On March 6, industry professionals shared their ideas on the future of five of the City of Mississauga’s shopping mall areas at the Reimagining the Mall Forum hosted by the City and the Region of Peel.
“Suburban areas supported by shopping malls are changing,” said Ed Sajecki, Commissioner, Planning and Building. “That’s why we are proactively engaging with industry and residents on how we can guide the future redevelopment of these communities in a way that promotes health and well-being.”
Participants discussed creating healthy, complete communities and addressing issues and opportunities for reimagining malls in Mississauga as well as the Greater Toronto Area.
Keynote Speaker, Dr. Lawrence Loh, Associate Medical Officer of Health, Region of Peel spoke about the impact that malls and community planning can have on the health of Peel residents.
Dr. Loh added, “This is a wonderful opportunity to rethink the role malls play in our lives. It’s exciting to consider how our malls can be reimagined to support health in Peel, not just with the services they provide, but by promoting positive social connections and contributing to a more walkable, transit-focused community.”
A discussion moderated by Jane Farrow, Principal, Department of Words & Deeds actively engaged participants in a conversation about a future vision for mall communities.
Other speakers included:
- Mayor Bonnie Crombie, City of Mississauga
- Andrew Davidge, Senior Planner, Gladki Planning Associates
- Andrew Duncan, Senior Vice President Development, Riocan
- Maureen Atkinson, Senior Partner Research Insights, JC Williams Group
- Alex Dow, Director Neighbourhood Initiatives, United Way Toronto and York Region
- Ralph Giannone, Principal, Giannone Petricone Associates
Reimagining the Mall is a study led by the City of Mississauga in partnership with the Region of Peel. Its purpose is to establish new land-use policies that will guide the long-term evolution and redevelopment of five areas that are anchored by medium-sized indoor malls.
Sajecki added, “While the current study does not include mall redevelopment, this work is important to make sure our land-use policy is in place proactively and ready if a mall owner chooses to redevelop in the future.”
These malls and their surrounding areas were identified for intensification in the City’s Official Plan. This study and the resulting policies will help ensure that future intensification is done in a way that enhances these areas.
Opportunities for public and stakeholder input will continue throughout 2018.
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Media Contact:
Cynthia Ulba
Senior Communications Advisor
City of Mississauga
905-615-3200, ext. 5051
TTY: 905-896-5151