Downtown Streetscape & Urban Design Standards

The Downtown Streetscape & Urban Design Standards (approved by Council on January 22, 2018) sets out design standards staff can use to improve the quality of development in Town. It provides design concepts for streets that could be implemented as redevelopment, grant opportunities, or capital projects occur.

The Town of Sidney retained D’Ambrosio Architecture of Victoria to undertake the development of new streetscape and urban design standards for Sidney’s downtown core area, the boundaries of which are shown in red below.

The intent of this project was twofold:

1. To establish design standards for downtown streets (including Beacon Avenue) that can be implemented as redevelopment, capital planning and other opportunities arise. The standards will focus on encouraging active transportation as well as the creation of “places for people” in the downtown, through urban design that establishes a high standard of aesthetics and inviting public infrastructure to help enhance the central economic role of the downtown.
2. To develop urban design standards that will improve the relationship of buildings to the streetscape and the space between buildings, recognizing that the downtown will be home to a variety of land uses in close proximity.

The streetscape standards include street and sidewalk design, street furniture placement, and pedestrian space and safety, while considering public infrastructure and how these elements enhance and interact with one another. The design standards aim to improve the attractiveness and functionality of downtown spaces, and create strategies to ensure that vehicle flows and parking are successfully integrated with great streets for people. The urban design standards for buildings include frontage design and policies/guidelines to encourage best practices for building placement and design in the context of a growing downtown area. The process included public consultation consisting of workshops and open houses, as well as online web surveys to determine the preferences/needs of businesses, residents and visitors.