the city has committed to adaptation policy and practice. An example is being led by a local landscape architecture firm, Tredje Natur (Third Nature), which proposed a design that will incorporate green infrastructural changes to better manage stormwater and mitigate damage caused by flooding while creating a more robust public realm by integrating these strategies into the streetscape and a new park. When I spoke with Ole Schrøder, one of the founding principals at Tredje Natur, he emphasized that we must adopt a “post-humanistic” approach to design,

in the face of climate change. Ultimately, this trip taught me that there is no blueprint for adaptive design. Yes, we should look to other countries for inspiration, but mitigation and adaptation must be contextualized in order to truly work. As designers, we are constantly looking ahead and using our imagination to creatively change our physical environment. In doing so, we also have a responsibility to use our skills to positively impact the earth. Ecological systems and the built environment do not function separately, but rather in tandem, and it is imperative that we seek to integrate them so that they complement and enhance one another.

and that leading with the landscape and the natural processes that we are a part of, is of the upmost importance. Reimagining how our cities can function now and into the future means we must put adaptation and resiliency at the top of the priority list. This philosophy underlies the firm’s approach to design and serves as an example of how we can begin to change our perception of the urban landscape. Leaving the Nordic region, I spent some time in the Netherlands. The Dutch are well known for their innovative approach to water management, and you can see this as you fly into Schiphol Airport over the endless miles of agricultural lands that are divided by narrow canals. As the sunset shimmers off the water, you can make out the intricate network of waterways that forms an integrated management system. Once on the ground, it becomes clear that water is a central figure in the Dutch landscape, as canals trail alongside city streets, rail corridors, and between towns. Indeed, water has played a central role in the prosperity of the country, but it

After an insightful three days in Helsinki, I ventured to Sweden to continue my research, specifically in Malmö. Here, I had the opportunity to explore a part of the city called Västra Hamnen, the former western harbour, where a relatively new residential 09

*Graphic Layout by Noël Nanton at typotherapy

bIo/ JAMES MAcDonALD-nELSon GrADuATED froM ThE unIvErSITy of ToronTo’S MLA ProGrAM AT ThE John h. DAnIELS fAcuLTy of ArchITEcTurE, LAnDScAPE, AnD DESIGn In 2015. SIncE GrADuATInG, JAMES hAS bEEn WorkInG on An InDEPEnDEnTLy LED rESEArch ProJEcT concErnInG cLIMATE chAnGE ADAPTATIon, boTh AT hoME AnD AbroAD, WhILE WorkInG AS A LAnDScAPE DESIGnEr In ToronTo.

has also dictated how planning and policy around water have taken shape over time. For this reason, I spoke with Martin Knuijt of OKRA Landscape Architects in Utrecht. OKRA has led the design of a number of coastal defence projects across the country. I spoke with Knuijt about a project in Katwijk, a small coastal town on the North Sea that integrates a series of dunes with buried dikes. This twenty-hectare system is intended to protect the town from storm surges while incorporating public space, an improved dune ecology, and underground parking for beach-goers. As a country that is immensely vulnerable to water, the Netherlands has had to seek innovative ways—by working with nature—to account for urban growth and the natural elements that are integral to their landscape. Over the course of a month, I had the opportunity to speak to some incredible people who offered invaluable insight on what we can do as landscape architects

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Bioswales and green roofs in the Västra Hamnen area of Malmö

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James MacDonald-Nelson

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Copenhagen waterfront

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James MacDonald-Nelson

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Boardwalk in Katwijk, a small coastal town on the North Sea in the Netherlands

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James MacDonald-Nelson

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The coastal defence plan in Katwijk integrates dunes and buried dikes.

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OKRA Landscape Architects

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ARUP head office, London

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James MacDonald-Nelson

[IN]FLUX | CONFRONTING PATTERNS OF COMMUNITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL DETACHMENT IN FORT MCMURRAY Masters Thesis

University of Toronto - Spring 2015 Thesis Supervisor: Andrea Mantin

Until late 2014, the oil sand industry was booming. Oil prices hovered around $168USD/barrel in June of 2014 but plummeted to about $60USD in December. This meant the town of Fort McMurray, a large urban settlement on the edge of this massive resource development was hard hit by the sudden drop. Home prices bottomed out, contract workers were not hired back, and the city entered a period of inevitable bust after a relatively long boom. This is the typical cycle in resource-dependent cities, particularly when the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s growth and vitality rests almost exclusively on the profitability of oil. While the financial gains from this process have been enormous over the years, extracting and processing oil from sand is one of the most volatile methods that exists today - and it is only profitable when oil prices are high. As a result, periods of boom and bust characterize the general pattern of success for Canadaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most contentious natural resource. This variability has caused sporadic and uneven growth in Fort McMurray. While many have relocated permanently, there are nearly 40,000 people who live transiently, between Fort McMurray and their homes in other provinces or countries. This nomadic workforce spend very little time in the city, which has led to a growing detachment between transient workers and the permanent community of Fort McMurray. [In]Flux seeks to confront this schism, using landscape as the medium to reconcile these divergent experiences. By integrating natural processes into the urban fabric and organizing community spaces that conform to this framework, the resulting landscape framework is intended to obscure the typical divisions between natural/urban, transient/permanent, and landscape as disposable/landscape as indispensable.

