An Alternative to Sprawl: Downtown Densification in Orillia, Ontario

Abstract

Towns in southern Ontario, Canada, have experienced many changes since the mid-20th century due to urban sprawl around them. Residential suburbs with cul-de-sacs and big box stores have prioritized cars and drivers, while distancing residents from the history and greater diversity of the downtown. Consequently, much of the downtown core has been relegated to underused parking lots.

Using the town of Orillia as a case study, this architectural design thesis explores a different urban strategy that densifies the downtown, turning parking lots into mixed-use developments with housing. It stitches new buildings into Orillia’s urban fabric by working with the town’s history, inserting public and private spaces into downtown blocks, and recognizing different uses in the surrounding areas to guide programs for new mid-rise developments at the scale of the block. This project could serve as a prototype for other towns in southern Ontario with similar urban problems and potential.