Homeless

Shelter Planning Effects on the

Publics Sense of Place
A look into positive and negative urban planning practices affecting
homeless shelter placement and community wellbeing

Brock University

Adam Tomlin 5002936

GEOG 3P57: Human Geography Field Course

Professor Michael Ripmeester

November 14, 2014

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION

CHARACTERISTICS OF CULTURAL INFRASTRUCTURE

SENSE OF PLACE

2
4

METHODOLOGY

RESULTS

12

BRAD APPLEBY PLANNING DEPARTMENT CITY OF PETERBOROUGH

EMERGENCY SHELTER SUPERVISORS
SHOPKEEPERS SURVEYED WITHIN THE BROCK MISSION AND YOUTH EMERGENCY SHELTER AREA
SHOPKEEPERS SURVEYED WITHIN THE CAMERON HOUSE AREA

12
13
15
17

DISCUSSION

19

THEME RECOLLECTION
CHARACTERISTICS OF CULTURAL INFRASTRUCTURE
SENSE OF PLACE
LIMITATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

23
23
26
27

CONCLUSION

29

BIBLIOGRAPHY

30

REFERENCED MAPS AND SPATIAL DATA

31

Figure 1: Study Area ................................................................................................................................................................. 8

Figure 2: Survey Participants Aware of the Brock Mission and the Youth Emergency Shelter ............ 15

Figure 3: Shopkeeper Sense of Place (Brock Mission and YES Shelter Area) ............................................... 16

Figure 4: Survey Participants Aware of the Cameron House ............................................................................... 17

Figure 5: Shopkeeper Sense of Place (Cameron House Area) ............................................................................. 18

Figure 6: Land-Use Connection To Sense of Place .................................................................................................... 19

Figure 7: Map Displaying Residential Density Around Observation Areas ................................................... 20

Figure 8: Map Displaying Land-Use Around Observation Areas ........................................................................ 21

Table 1: Land-Use Impacts on the Community's Sense of Place ......................................................................... 19

Appendix 1: City of Peterborough Official Land-Use Plan ..................................................................................... 33

Introduction

Many municipalities deal with the issue of homelessness and as a result, they may

require homeless shelters. Knack (2008) speaks about the typical issues associated with
homeless activity such as the need for shelter, community involvement, social conflict and
resident desire for peaceful neighborhoods. Planning ideas to consider these topics are also
seen in other sources. For example, the need to plan city infrastructure in a manner that
can easily accommodate typical issues associated with homelessness as well as developing
community initiatives to help resolve the social issues that arise in certain areas where
homeless people tend to accumulate. These factors lead to the assessment of urban design
in order to accommodate all members of the community. What positive and negative
aspects of a citys urban planning are best suited for the placement of homeless shelters,
and how does this affect the communitys sense of place? For example, Young (2012)
discusses the development of a therapeutic community specifically for the homeless
population in Victoria, British Columbia. He establishes that various community members
lack the interest for this type of development to take place near their houses because they
wouldnt want to risk experiencing conflicts from any homeless citizens. The residents
would also be concerned about possible troublesome events that may take place, since
there is often a safety risk associated with mentally disabled homeless citizens
encountering other municipal residents. Young outlines a very good example of the basic
concerns associated with the homeless population, urban planning, and the desires of the
citys residential community.
The homeless populations in cities tend to influence the types of cultural activity
within certain areas of a community as well as the way many city residents feel about their


environment (Vandemark, 2007). This being said, the locations of homeless shelters may
play a large role in the functionality of a community since most communities have diverse
populations that may conflict in certain locations especially where social differences are
great. Observing areas surrounding homeless shelter facilities can provide insight on the
impacts of the homeless population on nearby neighborhoods. I will synthesize literature
researched on homelessness, homeless shelters, their influences on the areas urban design
and the way people feel about their environment. I will outline two themes as a foundation
for the field research. The first theme is the characteristics of the cultural infrastructure
around homeless shelters, and the second theme is the sense of place related to areas that
are nearby homeless shelters, and how this sense of place differs from person to person
based on their demographic profile. Sense of place is the peoples emotional connections
to places based on events leading to cognitive renditions of their surroundings
(Vandemark, 2007).

Characteristics of Cultural Infrastructure

First, I will explore the nature of homeless shelter planning as well as the natural
distributions of individual homeless men and women throughout urban environments.
Parashiv (2013) discusses the key characteristics of urban settings and their connection to
homelessness in Bucharest, Romania. He found that the property types, the physical
structure, and the lots state of use were all significant. He creates a four-class typology
consisting of public, semipublic, semiprivate, and private space. He then subdivides these
into two more classes of open and closed space, to then flow into either abandoned or used
space. Paraschivs (2013) literature serves as a sufficient source to begin researching the
impact of certain land-use types on the urban planning of a city as well as understanding


