Current Conditions
With rich urban textures and abundant natural resources, the urban core of Sudbury has a huge potential for future developments, where its industrial heritage engages with a new mode of transportation and lifestyle.
Currently, the core of Sudbury is cut into halves by the railway remanence. The railway junction in the center of Sudbury core, while still acting as an active transportation hub, may become a potential hindrance for the development of an active and pedestrian-friendly urban core.
The city has already taken actions to maintain a vibrant downtown core. The placement of MsoA, Place de Arts and The Junction all act as catalysts for an active and dynamic urban core. However, what can't be overlooked is the con¬tinuing deterioration of the downtown core. With major retail and commercial canter still concentrated outside the downtown center, the core area is in need of more commercial to settle in. Meanwhile, mixed-income housing needs to be incorporated to provide home to young professionals and artists.
The mining industry was, and will still be, a critical part for Sudbury's economy. However, what can't be neglected is the environmental impact the mining in¬dustry brought to Greater Sudbury. From the 1970s, Sudbury has started to put considerable resources and community efforts to mitigate the environmental impact of mining activity. By the year of 2010, the regreening programs had rehabilitated 8,300 acres of barren land in the city. While the achievement is substantial, approximately 74,000 acres of land have yet to be rehabilitated.
On the one hand, the regreening process of Greater Sudbury needs to be con¬tinued and the raillands in the downtown area could be the next critical step. On the other hand, the mining industry itself could start to diversify into facili¬ties for mining research as well as education, which is not solely dependent on exploitation and production demands.
Project Goal
Sudbury urban core is at a critical moment to prepare for transformative change environmentally and economically. Before 2050, we envision the di¬versification of current industry to create more jobs in technology, research, services and public arts, and the transformation of transportation by convert¬ing the rail yards into the mixture of light rail, bike lanes and pedestrian trails.
The growing needs of residing in the urban core would come with the diversi¬fication of industry. Within the urban core, as young professionals working in proposed office towers and local artists & entrepreneurs working in incubators in the art district, new mixed-income housing attract new talents to contrib¬ute to the revitalization of the city center. The new housing development also serves as a transitioning zone to better connect the new urban core with sur¬rounding residential neighborhoods.
It is also essential to create an ecologically-friendly Sudbury urban core with the use of local material in construction such as heavy timber and the contin¬uation of the regreening process in railyards to build an district-scale green network for ecology and leisure.
Phasing
2020-2025 Bridge the gap
Before 2025, major commercial districts and co-working blocks will be placed across the center of the railway. The embedded sky corridor within the com¬mercial building together with the bridge connecting commercial districts and co-working blocks will construct two major connections across the railway, in¬creasing accessibility to the core area from surrounding residential neighbor¬hoods. The co-working block provides space and facilities for mining research, start-ups and new business opportunities.
2025-2035 Make it home
Using mass-timber constructions, the mixed-income housing, creative hubs and a local tram station will be built at this stage to help form a wholesome community environment. The southwest part of the raillands will be repur¬posed into mixed-income housing containing townhouses, apartments and brewer lofts. Together with housing systems, a creative hub is placed on the joint of two railways to attract young talents for the city core as well as creat¬ing jobs for the residents. The east side of the hub bridges with Place de Arts to further extend space for cultural exhibition and local art development. The local tram station bridges the Junction with housing districts across the rail¬way and helps to transform part of the fast-speed tracks to muti-used rails for buses and local trams.
2035-2050 Regreen Railyards
Before 2050, most part of the rail tracks will be abandoned and transformed into light rail transit systems, bike & pedestrian trails and green lands. Based on the community engagement results, railyards will be reimagined into public parks for communities activities, small gatherings and spots for retail busi¬nesses. Instead of being a hindrance for core connections, the rail yards will become a catalyst for revitalizing public activities and creating a better com¬munity environment. Potentially, the railland park can extend further to con¬nect with the broader context such as Lake Ramsey and the adjacent parks, watercourses to form a new green way network.
Eventually, Sudbury after 2050 will proceed in a new development mode where the traditional mining industry and railway remanences engage in a smart, innovative and transformative way.
(Competitor's text)
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