Planning on the Edge: Policy Recommendations Addressing Problematic Residential Industrial District Interfaces

Areas in cities exist where residential and industrial land uses border one another. The locations of these incompatible land uses have resulted both from settlement patterns that predate zoning practices and calculated placement of these areas next to one another. At these interfaces, the activities of the adjacent land uses can produce negative externalities that adversely affect the neighboring district. The citywide policies of Calgary and other Canadian municipalities were reviewed to determine how land use policies address the management of these interface areas. The various conditions produced at problematic interfaces were cataloged and the residential-industrial interface areas of Calgary were categorized to identify the most problematic areas in the City. Planners responsible for the creation of Area Redevelopment Plans (ARPs) at identified problematic interfaces were interviewed to rate the success of localized planning interventions. The results of the work were collected to develop policy recommendations outlining various ways Calgary can better manage problematic interface areas and minimize the effects of negative conditions.