OIL SAND DEVELOPMENT - 1984-2011 Since the mid-1980s, the oil sands, despite the high processing cost associated with this form of oil extraction, has grown to a massive scale. This has been made possible due to various technological advances, huge hikes in oil prices, availability of employees and the relative remoteness of Fort McMurray.

20km 40km

1984

1990

Fort McMurray is situated just south of the oil operations and serves as a home for both permanent and transient workers alike. Approximately 40,000 transient workers come to Fort McMurray each year to work for Suncor, Syncrude, Imperial Oil Ltd., and a number of others.

1996

20km 40km

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1980 $111.4/barrel

2006 $85.86/barrel

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2011

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2015 $46.97/barrel

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1957 $15.1/barrel

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First sand record s by ed ac co Alex and unt of ra M o acke il First nzie geo logic al a sses sme nt o f oil

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2006

sand s Hud s Pos onâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ba t Es tabli y Com pan she d y Tr adin Geo g lo disc gist, D ove r R obe rs it oil fr r is om t sand possib Bell usin le to se g ho t wa parate ter First d e t und a er ta iled su r ken by S vey of o idne il y Ell sands s Oil e Bitu xtractio men n Com by Inte rn pan y Lt ationa d. l

2001

EXPERIENTIAL ANALYSIS Transient Worker

60 Min McKay, Calumet, Chelsea River Lodge 85km

Jocelyn Creek Camp 70km

Wapasu Camp 120km Mackenzie 130km

Firebag Village , Voyageur, Kelsey 130km

Albian Village

79km

Creeburn Lodge

AR IVE

78km

Oil Sands Lodge 64km

Athabasca Lodge (Closed) 54km

30 Min

Beaver Ridge Executive Lodge 54km

Borealis and Millennium Camps 32km Black Sands Executive Lodge 34km Noralta Lodge 27km

10 Min

**Average income earned based on $60/ hour skilled labour at 12 hours/day, 7 days per week

Depart from Home 6-14 hour Travel Time

Fort McMurray City Centre

BAS C

Mildred Lake Village 44km Lakeside Lodge (Closed) 45km

20 Min

One Week Off

Two Weeks On

One Week Off

Two Weeks On

One Week Off

These graphics present the typical experience of someone working in the oil sands - whether they live in the community permanently or commute several times a year from other parts of the country.

ACCOMMODATION SPECTRUM

Permanent Resident Timberlea

Thickwood Heights

2 Min

5 Min

One Week Off

12 Min City Centre / Lower Townsite

One Week Off

Abasand Heights

HWY 63 The imagery associated with each timeline is a general representation of the vernacular experience a worker while the bars below the timeline represent money made. When the oil sands were booming, salaries were especially high. Mixed Boreal Upland

Beacon Hill

Gregoire

Two Weeks On

W Tr

Two Weeks On

International Airport

Urban Service Area

The typical experience of someone who works for one of the oil companies can vary greatly. There is also a large work force of people who have moved to Fort McMurray to work in the service industry and other peripheral jobs that have become possible as the oil sands industry booms. ATH A

Accommodation Camps

Two Weeks On

The maps on the left demonstrate the spatial reality of living and working in Fort Fort McMurray McMurray - whether you live in Sp Picea gla a work camp on site or in theWhite city proper.

SPATIAL ENVIRONMENTAL [IN]FLUX Site+ Analysis

ANALYSIS URBAN FORM

Suncor Community Centre • Swimming pool • Library • Fitness facilities • Golf Course • Art Gallery • Event Space • Baseball Diamonds

ROCKE ISLAND

An aerial photograph demonstrates the location of the downtown core - situate adjacent to the north-flowing Athabasca River.

Borealis Park & Haxton Centre

• Skate Park • Public Library • Youth Centre (Justin Slade Youth Foundation)

Snye Park • Picnic Area • Boat Launch

BAS CA

Franklin Ave

Waterfront Trail

• Jubilee Plaza • Boomtown Casino • Peterpond Mall • Access to primary commercial spaces • Municipal Government Building • Alberta Health Services • The HUB Family Resource Centre • Fort McMurray Multicultural Centre • Islamic Centre • Clearwater Education Centre - Public School

Floodlines 40 yr / 100yr

IVE

E AT RW

ATH A

Parking Space

Downtown Core

RIV E

MACDONALD ISLAND

Proposed Dyke

SNY

Future Public Realm

E RIV

Snye P ark

ENVIRONMENTAL CONTEXT

HWY 63

Fort McMurray is found in Northern Alberta in a small portion of a 552 million hectare Boreal Forest.

