Planning policy responses to the challenge of industrial restructuring : the case of Vancouver, B.C.

Urban centres around the world are experiencing the transition to what has been described as the ‘post-industrial’ economy, marked by the shift from traditional modes of industrial organization and production to new forms of activity, such as services and high technology industries. The changing nature of capital accumulation, urban space, industrial activities, and modes of economic organization have placed existing systems of urban and regional planning, zoning, and land use in doubt. As the urban area experiences the transition to the post-industrial era, the requirements for industrial activity in the city change, placing pressures on existing industrial land. In the initial stages of city development, a high level of traditional industrial activity is essential to provide the goods and services required for growth. As time passes,-the traditional industries appear less essential to the future growth of the city, and the emergent service oriented activities assume a more dominant role. This thesis will examine an alternative theoretical basis for planning theory and practice, and outline the current trends and patterns in industrial change through the examination of the restructuring responses in a ‘second order’ urban centre: Vancouver, British Columbia. Based on an examination of current theory regarding industrial change, a discussion of a series of zoning strategies suitable for planning industrial change will be presented.Applied Science, Faculty ofCommunity and Regional Planning (SCARP), School ofGraduat