land-use and cultural features based on his breakdown of land-use types.
Donovan and Shinseki (2013) discusses the importance of efficient government
planning to incorporate the filtering of homeless people away from public spaces (like main
streets) and towards places more suitable to maintain the functionality of the city. For
example, they discuss the implementation of mental health care and drug abuse programs
throughout the city to help war veterans who develop mental issues like post-traumatic
stress disorder and drug abuse issues. The cultural characteristics such as the type of land-
use (commercial, residential, etc.) and the type of demographics around areas of the city
containing mental health facilities were not discussed.
Brown-Luthango, Makanga, and Smit (2013) also write about the importance of
effective urban planning in Cape Town, South Africa in relation to the accumulation of
homeless people within vacant land. Since vacant land proves to be one of the many areas
where homeless people tend to accumulate in urban settings, this type of land-use can be
considered when comparing areas that contain homeless shelters and to find contrasts in
the cultural properties of these areas to ultimately determine suitable cultural
characteristics of residents surrounding homeless shelters. Much like the nature of vacant
land, Galvis (2014) discusses the significance of public space in a community and how the
homeless population decreases the social harmony between the homeless and the rest of
the people of public areas, due to diverse cultural biases of the people living in the
community and their sense of place. This is dependent on the demographic profile of each
individual (e.g. younger shopkeepers with more energy may not be bothered as much as an
elderly shopkeeper).
Lobao & Murray (2005) conducted a spatial analysis project in Columbus, Ohio


using a geographic information system (GIS) and found that homeless shelters were
typically located in areas with minimal residential land-use activity. This is useful for
investigating why this is and if this is the best course of action to take to suit the needs of
both the homeless and the residential community.

Sense of Place

Lobao & Murray (2005) suggest that homeless shelters are located within areas
with smaller population densities. While homeless shelters are suggested to allocate
around less densely populated areas in Lobao & Murrays (2005) study, it seems that
homeless individuals tend to distribute around areas with denser populations. Lobao &
Murrays observations are useful for investigating the nature of the homeless population
distribution throughout cities by surveying the staff and residents at these homeless
shelters. The survey would assess their knowledge of homeless activity throughout the city
prior to residing in the homeless shelter.
Wasserman and Clair (2011) discuss various scenarios in which free-roaming
homeless people are affecting peoples sense of the area. If people do not feel comfortable
in their intended living environment, it is not good for the citys wellbeing. This article
opens up context for visualizing residential and homeless disputes and the urban patterns
resulting from these events (such as accumulations of homeless people and infrastructure
patterns within the downtown center of the municipality). Wasserman & Clair (2010)
suggested that the homeless are attracted to highly populated areas. These social factors
are useful for analyzing in collaboration with the spatial factors of land-use and the cultural
factors of the areas infrastructure. Altogether, the analysis should provide a good sense of
the typical planning mechanisms that are most appropriate for areas containing homeless


shelters.
Louis du Toits (2010) case study on government responses to South Africas
homelessness offers extensive insight into the factors influencing the prioritization of
community issues, as well as spatial characteristics of homeless shelter locations. This
source mentioned that shelters in the studied municipalities were located just outside the
inner core where there tended to be more low-income housing. This information can be
compared to the homeless activities in order to increase the quality of the final analysis.
Kuzmak and Muller (2010) address the main sociological issue of homeless activity
as it relates to the distribution of homeless shelter locations versus the environmental
satisfaction of nearby city residents. Land-use and suitable shelter allocation is discussed
throughout this article with notes about industrial and residential land-use containing
similar characteristics pertaining to homeless isolation within shelter lifestyles. This
research presents more existing opinions on the spatial characteristics of homeless
shelters and the influences they can have on the lives of other city residents. This affects
the way the city can be viewed based on the cultural bias of certain people.
Goodheart (2014) discusses how the city of Bothell, Washington, USA is conflicting
with the churchs decisions to house the homeless. This article discusses the many
variables and opinions related to what it means to produce an appropriate religious
response to homelessness. This literature extends the outlook on peoples sense of place.
The discussion of religion is one factor leading to many peoples sense of place and is an
example of the diversity of data that can be gathered for this research question. O'Connell,
Oppenheimer, Judge, Taube, Blanchfield, Swan, & Koh (2010) discuss various methods for
caring for the homeless in Boston, New York through the Boston Health Care For


Homeless Program. They use assisting methods such as shelters, soup kitchens, and a 104-
bed medical respite unit. The literature outlines existing community outreach and urban
planning methods associated with homeless shelter and social service locations. It is shown
through this literature that sense of place can be a device leading to the publics
aspiration to help the poverty in the city. This can be observed and assessed amongst the
public in different municipalities.
From the sources consulted, it is evident that there is a wide variety of literature
discussing the two themes of the research topic. The first theme was the effectiveness of
cultural infrastructure planning around homeless shelters, and the second theme was the
homeless populations influences on peoples sense of place. The research covered a
sufficient amount of information related to the research question. The findings throughout
the literature offer a stern foundation to initiate data collection on the topic in
Peterborough, Ontario, and a subsequent comparison between the observation results and
the literature.

Methodology

In order to highlight and assess the urban social and economic characteristics

resulting from homeless activity in the city, I shall observe the land-use and social
environments of areas within approximately 400 metres of each homeless shelter in
Peterborough, Ontario. Since it is inappropriate to interview homeless people for ethical
reasons, I will interview various Peterborough residents within the buffer distance to gain
additional information on the positive and negative factors of the urban planning around
homeless shelter locations and the daily public attitudes and satisfaction of the health of
the community. This will provide data displaying the positive and negative urban planning
practices associated with the locations of homeless shelters and the influences these
practices have on daily public satisfaction of the area. From the archives of spatial data
available at Brock University, the following page provides a map created in ESRIs ArGIS
displaying the 400-metre proximity observation areas around each homeless shelter in
Peterborough. Figure 1 on the following page presents a map displaying the 400-metre
proximity observation areas around each homeless shelter in Peterborough.


