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From 2015 to 2017, UrbanToronto and its sister publication, SkyriseCities, ran an occasional series of articles under the heading Explainer. Each one took a concept from Urban Planning, Architecture, Construction, or other topics that often wind up in our publications, and presented an in depth look at it. It's time to revisit (and update where necessary) those articles for readers who are unfamiliar with them. While you may already know what some of these terms mean, others may be new to you. We are publishing or updating and republishing Explainer on a weekly basis.
This week's Explainer is a refresh of an original that appeared in 2016.
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Much of the world's upcoming building projects are located in dense urban areas where structures of great height have already been established. This is especially true in the Central Business Districts, or CBDs, of cities the world over. These areas — often coinciding with the financial district — are where a metropolitan region's primary business and commercial activities take place.
Though CBDs are often located within a downtown core or city centre, this is not always the case. Lower Manhattan is frequently called Downtown Manhattan although the world's largest CBD is situated within Manhattan's Midtown area. In the case of London, its traditional core of 'The City' and the City of Westminster now shares the CBD title with the booming, recently redeveloped Canary Wharf and Docklands area to the east.
While the CBD is typically home to the city's tallest buildings and most expensive land, resident populations are usually small since most activity is commercial in nature. As downtown living becomes more attractive in North American and Australian cities which have historically been marred by sprawling suburbs — and as cities recognize the benefits of areas that are lively throughout the day and not just work hours — residential projects are now popping up in CBDs, sometimes in older converted office buildings that were no longer suited to today's technological demands. Even in La Défense, the CBD of Paris — Europe's largest CBD — there is now a move on to better balance commercial space with residential, where currently only 6 of 72 high-rise towers are mostly residential.
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Do you have other planning terms that you would like to see featured on Explainer? Share your comments and questions in the comments section below!
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