Of
the
thesis
entitled: City
Familiaris:
A
Study
in Domesticating
Infrastructures
Abstract:
Problems
associated
with hyper
density
in
Canada
are
fairly
new,
but
they
often
create
innate
conflicts for
all
those
who
dwell
in
the
afflicted
areas.
CityPlace,
in
Toronto
is
one such
place.
The
project
is
the
largest
master-planned
community
within
Toronto and
is
also densest
neighbourhood
in
the
city.
The
model
for
its
development
is known
as
Vancouverism
and
the
podium
–
tower
is
the
essential
building
block
of this
style.
The
main
goal
of
this
type
is
livable
high-density
which
is achieved
through
a
created
criteria
and
template
for design.
The
resulting developments
tend
to
meet
the
“requirements”
needed
and
there
are
associated benefits,
but
due
to
their
compliance
a
homogeny
is
created.
This
homogeny
was passed
down
to
the
residents
that
inhabit
these
buildings.
The
great
majority of
residents are
young,
urban
professionals.
The
problem
created
is
that
this particular
group
of
people
are
also
prone
to
bringing
a
being
that
was
not considered
in
the
design
and
does
not
fit
within
the
homogeny
created,
the
dog.
Dogs
are
abundant
residents of
these
neighbourhoods
and
they
easily
show
the
problems
associated
with
this type
of
development
because
their
presence
magnifies
the
inadequacy
of
the environment
created.
The
neighbourhood
lacks
public
spaces
and
accommodation; as a
result
it
lacks
community.
This
means
that
few
feel
the
need
to
take responsibility
for
the
neighbourhood
and
instead
of
understanding
the
problem, blame
is
often
given
to
the
dogs
which
are
perceived
as
the
problem. Considering
this
thesis’s
estimated
number
of
2900 dogs
within
CityPlace
and adjacent
areas
this
problem
is
a
very
large
one.
The
intention
of
this
thesis is
to
alter
the
flawed
environment
(CityPlace)
by
lifting
away
some
of
its deep-seated
rigidity
to
make
it
more
open
to
the
other
which
in
this
case
is the
dog.
When
CityPlace
was
being
designed
there
was
no
indication
of
the
dog population
that would
reside
there.
No
accommodation
was
planned
for
the disorder
they
may
cause
or
the
pressures
that
they
would
place
on
the
finite, available
green
public
space.
This
resulted
in
conflicts
over
the
problems
they caused.
Since
there
was
inadequate
preparation,
stop gap
methods
such
as
signage were
implemented.
As
these
failed
tensions
continued
to
rise
and
the
presence of
the
dog
and
its
associated
by-products
are
now
one
of
the
most
hotly contested
issues
within
CityPlace
and
neighbourhoods
like
it.
The
proposed
thesis
is designed
to
alleviate
these
problems
through
accommodation
for
the
other.
This lessens
the
rigidity
imposed
on
the
neighbourhood
to
make
it
more
accepting
to dogs
and
humans.
This
is
achieved
through
integration
into
the
existing neighbourhood that
takes
advantage
of
all
the
underused
or
under-planned territories.
Accommodation
does
not
impede
upon
the
community,
but
instead makes
it
better.
It
also
allows
for
the
spreading
out
of
design
interventions which
has
the
added
benefit
of
diffusing
the
intensity
of use.
Not
only
will this
reduce
conflict,
but
it
will
allow
for
the
design
to
become
multipurpose. This
will
all
be
done
in
an
effort
to
provide
better
accommodation
for
the
dog while
increasing
benefits
to
all
other
parties
involved.
The examining committee is as follows:
Co-Supervisors:
Committee Member:
Val Rynnimeri, University of Waterloo
Mona El-Khafif, University of Waterloo
Adrian Blackwell, University of Waterloo
External Reader:
Lisa Rapoport, PLANT Architect Inc.
The
committee
has
been
approved
as
authorized
by
the
Graduate
Studies
Committee.
The
Defence
Examination
will
take
place:
Thursday
January
12,
2017
2:00
PM
ARC
2003
A
copy
of
the
thesis
is
available
for
perusal
in
ARC
2106A.