Figure 1 displays the study area zones for the research.
Figure 1: Study Area

Map Projection: NAD 83 UTM Zone 17

Author: Adam Tomlin
11/7/2014


The sample of participants used to collect data will be a selective purposeful
sample (Coyne, 1997). Given that Canadians legally possess their right to vote at the age of
eighteen, the sample will incorporate Peterborough residents who are at least eighteen
years of age since this ensures they are of the correct age to discuss political topics of this
nature. The sample will also involve Peterborough residents who state they dwell around
the observation areas, which will provide sufficient information for the analysis of the area.
I shall aim to collect fifteen surveys per day. The interview will be designed to consume no
more than 20 minutes, since the interview process should not take up too much of the
interviewees time (Rezaeian, 2014).
Brock Universitys map library contains spatial data of various Peterborough
infrastructures such as roads, parcels, bus stops, etc. This data can be used in ArcGIS to
ultimately make maps. ArcGIS also offers many tools when working with spatial data. A
useful tool in this case is the buffer tool that allows the user to create a file to visualize a
desired proximity distance around a given feature (ESRI, 2014). After collecting the latitude
and longitude coordinates of the three homeless shelters in Peterborough, I will plot them
in ArcGIS and apply the buffer tool to create 400-metre proximity zone visualizations
around each homeless shelter point. I will then print these maps to refer to when
interviewing pedestrians. These maps will also provide a reference for the interview
participant to view in order to clarify the spatial dimensions of the study.
In person, I will subsequently distribute open-ended questionnaires, similar to the
style of a semi-structured standardized open-ended interview. The questionnaire will
focus on three areas. First, I will ask citizens questions regarding the positive and negative
characteristics of the city around each homeless shelter. Second, I will ask questions which


will relate to characteristics affecting their sense of place, and finally, how they might
improve the area to make it more friendly for the public. The questions will also be
designed in a way that maintains the participants confidentiality and anonymity of
information, to which it may apply. For example, the research may benefit from outlining
the fact that an interviewee is a shopkeeper or a homeless shelter supervisor as opposed to
someone who is a simple resident living in the area. The answers from each person would
provide different perspectives to take into consideration when analyzing the data (Coyne,
1997).
When assessing the number of residents who are aware of nearby homeless
shelters, Jeffrey Henig (1994) of George Washington University also used a 400-metre
proximity measurement around homeless shelters in Washington, D.C. The nature of
Henigs research is similar to that of the research discussed in this study, which is why
observation area proximity of 400 metres will be used as a foundation to assess the spatial
characteristics of homeless shelter locations. Museus (2014) also mentions that direct
observation is an effective qualitative research technique because it presents information
that cannot be gained through the filter of somebodys conscious attention to the research
purposes. In the context of this research project, it allows for the observation of the
community members, the quality of the infrastructure, and the human behavior of the area
as a whole.
An open-ended questionnaire is also a proper method for researching this topic
because it deals with nominal qualitative information that is best collected in a way that
requires investigation and oral verification to make sure the data being interpreted is
accurate and sufficient for analyzing results (Phillips & Johns, 2012). The questions will be

10


open-ended in order to acquire unanticipated information from different aspects of
demographics to receive the greatest range of qualitative information from the samples
(Turner, 2010).

11

Results

While in Peterborough, data was collected from a single urban planner, the two

homeless shelter supervisors, and a total of twenty shopkeepers around the Brock
Mission/Youth Emergency Shelter and the Cameron House areas.

Brad Appleby Planning Department City of Peterborough

Brad Appleby was the urban planner I consulted to gain information about the land-

use designations for the city and discover how the homeless shelters were incorporated
into the decision making process for the citys official plan. He supplied some land-use
maps and legislation that described the land-use designations under each homeless shelter
area, along with some information on group homes and how they are typically associated
with public-service land-use. Public service lots designating group homes also include
the following types of establishments: public administration buildings, police stations,
schools, hospitals, nursing homes, retirement homes, a monastery, convent or religious
establishment, a church, or a place of assembly. Group homes also have a set of regulations
for their residents. These homes are single residential dwelling units which house 3 to 10
youth without shelter and/or people with chronic disabilities. A maximum of 6 people are
allowed within a group home excluding the supervisory staff and any considerations for a
home with 7 to 10 occupants will require an application for re-zoning. Group homes do not
include family or boarding houses, lodging houses, or foster homes. These group homes are
also distributed so that there is at least 300 metres between them to avoid clustering.
Group homes are also regulated to accept no more than two persons convicted under the
Young Offenders Act and no one referred from a correctional/detention facility.

12


Unlike group homes, emergency shelters like the Brock Mission, the Youth
Emergency Shelter, and the Cameron House are located around commercial areas that also
regulate dwelling units. Downtown also holds many amenities that attract homeless
citizens. The Brock Mission and Cameron House emergency shelters provide fewer services
to youth population and more services toward the adult population with the exception of
the Youth Emergency Shelter, which is an emergency shelter for youth rather than a group
home. Group homes suit children and youth in care, with developmental and physical
disabilities, experiencing substance abuse, teenaged mothers, or victims of domestic
violence who are not necessarily homeless, whereas emergency shelters are for all
homeless men and women.
While Brad was not able to answer any of the questions on the questionnaire, he
was still able to provide applicable background information on the nature of the
distribution of homeless shelters in relation to the other types of land-use surrounding
them, as well as sufficient information on group home planning.