To Edmonton

Existing Public Space

Time of Day

Mixed Boreal Upland

Fort McMurray

White Spruce Picea glauca

Paper Birch Betula papyrifera

24 22 20 18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0

Trembling Aspen Populus tremuloides

Annual Light Conditions

Winter

Spring

Summer

Fall

Daylight Hours

Annual Average Temperatures 25° 20° 15° 10° 5° 0° -5° -10° -15° -20° -25°

Jack Pine Pinus banksiana

Larch Tamarack Larix laricina

Balsam Poplar Populus balsamifera

Medium Density Medium-High Density Winter

Daily Low Daily High

Spring

Summer

Fall

High Density

INTEGRATE PROCESS Increased flow rate during spring melt

MODIFY / DISTRIBUTE

Potential to dredge up to 3000m3 annually

Aprox. 4000m3 of sediment build up

RECOVER

FLOOD PROTECTION A

MITIGATE A

50m

Integrating Process

Increased The site design is intended flow rate during as a response to to serve spring melt the volatile nature of the economy by creating an active, small-scale industry of building a system of flood barriers RECOVER that would protect the downtown. This would also SILT SAND CLAY create opportunities for the community to workMODIFY during / DISTRIB times of low employment. This system would also serve to create a resilient downtown that would be able to develop over time without the risk of flooding. Ultimately, the design was intended to serve as an example of what cities can do MITIGATE to adapt to rapidly changing A economic and B climatic A conditions.

Athab asca R iver

SITE PLAN

Waterfront Trail Lookout

Suncor Community Centre

Shell Place Stadium *opening 2015

Cle

Sediment Dredging

ive

ate

arw

Berry Picking Event Space Haxton Youth Centre Sports Fields

Pedestrian Bridge Snye River Connection to existing trails

Boat Launch Campsite

Urban Trail Splash Pad & Skating Rink Jubilee Plaza

“Wild Rose” Rosa acicularis

“Paper Birch” Betula papyrifera

“Aster” Symphyotrichum laeve

“Balsam Poplar” Populus balsamifera

“Larch Tamarack” Larix laricina

“Dogwood” Cornus sericea

“Grass of Parnassus” Parnassia

“Jewelweed” Impatiens capensis

“Cotton Grass” Eriophorum

Edible

Woody Plants

“White Spruce” Picea glauca

Seasonal

Paths

Waterflow

Park side Property

LANDSCAPE AS FRAMEWORK

“High Bush Cranberry” Viburnum trilobum

“Blueberry” Vaccinium myrtillus

“Bog Cranberry” Vaccinium oxycoccos

“Bog Rosemary” Andromeda polifolia

PLANTING GRADIENT Woodland

Grassy / Seasonal Fruit Bearing Riparian

Mixed Species

100

200

300m

CREATE COMMUNITY RESILIENCE PHASE 1-INITIATE

PHASE 3-COMPLETE

Year 3-5

Year 1

• Urban trail completed to create full connection between downtown and waterfront • Planting begins to mature - seasonal variations reevaluated and assessed for future

• Initial build-out of the landforms • Improvement of Athabasca River Waterfront trail • Viewing platform built along river’s edge

Lookout

Riparian zone Waterfront trail

Athabasca River

A’

Jubilee Plaza

Franklin Ave

A’

Meadow

Waterfront Trail

Snye River

Urban Trail

C’

250

500m

250

500m

100m

PHASE 4-ENHANCE

PHASE 2-EXPAND

Year 5-6

Year 2-3

• Final landforms completed • Permanent program introduced throughout the site - camping, berry picking, seasonal/annual events

• Second phase of landform build-out planting begins • Expansion of path network to connect directly to downtown • Landforms become public amenities providing viewpoints during events

Flood Mitigation Landform

B’

Campsite Meadow

Pedestrian Bridge

B’

D’

0m 250

250

500m

500m 100m

100m

Multi-Seasonal Program

Snye River

D’ D

Platform

RECYCLED LANDSCAPES Temporary Design Solutions for Toronto’s Evolving Portlands Completed in collaboration with Katie Strang

University of Toronto - Winter 2014 Studio instructors : Supervisors : Elise Shelley, Jane Wolff & Nina-Marie Lister

The fourth core studio began with extensive research and analysis of stormwater management strategies and landscapes in a comparative study between New Orleans, Louisiana and Toronto, Canada. After a month of research, students participated in a field study to New Orleans, to meet with various professionals and learn about the city’s stormwater infrastructure and lesson’s learned from Hurricane Katrina Once research was complete, we began our final studio design project that sought to incorporate knowledge gained throughout the studio in order to propose an interesting design in Toronto’s Don Valley Corridor. Michael Van Valkenburgh’s Lower Don Lands Master Plan envisions a vibrant new neighbourhood meshed with a new mouth for the Don River with a naturalized, meandering flow into Lake Ontario. Because of the scale MVVA’s plan, it is safe to assume that this will inevitably take upwards of 40 years to fully carry out. Recycled Landscapes aims to foster immediate public engagement with the Portlands in order to begin the process of rebranding this space as a vibrant neighbourhood with enhanced ecological integrity. By integrating new uses into currently unused spaces, this project creates flexible nodes of activity that relocate as the construction process develops over time. While some of these uses may only have an initial impact, others will evolve with the transformation of the site and some will remain as permanent program once construction has finished.

CIT

TORONTO PORTLANDS

N CE

TORONTO HARBOUR

LAKE ONTARIO

SITE ANALYSIS HARDSCAPE & SOFTSCAPE

NEIGHBOURHOOD GROWTH

CURRENT OWNERSHIP

CONTEXTUAL DEVELOPMENT PROPOSED IMPLEMENTATION

West Don Lands Precinct Plan

Corktown

River City Pan Am Games Canary District East Bayfront

Keating Channel Precinct Plan

Proposed` Condensed Port Lands Plan

Softscape Hardscape

70,000 + new residents living nearby as of

2016

TEMPORARY PROJECTS

seasonal mobile extendable 2012

2016

2020

2024

year

GOALS & APPROACH To create a sense of place

EPHERMERAL NODES OF ACTIVITY RECYCLED SITE ELEMENTS MODULARITY

PHASE1

PHASE2

PHASE3

PHASE4

Create �e�ible, mobile spaces that respond to the changing conditions of the site

Generate an initial, evolving and lasting impact on the identity and allure of the portlands

MOBILITY

2028

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

uction Completed Construction Completed Cement Lafarge Cement

uction in progress Construction in progress

Construction of new bridge Completion of Pan Am Games Athletes Village Realignment of Cherry Street Construction of LRT Continued use of original Cherry Street

Intervention Design Intervention

PHASE 1

NODES OF ACTIVITY

Temporary Use Transitional Space

2. 3. 4.

�ay�nding and dedicated bi�e�pedestrian lane along Cherry St. Urban beach and food vendors on Cousins Quay Phytoremediation e�orts begin Urban agriculture initiatives begin

1. 2. 3.

Excavation and �ll of Cousins Quay begins East Bayfront under construction River channel excavation begins

1. 2. 3.

Programming shifts to North side of Polson Pier Phytoremediation vegetation starting to mature access to area begins Urban agriculture expands

1. 2. 3. 4.

Final stages of East Bayfront Bul� of excavation e�orts are underway New street grid begins to be implemented Construction initial condo buildings

1. 2. 3.

Programming remains on North side of Polson Pier Temporary program for construction areas on Cousins Quay Phytoremediation area shrin�s but remains intact postconstruction Urban agriculture is well established and part of growing community in the portlands

DESIGN MOVES CONSTRUCTION

300m

600m

DESIGN MOVES

PHASE 3

WĞĚĞƐƚƌŝĂŶ ŝƌĐƵůĂƟŽŶ

Transit LRT BRT BUS

Node/Destination

Construction Completed Lafarge Cement Construction in progress

COMMUN

RDWALK PROGRAM ITY

PATIO/BOA

SPACE MED

MOBILE PARK

CIRCULATION

2017-2020

PHASE 2

600m

2020-2022

300m

Major Roadways

600m

Design Intervention

Bike Trails

Transit LRT BRT BUS

Temporary Use Transitional Space Node/Destination

Construction Completed Lafarge Cement Construction in progress Design Intervention

Temporary Use Transitional Space Node/Destination

CIRCULATION

300m

CONSTRUCTION

CIRCULATION

DESIGN MOVES CONSTRUCTION

2014-2017

PHASING AND IMPLEMENTATION

Transit LRT BRT BUS

75 m

Variations

1.22 m (4 ft )

1.5 m

6 m

Method

2.5m

11m

2.5m

Urban Beach

SHIPPING CONTAINER VENDORS

PHASE1 - SITE SECTION

PHASE2 - CHERRY STREET SECTION N

PHASE3 - CHERRY STREET SECTION

PHYTOREMEDIATION N 1-3 Years

N 3-7 Years PHYTOREMEDIATION

N 7-9 Years PHYTOREMEDIATION

0.0 m

3.125 m

120 m

2.5m

street trees tre tree nursery

SITE ELEMENTS

PHASING AND IMPLEMENTATION

14 m

2.2 m 3.0 m 1x1x1 m

SITE TREES

URBAN AGRICULTURE

VIEWING PLATFORMS