


Al Rezoski
Apr 9, 2024
Canada
Categories:
Pets, Cities, Design
Originally published on im4u.world September 22, 2022.
The City of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, has Pet-Friendly Design Guidelines focused on multi-unit developments, such as apartment buildings. There are guidelines for the individual residence, the building, and the larger neighborhood.
Most pet owners are responsible, but many of us experience problems with those that are not, especially in urban areas. These guidelines can help alleviate those problems and make life more bearable for all.
For residences, there are many suggestions. They include: designing storage areas for pet equipment, rest/sleep stations, indoor and outdoor relief stations, bathrooms with deep sinks and walk-in showers with seat ledges, durable and easy-to-maintain pet surfaces, and materials for the residence to soften noise.
For residential buildings, recommendations include:
Pet relief areas.
Off-lease areas.
Pet washing stations.
Privately owned, publicly accessible spaces.
Landscaping.
Access and circulation.
Building systems.
Winter design.
Surface materials.
Pet ownership has grown and changed over the years. Many multi-family residential buildings do not have the facilities to handle the many pets that people have today. Constructing a building with pet facilities suggested above also makes good economic sense. Pet owners will choose an apartment with facilities that accommodate their dog than an apartment that does not, for example.
The guidelines propose minimum space requirements for builders to consider. Recommendations include an outdoor pet relief area of a minimum of 5 square meters for buildings with 20 or more apartments, a dog run/play area of 20 square meters, and an indoor pet washing station with a minimum size of 6 square meters for 100 or more apartments. In addition to a pet relief area and wash area for large buildings with 200 units or more, a dog run/play area of 40 square meters or 5% of the total required amenity area, whichever is greater. At the neighborhood level, the goal is to reduce the impact of pets on the public realm and parks by having pet amenities and spaces on private property.
Both pet owners and non-pet-owners benefit from the Pet-Friendly Guidelines because they recommend a design that factors in considerations for pets. The guidelines also lessen the impact on the public realm from pets.
Pets can be great for your mental and physical health. A healthy and happy pet will result in a healthy owner and community. Accommodating pets in your neighborhood with a good design can result in lower maintenance costs for private buildings and the public realm and better social connectivity. Consider developing guidelines in your area. The City of Toronto's Pet-Friendly Guidelines is a good template for pet-supportive housing and communities. Design features are adaptable from detached single-family housing to multiple-building high-rise communities. If you don't live in a pet-friendly housing unit, building, and community lobby for renovations and improvements to become more pet friendly.
Photo by Daniel Sandoval on Unsplash.
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Catalog #:
0822.103.03.092022