Emergency Shelter Supervisors

While surveying the Brock Mission and Youth Emergency Shelter study area, the
supervisors for each shelter were interviewed. Wyatt Lamoureux is the supervisor for the
Youth Emergency Shelter, which houses males and females aged 16-24. Wyatt stated that
the downtown commercial zones are usually more suited for the homeless than residential
areas. He also said that landlords needed to receive more financial rewards from the
government in order to help people pay more affordable rent, since that was a major factor
contributing to homelessness. In terms of peoples sense of place, he says he agrees some
people think homelessness impacts public areas like public parks and commercial areas,

13


which ultimately contributes to a negative sense of place amongst the community. Wyatt
concluded the questionnaire stating eastern Peterborough was his preferred area of the
city to live in since it contained a wealthier demographic and the landlords were not trying
so hard to rip off tenants.
Bill McNabb is the supervisor for the Brock Mission and the Cameron House
emergency shelters. Bill said the Brock Mission was a 40-bed shelter for men and the
Cameron House, was a shelter for women. Bill reported that there is a great deal of
violence amongst the homeless people due to a variety of reasons such as childhood
trauma, mental health issues and addictions. In terms of the current locations of the
homeless shelters, the downtown core seemed to be a good fit in Bills opinion since it
covers a wide range of facilities that benefit the needs of the homeless. The locations of the
emergency shelters offer a wide surrounding of commercial land-use with just enough
residential land-use around to make the tenants feel at home. Bill said that he would like to
incorporate more green space within the area in order to increase the aesthetics of the
area, and boost the overall sense of place for the shelter tenants as well as the surrounding
public. Bill also mentioned that homeless people had a large impact on public areas (e.g.
panhandling in millennium park in Peterborough). He also said that he typically has seen
homeless people taking shelter around places like bridges, dumpsters, railroad tracks, and
bus shelters. To close, Bill said his preferred area of the town is the Center-West end of the
city since it is upscale, close to downtown, and has a low residential density. The four sides
of the city mainly consist of residential suburban areas and are typically populated with
higher socio-economic classes in comparison to the downtown area.

14

Shopkeepers Surveyed Within The Brock Mission and Youth Emergency

Shelter Area

When I surveyed the shopkeepers around the Brock Mission and Youth Emergency
Shelter study area, twelve out of thirteen shopkeepers were aware of the two shelters
existence and their purposes. Figure 2 below displays the percentage of shopkeepers that
were aware of the shelters in the area.
Figure 2: Survey Participants Aware of the Brock Mission and the Youth Emergency Shelter

8%

Knew
Did Not Know

92%

In this observation area, the majority of the shopkeepers knew about the shelter. There
were some slight variations between the participant questionnaire responses but the
majority of the answers produced clear data trends. Amongst the shopkeepers in the area,
half of them felt secure in their environment and half of them felt insecure and paranoid
about the homeless shelter system. Figure 3 on the following page displays the divide
between the shopkeepers who felt secure and those who felt insecure to introduce the
sense of place in the area. There was one exception, as the person did not wish to comment
on the question.

15


Figure 3 below displays the shopkeeper sense of place breakdown within the observation
area.
Figure 3: Shopkeeper Sense of Place (Brock Mission and YES Shelter Area)

8%

46%
46%

Felt Insecure
Felt Secure
No Answer

Group homes are designated to residential land-use because the children and youth
with disabilities will be less of a threat to residential neighbors than everyday homeless
citizens that may instigate and panhandle.
Shopkeepers said that the main issues associated with homeless people in the
community were violence, loitering outside stores, and their presence discouraged other
people from shopping. Drugs and alcohol on the streets also kept customers from shopping
in the area, which affects the success of the small businesses. The downtown area allows
for increased mobility in the winter months to places offering warming house service for
anyone who may be homeless. The publics sense of downtown also restricts the types of
customers shopping in the area. For example, shopkeepers mentioned that elderly citizens
tend to stay in residential areas and commute to small commercial plazas to shop rather
than travel downtown. Mobility is an issue for them and they may feel insecure in the
downtown areas due to possible threats of violence and/or confrontations involving a
panhandler. The survey participants mentioned that they were happiest around outlying
areas from the downtown core around the suburbs.

16

When the survey participants were asked about what they would improve about the

area, there were some useful suggestions and opinions that will be discussed in the next
section of the report.

Shopkeepers Surveyed Within The Cameron House Area

In terms of the Cameron House observation area, three out of seven knew about the
shelter and four out of seven did not. Figure 4 below displays this percentage.
Figure 4: Survey Participants Aware of the Cameron House

43%

57%

Knew
Did Not Know

Given the smaller sample of participants in this observation area, there were still a
significant number of participants who did not know about the shelter. This speaks from
the shelters reduced impact on the residents in the area to the impacts of the Brock
Mission and the Youth Emergency Shelter downtown. I observed that this location
contained a significantly fewer number of homeless people wandering the area when
compared to the downtown area discussed in the previous section, and when I did see
them, they were women asking me for change to buy food like coffee and sandwiches. One
woman looked as though she could have been from the Cameron House, but as many other
shopkeepers also mentioned, it is often hard to tell and it would be unfair to judge who is

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homeless or not. The people surveyed in this area provided slightly different answers than
the shopkeepers from the previous observation area downtown. This area contained less
homeless people than the downtown area, with less disturbances and violence. Winter is
the only peak time when homeless people accumulate at the Cameron House since it
becomes a warming house as well.
In regards to the areas general sense of place, out of seven people, three felt
insecure, two felt secure and two had no input on the matter. The majority of people felt
insecure and indicated that the shelter did not contribute well to the residential
neighborhood area despite the decrease in violence compared to the downtown shelter
areas. Figure 5 below displays this breakdown.
Figure 5: Shopkeeper Sense of Place (Cameron House Area)

