Grant, J., Joudrey, D., & Klynstra, P. (2015). Next door to the factory: Housing people in modern industrial parks. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
The research project described herein considers the opportunities and constraints of adding residential uses to the mix of uses in an industrial park. In order to consider the viability of housing people in industrial parks, we study Burnside Industrial Park in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Burnside is the largest industrial park in Atlantic Canada. With approximately 1200 businesses in 3000 acres, it has experienced considerable success and rapid growth since the early 1970s. In the 1980s, its new section, City of Lakes Business Park, attracted many new office developments. Although the recession of the early 1990s hit hard, Burnside remains a major source of revenue for the city.
During the summer and fall of 1993, the research team analysed the park landscape, interviewed key people, and explored regulatory options in an effort to evaluate the suitability of Burnside for incorporating residential uses. Our analysis shows that industrial parks have the space to accommodate housing, but the significance of the opportunity depends on many factors. Industrial parks have the physical infrastructure to meet most demands but lack the social framework to support a community of residents. Parks have vast areas of empty pavement and airspace over buildings, but industrial activities may prove poor neighbours for residents seeking quiet enjoyment. Are industrial areas suitable for housing people? They remain a poor second choice for most households.
The study demonstrates that with good design planners can congregate housing with industrial uses. However, risks from traffic, noise, odours, and hazardous materials make industrial areas unsafe for many potential residents. The original designers of industrial areas presumed that visitors would arrive by car. Pedestrians find no sidewalks and vast distances between buildings. While households with able-bodied adults working at nearby businesses may find the industrial park attractive, other household types would generally not meet their needs in industrial areas. Furthermore, given the ready availability of low cost and attractive housing alternatives in the Dartmouth area, few people would likely choose to live in the industrial park.
