Robinson Glen Secondary Plan
Location: Robinson Glen Block, Markham, Ontario
Clients: Robinson Glen Landowners Group
Project Start Date: 2017
Project End Date: Ongoing
Project Team:
Urban Design & Planning
Project Type:
High Density Living Spaces
Master Planned Communities
Urban Design & Community Planning
About the Project
In 2017 and 2018, the MBTW Group authored a comprehensive Community Design Plan (CDP) for the Robinson Glen Community, a sustainable, multi-phase mixed-use development within the North Markham Future Urban Area. These lands span 184 hectares (455 acres) of mostly agricultural lands north of Major Mackenzie Drive and South of Elgin Mills road, between Kennedy Road and Robinson Creek Greenway System. The CDP was developed within the policy framework of Provincial growth targets, Regional new community development guidelines, and a robust City-led master planning effort to establish sustainable, thriving, mixed-use and transit supportive communities at the northern edge of the City of Markham.
The Robinson Glen CDP builds on this City-led effort and provides a synthesis of contextual analysis regarding multiple tiers of policy directions for the lands, as well as existing conditions, such as cultural heritage resources. The CDP provides an in-depth overview of sustainable design initiatives for implementation in Robinson Glen, such as low-impact development and Community Energy Plan initiatives, including a solar strategy. The majority of the CDP is focused on the proposed community structure and design, and its implementation. Context-specific guidelines regarding architecture & site planning, streetscapes & public realm, and parks & open space are paired with precedent images and illustrative vignettes depicting the intended character and high-quality design proposed for the Robinson Glen Community. The CDP presents a detailed demonstration plan outlining one possible way the principles introduced throughout the document could be implemented. This plan illustrates the overall intended vision and principles consistent with the City’s goals and the unique conditions of the lands (see below).
In partnership with the City of Markham, Malone Given Parsons, and the Robinson Glen landowner group, the MBTW Group played a key consensus-building role in engaging the decision makers through a series of design workshops throughout the CDP process. This participatory roundtable approach resulted in the adoption of innovative resiliency techniques, land use efficiencies, and a pedestrian-oriented community with key mixed-use destinations and a hierarchy of streetscapes that convey a unique sense of place.
Throughout the CDP process, the MBTW Group worked closely with Malone Given Parsons to coordinate large-scale and fine-grained urban design principles with the Robinson Glen Secondary Planning process to ensure a vibrant urban edge along planned major transit corridors, walkable mixed-use, amenity-rich neighbourhoods, and innovative open space and stormwater management designs. Our firm worked hand-in-hand with a multidisciplinary team of planners, civil engineers, and environmental specialists to develop innovative and sustainable stormwater management techniques while maximizing recreational amenities for residents. Strategies such as underground stormwater storage tanks atop vibrant open spaces, and specialized grading within the Greenway System and parks allow for increased resilience during rare storm events.
The MBTW Group worked in concert with the City and key stakeholders to leverage land use efficiencies while creating central community hubs, such as through co-locating the community park and secondary school. Localized mixed-use areas, service nodes, and opportunities for retail are explored in depth in the CDP, in line with the vision to create walkable neighbourhoods with access to daily needs. In sum, the CDP presents innovative and sustainable best practices in planning and implements these design principles in a manner that is connected and coherent with the values and urban fabric of the City of Markham.
Recent Council endorsement of the CDP will further the development of Robinson Glen Community to a thriving community linked closely with the existing City structure and future planned development.
Services:
Graphic Artistry
Sustainable Development
Urban Design
Urban Design Guidelines
Urban Landscape Architecture
Urban Planning