29%

28%

Felt Secure
Felt Insecure
No Input

43%

18

Discussion

Land-use zones tend to be a variable affecting citizens knowledge of the nearby

homeless shelters. This could significantly impact the publics role when implementing
future development applications for the city, as well as a measure of how much of influence
homelessness is on a city and the publics sense of place. Figure 6 below displays a chart of
the connection land-use has with the publics sense of place with regards to the typical
dwelling units. Table 1 displays details on the positive and negative land-use
characteristics and the types of demographics best suited for each living environment.
Using Brock Universitys map librarys spatial data, Figure 7 and Figure 8 on the following
two pages display maps presenting residential density and land-use around the
observation areas. Peterboroughs official land-use map is also supplied in Appendix 1.
Figure 6: Land-Use Connection To Sense of Place

Land-Use
Commercial

Emergency
Shelters

Sense of
Place

Residential/
Suburban
Group
Homes

Apartments

Negative

Houses

Positive

Sense of
Place

Positive

Negative

Table 1: Land-Use Impacts on the Community's Sense of Place

Commercial
Positive
- Associated with young adults aged roughly
within mid 20s and 30s who are independent
storeowners and more open to the diversity of
any panhandlers around downtown
environments. Also may live in downtown
apartments around or above their business
- Allows the homeless to easily access
amenities while still being close to the
homeless shelters and staying away from other
residents of the city

Residential
Sense of Place
Negative
- Older storeowners
who are less
accustomed to more
unfriendly
(gesellshaft)
societies and the
conflicts associated
with downtown
panhandlers

Positive

Negative

- Usually more peaceful

and friendly
(gemeinshaft) societies.
- Usually contains older
and wealthier
demographic, less
chance of violence or
disturbances.
-Increase anonymity for
homeless people

- Irritations
associated with
nearby homeless
shelters located near
commercial plazas
- Residential areas
contain less room for
economic
development

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Figure 7 below displays the current generalized residential densities around the
observation areas.
Figure 7: Map Displaying Residential Density Around Observation Areas

Map Projection: NAD 83 UTM Zone 17

Author: Adam Tomlin
11/7/2014

20


Figure 8 below displays another constructed map of the land-use around the observation
areas.
Figure 8: Map Displaying Land-Use Around Observation Areas

Map Projection: NAD 83 UTM Zone 17

Author: Adam Tomlin
11/7/2014

21


These two maps display how the residential density is generally low around
homeless shelters in addition to the neighboring commercial land-use. Interpretations of
the results suggest that commercial land-use areas are generally more suited towards
supporting the needs of the homeless population while the rest of the population is able to
use the downtown environment for economic activities and commute towards the suburbs
when they are done working for the day. The shopkeepers with this type of lifestyle were
typically older middle-aged adults that had a negative sense of place associated with
downtown Peterborough, since they enjoy the peacefulness of the suburbs and the
distinctive higher socio-economic classes abundant within them.

Younger adults in their twenties/early thirties normally had a positive sense of

place associated with downtown, as there are various entertainment sources, which seems
to be where these younger individuals enjoy spending their time particularly in the evening
hours. These younger shopkeepers typically ran shops and bars that were geared more
towards independence and creativity rather than for corporate profit and lived within a
dwelling unit above their business or an apartment downtown. This seems to be why they
dont feel the need to complain about panhandlers as much as older, middle-aged
shopkeepers who get irritated by the panhandlers potentially driving away their
customers. Unless any homeless individual is causing senseless harm to someone in or
around the store/bar, younger shopkeepers running independent businesses are more
understanding and tolerant of the homeless condition.

In regards to residential land-use, many of the shopkeepers around the observation

areas were happy with their decisions to live in suburban residential areas of the city
rather than downtown, since suburban areas usually tend to be geared towards higher-end

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gemeinschaft societies. This means that the demographic profiles of the society members
are mainly homogenous, whereas the society members downtown are more
heterogeneous, and can result in more social conflict between members of separate socio-
economic classes. While the setting of residential areas is more suited for group home
charitable institutes, panhandlers who still wonder near the commercial plazas near
suburban areas discourage the positive sense of place. Some of the members of the
Cameron House homeless shelter have used the northwestern commercial plaza to
scavenge for food or any other resources they can access when not residing at the homeless
shelter. On tip of the residential areas limited space for economic development, this
contributes to a negative view of the areas society and can contribute to the spatial
orientation of the citys socio-economic classes based on the magnitude of panhandler
activity in a certain area.

Theme Recollection
Characteristics of Cultural Infrastructure


To start, Knack (2008) was correct in stating the typical planning issues that need to
be addressed are the need for shelter, community involvement, social conflict and resident
desire for peaceful neighborhoods.
Parashiv (2013) was also correct in stating that the property types were a key factor
to consider in the research since commercial and residential property types showed a
difference in types of cultural infrastructure and sense of place.
The research findings collaborate with the findings of Lobao & Murray (2005) in
regards to the allocation of homeless shelters and homeless individuals within commercial
areas containing denser populations throughout the day, and less towards residential land-

