An Application of Biophilic City Design Principles to The Jane-Finch Neiboughhood of Toronto

Abstract

Biophilic cities promote environmental sustainability and people’s health and wellbeing, especially where population density is high. The Jane-Finch neighbourhood of Toronto has high population density and low green space coverage, providing an opportunity to apply biophilic city principles to address the public concerns of limited nature contact opportunities. This thesis will explore how biophilic city principles apply to Jane-Finch, identifying opportunities and challenges to application. Design proposals are created for two land use typologies in Jane-Finch neighbourhood by applying biophilic design principles and discussing when they are most opportune or most challenged. The results show the most challenging site typology is the residential street and the most challenging principle is prospect. The research contributes to understanding the biophilic city concept and its application; the findings provide suggestions on how to transform Toronto into a more biophilic city. Keywords: