The City of Abbotsford’s urban design principles are key to making places that thrive both socially and economically, are desirable to live in and attractive to visit. Given the rapid pace of growth expected in the City over the next decades, urban design will play an important role in ensuring that new development is pedestrian-friendly and transit supportive, ‘fits’ appropriately into existing neighbourhoods, and enhances neighbourhood character.
Street-friendly Buildings
Vibrant and safe pedestrian areas require ‘street-friendly’ development. This includes minimizing building setbacks and situating entrances and windows on the street to increase natural surveillance.
Pedestrian-friendly Streets
Pedestrian-friendly streets are designed to be safe, comfortable and attractive to pedestrians. In high pedestrian or traffic areas, sidewalks should be wide enough to allow for the comfortable movement of people. Street benches, transit shelters, public art and weather protection such as awnings or canopies should also be included in the streetscape design. In public places, such as squares and “urban parks”, designs should provide ample sunlight exposure and seating opportunities.
“Good Neighbour” Developments
Higher density buildings should be designed to minimize potentially negative effects on surrounding neighbourhoods such as shadowing, view blockage and being ‘out-of-scale’ with surrounding development. This can be achieved through street-friendly ‘podium’ buildings that front the street and have active ground floors; ‘stepping down’ building heights and massing to be compatible with adjacent development; maintaining minimum separation distances between tall buildings to minimize shadowing, ‘wind tunnel’ and view blockage effects; discouraging tall ‘slab’ buildings; and by providing public and private open spaces to enhance livability in and around higher density projects.
Neighbourhood Character
New developments should enhance the character of surrounding neighbourhoods through the use of complementary architecture, materials, colours and signage. Architectural excellence and distinction are encouraged, particularly at high visibility locations. Public art should be employed to enhance local areas, and/or act as ‘gateways’ into specific neighbourhoods.