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use. In the case of the Cameron House, the shelter was located near a large residential area,
but was also primarily located near the commercial plaza containing amenities like food
banks and employment development services that are easily accessible to the homeless
residents at he Cameron House.
Even though group homes are typically found in residential areas, the other types of
land-use allowed to be established under the group homes PS.2 public service city land-
use code are associated with generally peaceful land-uses that tend to cause no problems
for the community. The group home regulations discussed in the previous section show
how group homes are more suited for residential areas since they are within a more
controlled environment.
In reference to Donovan and Shinseki (2013), the increased incorporation of mental
health facilities around the city was a topic of interest amongst the interviewed
shopkeepers. Mental health facilities tended to be best associated with areas containing
high commercial land-use, for the same reasons the homeless shelters are best located in
commercial areas. The downtown commercial area offers more amenities and accessibility
to services for the homeless if needed. Relating to Youngs (2012) study on the publics
distaste for nearby therapeutic facilities in residential areas, a mental health facility located
in a residential area could cause a NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) issue with surrounding
residents, which involves the issue of developing a certain type of cultural infrastructure so
close to a residential area that it would generate complaints (e.g. too much noise, the
appearance of a building, the types of demographics a building might attract to an area,
etc.).

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In terms of Kuzmak and Mullers (2010) study on homeless shelter isolation within
residential and industrial land-use areas, and Wasserman and Clairs (2011) study on social
disputes amongst homeless and non-homeless populations in residential areas, the results
of the research conducted in Peterborough contradict the mentality for developing
homeless shelters around residential areas. While the all-male Brock Mission shelter and
the Youth Emergency Shelter are both located around downtown commercial areas, the all-
female Cameron House shelter is located in an area that is mainly residential with the
exception of small commercial plazas. While interviewing shopkeepers in the Cameron
House shelter observation area, I discovered that even though the Cameron House is
surrounded by residential land-use, the women residing within the Cameron House still
venture around the commercial areas, scavenging for any additional resources from the
shopkeepers. This irritates the shopkeepers around the commercial areas as well as the
shopkeepers who live in residential areas nearby, who experience panhandlers roaming
the areas they call home, as opposed to downtown where many people only primarily
work. A positive aspect of the Cameron Houses location is that it maintains a more
transparent barrier between the homeless and residential populations within the local
community, whereas downtown is where this cultural divide is more evident, due to the
diversity of services and people that are dependent on the economic integrity of the area.
Even though the residential environment may be more peaceful than the downtown core in
the Cameron Houses case, it is still associated with domestic disputes that can be related
back to the homeless shelter activity in the area, as well as the commuting of the shelter
residents into the nearby commercial areas to scavenge for any resources from the
shopkeepers.

25


In terms of the data acquired from the shopkeepers in the Cameron House area, the
urban environment of the downtown core would generally make a more suitable
environment for the homeless population, despite the advantage of the increased
anonymity of homeless people within residential areas to increase their mental health
progression. This is due to the more homogenous cultural infrastructure within the
environment, and the general increase in socio-economic classes, which comes with fewer
social issues than in the downtown area.

Sense of Place

As previously mentioned through Vandemark (2007) in the literature review, the
publics sense of place has proved to be an important characteristic in this research.
In reference to Goodhearts (2014) point on the impact of religion on a communitys
sense of place, shopkeepers in Peterborough said that some of the churches in
Peterborough offer food programs for the homeless downtown. Some churches also act as
warming homes for the homeless during the winter months as well. The cultural aspects of
the citys religious communities contribute to the revitalization of the city. Others such as
the YWCA (Young Womens Christian Association), Food Not Bombs, methadone clinics
and substance abuse/addiction services are available throughout the commercial areas of
the city to help the development of a positive sense of place, which will ultimately lead to a
healthier community.
The allocations of the three homeless shelters outside the inner-city core
collaborate well with the content in Louis du Toits (2010) study on the locations of urban
homeless shelters. Many of the shopkeepers in Peterborough associate their preferred

26


areas of the city with areas located towards the fringes of the city with higher residential
income, and contain a quieter environment.
In reference to Brown-Luthango, Makanga, Smit (2013) and Galvis (2014) view on
peoples cultural bias on the homeless population within public areas, I observed that the
younger shopkeepers tended to show less concern over loitering homeless people within
the commercial district of Peterborough than the shop keepers who were senior citizens,
which is understandable since elderly people tend to be less fit to deal with any violence
that they may encounter.
Downtowns association with negative events renders it to be of the least quality
amongst the majority of the surveyed shopkeepers in both areas. The majority chose areas
around the fringe of the city when asked about their favorite areas. They chose these areas
because of the suburban infrastructure, high income and gemeinschaft-like communities,
whereas downtown is more of a gesellschaft community where people tend to distrust one
another and everyone is treated as a stranger. The younger downtown shopkeepers
preferred the downtown area to the suburbs, since there were more commercial stores and
restaurants, coincidentally where homeless people tend to panhandle.

Limitations and Recommendations

Since the research for this topic was culturally and socially biased to North

American standards and planning practices, it would beneficial to examine areas around
homeless shelters in other municipalities to see how land-use and sense of place differ
from Peterborough based upon any additional cultural/planning information that cannot
be examined within the cultural confines of central Ontario. Working within the boundaries

27


of common public city planning knowledge, the shopkeepers provided various suggestions
for gentrifying the downtown area.
Participants provided various gentrification suggestions in the sense that the
residents of the downtown Peterborough area wanted to improve aesthetics and increase
the police patrol. Other requests consisted of adding more grocery stores and other
commercial land-use to increase the economic development for storeowners. Shopkeepers
in both areas also mentioned various community involvement programs used to increase
the wellbeing of the community, which would in turn reduce the number of homeless
people in their community.
The city should implement more effective police supervision and more suitable
lighting at night to enable people to feel safe without the worry of being robbed or
assaulted. Second, the focus should turn to solving the problems of drug and alcohol abuse
by tightening restrictions on alcohol distribution from bartenders. 8Alcohol and drug
abuse highly contributes to the homeless state of being and make it difficult to rise and
improve their living conditions. More effective drug and alcohol supervision programs
should be implemented to try and control the matter. Increased police presence to control
the drug trafficking trade would limit the connections these homeless people to obtain
drugs. Finally, the participants thought the city should also look to maintain sufficient
green space throughout the city which would in turn to maintain a healthy appearance and
increase the number of residents shopping and doing business in the downtown area.

