Picton, Roger

The study examines the adaptive reuse of historical and heritage industrial sites in Peterborough, Ontario. Industrial-heritage sites face several challenges when being subjected to adaptive reuse. These challenges are largely concerned with the contamination of sites and how industrial buildings and sites can be transformed into reusable sites. The study adopted a qualitative research design and analysis. The study addressed the research gap about nature of adaptive reuse of historic and heritage sites in Peterborough. The study primarily focused on the challenges, best practices, stakeholder initiatives, and the nature of structures in contexts of adaptive reuse in Peterborough. Based on the findings of the study, COVID-19, political will, contamination and the design of heritage and industrial buildings or sites pose a challenge to implementing adaptive reuse practices. These findings provide evidence for policymakers and decision makers on how to apply best practices to adaptive reuse and cultural heritage.

Author Keywords: Adaptive reuse, Cultural, Heritage, Historical, Industrial, Structures

The Places to Grow Act (2005) and the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe (2006) are two pieces of legislature passed by the Government of Ontario to help govern and limit urban sprawl in major cities across Ontario through to 2041. These policies are framed around the development and maintenance of large-scale cities. While there are some provisions within these policies for mid-sized cities that are part of the Greater Golden Horseshoe (GGH), there are few resources, case studies, and models for successful revitalization, and intensification in mid-sized cities. The goal of this thesis is to answer questions related to planning and development in Peterborough, Ontario and to assess its progress as it relates to Places to Grow (2005) and the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe (2006) guidelines. Through the use of library research, policy document analysis, interviews with key stakeholders, and GIS analysis, I identify both strategies and challenges related to development and growth in Peterborough, ON. I conclude that the policies are proving to be initially favorable in their results, however it is not without significant challenge to Planners and stakeholders in Peterborough, ON. Finally, I suggest further research take place in order to further assess the effectiveness of these policies in other mid-sized cities in Ontario, as well as to measure the success of the policies closer towards the 2041 deadline.

Author Keywords: GIS, Peterborough, planning, policy, revitalization, Smart Growth