Blog  November 12, 2011

MOVE Charrette: More Reports from the Frontlines

After yesterday’s morning of presentations from stakeholders in the challenge area, the Huburbia team spent the afternoon brainstorming and sketching approaches to creating a mobility hub and surrounding public space in the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre (VMC).

First we brainstormed questions to guide our approach to the project, such as: How can you plan a lively mobility hub? What are the existing assets and stories of the VMC? Why should people care about and use the hub?

The team decided early on that it was important to plan based on the culture and activities that already exist within the VMC and Vaughan as a whole. This philosophy underpinned all the ideas that emerged from the brainstorming session. Another key insight was that since Metrolinx created Mobility Hub Guidelines which recommend pedestrian-focused, transit-oriented development, it made sense for the team to focus on creating infrastructure and programming public space.

To jumpstart ideas, the team began by brainstorming what sustainability for a mobility hub might mean. Ideas ranged from a mix of uses that allows people to buy groceries and make a living, to creative energy, to bikeable multi-purpose spaces, to participation and vibrant street life.

The brainstorming led to some initial ideas for the mobility hub. The team envisioned alternative transportation for workers commuting from the subway to the industrial area of the VMC, community gardens above the subway station and along Highway 400, and connecting the mobility hubs to regional district energy systems.

These ideas were turned into themes or identities for the mobility hub. Themes included Industrial Town (showcasing the rich industrial culture of VMC) and Prototype City (providing space for colleges and universities to do experimental projects, which could then be implemented in the mobility hub).

Finally, the team brainstormed features that would make the mobility hub pleasant to spend time in. Ideas included a bike concourse, a traffic buffer for pedestrians, good seating, flexible space (such as unused parking lots) for markets, and a tree nursery.

In the evening there was an advisor session with Antoine Belaieff, Director of Innovation at Metrolinx. Antoine gave a great deal of useful advice, and recommended that the team use both policy and design strategies to encourage people to use the mobility hub.