Rylan Graham

Rylan Graham

Assistant Professor, UNBC

Publications

News from the North: The School of Planning and Sustainability at the University of Northern British Columbia

Published in Planning West, 2022

This paper provides an update about the School of Planning and Sustainability at UNBC.

Recommended citation: Graham, Rylan, Clapp, T.L., & Patton, S. (2022). "News from the North: The School of Planning and Sustainability at the University of Northern British Columbia" Planning West. 1(1). https://www.pibc.bc.ca/sites/default/files/internal_pages_pdfs/planning-west/PIBC-PlanningWest-Winter2022-UNBCPlanning-Pg16-17.pdf

Professional sports venues as catalysts for revitalization? Perspectives from industry experts

Published in Journal of Urban Affairs, 2021

Throughout North America, professional sports venues (PSV) have become a prominent urban redevelopment strategy. Much of the previous research related to PSV has focused on economic impacts and the use of public money to help fund construction. Conversely, there is less research exploring the relationship between PSV and the urban environment. To better understand this relationship, we disseminated a web-based survey to planning and development practitioners. Our research explores the degree to which industry experts: (1) perceive PSV as catalysts for development and revitalization; (2) associate PSV siting, policies, and programs with development and revitalization objectives; and (3) believe PSV investments in different (sub)urban locales can affect neighborhood change. Our findings illustrate a high degree of expert optimism, with respondents reporting that they believe PSV have the capacity to generate place-based changes. Their responses support a downtown-centric perspective, as professionals see greater opportunity for PSV to drive change in downtowns relative to more peripheral locations. Notably, respondents indicate that municipalities play a prominent role in supporting PSV outcomes, primarily through the adoption and implementation of key land use, zoning, and planning policies.

Recommended citation: Graham, R., Ehlenz, M. M., & Han, A. T. (2021). "Professional sports venues as catalysts for revitalization? Perspectives from industry experts" Journal of Urban Affairs. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07352166.2021.2002698

Obsolescence as an Opportunity: The Role of Adaptive Reuse in Calgary’s Office Market

Published in The School of Public Policy Publications, 2021

This paper examines the present state of office vacancy in downtown Calgary; looks at barriers to office conversion, limitations in existing processes and structures and potential policy considerations, drawing upon best practices from other jurisdictions. Finally, it will conclude with a series of policy recommendations and mechanisms which may enable efficiency and innovation in addressing the existing office stock.

Recommended citation: Graham, R., & Dutton, J. (2021). "Obsolescence as an Opportunity: The Role of Adaptive Reuse in the Calgary Office Market." The School of Public Policy Publications. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3789224

The Inside and Outside Game of Growth Management: Tracking Sprawl of Canada’s Largest Metropolitan Areas

Published in Journal of Planning Education and Research, 2020

This study explores the changes in the regional growth patterns in the nine largest Canadian Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs) between 1990 and 2010. We analyzed whether the metropolitan areas matched the Inside Game (i.e., intensification) with a strong Outside Game (i.e., regional planning) of growth management as represented by physical growth patterns. Overall, Toronto, Vancouver, and London CMAs matched the Inside Game with a strong Outside Game. Conversely, the CMAs of Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec, Calgary, Edmonton, and Winnipeg, where regional governance is fragmented or absent, exhibited signs of regional sprawl. All studied CMAs but Quebec City exhibited signs of intensification

Recommended citation: Han, A. T., Graham, R., & Tsenkova, S. (2020). "The Inside and Outside Game of Growth Management: Tracking Sprawl of Canada’s Largest Metropolitan Areas." Journal of Planning Education and Research. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/epub/10.1177/0739456X20937335

An Analysis of the Influence of Smart Growth on Growth Patterns in Mid-Sized Canadian Metropolitan Areas

Published in Planning Practice and Research, 2019

This paper is about Smart Growth in mid-sized Canadian cities.

Recommended citation: Graham, R., Han, A. T., & Tsenkova, S. (2019). An analysis of the influence of smart growth on growth patterns in mid-sized Canadian metropolitan areas. Planning Practice & Research, 34(5), 498-521. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02697459.2019.1601800