28

Conclusion

The natural place of attraction for many homeless individuals typically tends to be
towards the downtown area, where there are usually high population densities during long
periods of time and more amenities for them to access. Cities should aim to plan towards
keeping homeless shelters downtown, since this keeps the homeless shelter residents close
to downtown resources, and easy accessibility to non-recruited homeless citizens.
Residential areas are suited more towards group home members who are typically
individuals who have mental/physical disabilities and are not suited to live independently.
Though mental health is a topic also involved in homelessness, commercial areas are still
more suited toward the nature of the homeless people downtown rather than to the
residents of group homes, who are only moved from one residence to another because they
cannot be taken care of by their primary caregiver. Even though group homes are not
necessarily an example of homelessness, they are still a clear example of the sense of
place dynamics associated with a citys land-use. In addition to the gentrification
recommendations discussed in the previous section of the report, residential areas are
generally more peaceful areas, which many people who work within downtown
Peterborough greatly consider the worse part of the city compared to the suburban fringes.
The people within the suburban fringes have a more positive sense of place because of the
higher socio-economic demography, and more peaceful access to commercial stores within
small plazas, even though homelessness can be still be an issue in these areas as well, as
seen through the shopkeepers in Peterborough, Ontario.

29

Bibliography

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Case of Cape Town in Identifying Potential Housing Land. Urban Forum , 189-203.

Coyne, I. (1997). Sampling in qualitative research. Purposeful and theoretical sampling;
merging or clear boundaries? Journal of Advanced Nursing, , 26, 623-630.

Donovan, S., & Shinseki, E. (2014). Homelessness Is a Public Health Issue. American Journal
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ESRI. (2014, May 6). Buffer (Analysis). Retrieved Octboer 7, 2014, from ArcGIS Resources:
http://resources.arcgis.com/EN/HELP/MAIN/10.1/index.html#//0008000000190
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Galvis, J. (2014). Remaking Equality: Community Governance and the Politics of Exclusion
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Louis du Toit, J. (2010). Local metropolitan government responses to homelessness in
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Referenced Maps and Spatial Data

Canadian Provinces and Territories Cartographic Boundary File [computer file]. Ottawa,
ON: Statistics Canada, 2011. Available: Scholars GeoPortal
<http://geo2.scholarsportal.info.proxy.library.brocku.ca/#r/search/_queries@=pro
vinces%20and%20territories;&fields@=;&sort=relevance&limit=entitled>

City of Peterborough GIS Layers [computer file]. (2009). Peterborough, ON: City of
Peterborough. Available: Brock University Map, Data & GIS Library Controlled Local
Access \MapLibrary\DATA\Cities\Peterborough\(Accessed October 7, 2014).

Homeless Shelter Observation Areas in Peterborough, ON [map]. Data Layers:
Peterborough ON: City of Peterborough: building parcels, streets, hydrography;
DMTI Spatial Inc.: Canadian provinces boundaries, water bodies; United States
Census Bureau: United States boundaries; Peterborough, ON; City of Peterborough:
municipal bundaries [computer files]. Brock University, St. Catharines, ON:
Generated by Adam Tomlin, November 8, 2014. Using: ArcGIS for Desktop Advanced
[GIS]. Version 10.2.2 Redlands, CA: Esri, 2014

Land-Use Surrounding Observation Areas [map]. Data Layers: Peterborough ON: City of
Peterborough: land-use, streets, hydrography; [computer files]. Brock University, St.
Catharines, ON: Generated by Adam Tomlin, November 8, 2014. Using: ArcGIS for
Desktop Advanced [GIS]. Version 10.2.2 Redlands, CA: Esri, 2014

31


Major Water Regions (MJQTR). [computer file]. Ottawa, ON: Statistics Canada, 2011.
Available: Scholars GeoPortal
<http://geo2.scholarsportal.info.proxy.library.brocku.ca/#r/search/_queries@=maj
or%20water%20regions;&fields@=;&sort=relevance&limit=entitled>

Residential Density Surrounding Homeless Shelter Observation Areas [map]. Data Layers:
Peterborough ON: City of Peterborough: residential density, streets, hydrography;
[computer files]. Brock University, St. Catharines, ON: Generated by Adam Tomlin,
November 8, 2014. Using: ArcGIS for Desktop Advanced [GIS]. Version 10.2.2
Redlands, CA: Esri, 2014

United States Cartographic Boundaries [computer file]. United States Census Bureau.
<https://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/cbf/cbf_state.html>

32

Appendix 1: City of Peterborough Official Land-Use Plan

The City of Peterborough Official Plan

32

- SCHEDULE A LAND USE

29

DOURO,
DUMMER
TOWNSHIP

LEGEND

RESIDENTIAL
AGRICULTURE

COMMERCIAL
COMMERCIAL (OTONABEE)

O
WO

24

DLA

ND

INDUSTRIAL

DR

INDUSTRIAL (OTONABEE)

TO

RR
NEE
PIO

IL

Y DR

AN
NN
LE
cC

RD
W

S
OL

Y
EL

ST

RD

AT
ER
Ca
na
l
nt
Canal

Trent
ASHBURNH
AM DR

DALE

DR

WALK
ER AV
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MARS

DR
OL
OG
Y
TE
CH
N

DS

7/1
15

DR

HW

ABEE
OTON

er
ee

115

OTONABEE,
S. MONAGHAN
TOWNSHIP

RD

TH

N DR

RT

D
YR
NED
KEN
E DR
THRI

AY
KW
PA
R
TH
E

RD
WFO
CRA

NSTO

DR

R
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39

HWY
7/11
5

R
R D F LE M I N G D

FISHE
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35

na
b
Oto

SFO

QU
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RIV
ER
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HIGH
ST
EN
SW
AY

KIN
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WA
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TH
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AV

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CL
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NS
IL

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CREE
BLVD

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K AW

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LL

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ST
NE
OW
SD
LAN

AM

ION

NH

AR

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NORNABELL AVE

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ASH

SO
UT
HLAW

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AM
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SI

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ST
LEY
HAW

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HW

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PARK

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LOCK

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TS

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POR
AIR

CAVANMONAGHAN
TOWNSHIP

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GU

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ST

RS
GE

PAR

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HARP

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SBUR
SPILL

BLVD
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AV

Lak

AYLM

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RY

RO

GEORGE ST

TW

GE
FO

BURNHAM ST

BETHUNE ST

RUBIDGE ST

ES

AVE
INE
ERSK

LAN

WN
SD O

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KW
PAR

BER
WEB
AVE

E
ST

WATER ST

AYLMER ST N

RD

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SEE
DETAIL A

THE

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AVE

ST

H AN
NE
MAI
RO

EN
RD
BO AVE

RD

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ALBE

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MO

RD

AIN
BERL
AM
CH

TRID

DR
LEY
BREA

WES

ST

TS

CH

D RD
OO
RW

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MAN

MARIA ST

le
it t

ST

LV
B

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ST
TER
HUN

RINK ST

HIGH

OW

BLVD

TH

ST

FELL

LADE
DG

DR

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OO
RBR
SHE

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BR O

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UR
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SH E

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DENU

ITAL

NO

OLD

ST

T
E S B LV D

RD

DR

FO

SP

ST

RD

REID ST

AN

BLVD

TE
LOT
AR
CH

DR
N
LE

ST
LER

HO

LANE
AR
McF

W
HUNTER ST

AVE

E NW O O D

IR

D
AN
EL

RK
PA

H
NAG

NT
MOU
FAIR

DR
LIS
WAL

WEL

FAIR

RAV

ST

L
DO N N E
Mc

MO

L RD
KHIL
PAR

D E
LR
KHIL

ST

12

27

PAR

ARM

12

D
AN

BAIR
N

R
OU

HL
HIG

E
AV

E
BL
M
DU

ST

FAIR

DR

AR

AVE
BARN
ARDO

ST

RD
S

V
BL

RD

G
ON
EM

ST

T
SE
UN

VD

LIA
HIL

CH

RD

BL

TO

L
HIL
ER
W
TO

IN

GE
O
WA RGE
TE
S
R
ST T

RO
IL

E RH

* OSM = Otonabee-South Monaghan

** SEL = Smith-Ennismore-Lakefield

Tre

M O R RD
U

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION (OSM*)

EW
ST

CES
FRAN

ENVIRONMENTAL CONSTRAINT (SEL**)

41

M
HA

AR
T

Oto
na
be
e

D R
YA

FR

BLVD

CU
NN
ING

NK

URBAN FRINGE CONTROL AREA (SMITH)

LI
N

19

DR

HAMLET (OSM*)

VE
D A

18

Riv
er

LAN

RD

BER
CUM

ITY
RS
IVE
UN

VILLAGE (OTONABEE)

M ILL S

TL

AVE

TAGE
HERI

SMITH, ENNISMORE
LAKEFIELD TOWNSHIP

RURAL (OTONABEE)

UN
H IV
B L TS E R
SIT
VD
Y

IE

PROTECTED NATURAL AREAS

SS

N EG
C AR

MAJOR OPEN SPACE

NA

HETH

ER

MAJOR INSTITUTION

15

21

DETAIL A
Scale 1: 40,000
TS
KS
PAR

115

Map Accuracy and Interpretation:

11

The information depicted on this hardcopy or digital map

file is schematic in nature. Accurate interpretation of
information shown should be obtained from appropriate
city planning staff.

TW
ES
WN
SDO
L AN

0.0

0.4

0.00

0.25

Kilometres
0.8
1.2

1.6

2.0

1.00

1.25

Miles

PRODUCED BY:
LAND INFORMATION SERVICES DIVISION,
CITY OF PETERBOROUGH 2010
LAST REVISED: September 15, 2008

0.50

0.75

NORTH AMERICAN DATUM 1983

UNIVERSAL TRANSVERSE MERCATOR (6 DEGREES) PROJECTION
ZONE 17, CENTRAL MERIDIAN 81 DEGREES WEST
GRID INTERVALS - 1000 METRES

DISCLAIMER and LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITIES

The "City of Peterborough" its employees, or agents, do not undertake to guarantee the validity of the contents of this digital
or hardcopy mapfile, and will not be liable for any claims for damages or loss arising from their application or interpretation,
by any party. It is not intended to replace a survey or to be used for legal description.

33