Dan Romanko MCIP, RPP, CNU-A

Dan Romanko is a consulting Professional Planner practicing urban design, and neighbourhood development in Ontario with over 25 years’ experience. Growing up in Mississauga in the ’80s, his childhood years were spent in a categorically suburban environment. This experience sparked an interest in land-use patterns and ultimately the Urban Planning profession. Dan began his academic career at Sheridan College, graduating as a Civil Engineering Technician in 1992; he then went on to complete the Honours Urban and Regional Planning program at the University of Waterloo, graduating in 1997.  Years later, his interest in community scale sustainability found him continuing his education and he received a Master of Engineering Design in Sustainable Infrastructure from McMaster University in 2012. Dan has worked as a planner in a consulting role since 1998. From 2000-2009, Dan worked with Barr Associates in St. Catharines as urban designer. After a five-year stint at another multi-disciplinary firm downtown St. Catharines, Dan returned to Barr Associates in 2015 as partner and the company changed its name to Better Neighbourhoods Inc. In addition to his managing partner role, Dan is a full member in the Canadian Institute of Planners and the Ontario Professional Planners Institute and been qualified as an expert witness at the Ontario Land Tribunal.  He has been an accredited member of the Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU-A) since 2009 and has attended annual Congresses since 2006.  Dan lives downtown St. Catharines with his family and is fortunate to have a seven minute walk to work.
Mohammad Kamruzzaman hold a 2017 Merit Award.

CACPT Infill Design Award – 2017

Congratulations to our Mohammad Kamruzzaman, the 2017 CACPT Infill Design Award recipient. The Canadian Association of Certified Planning Technicians has recognized Mohammad for his exceptional work on our project to redevelop the site of the abandoned Welland South School on Broadway in Welland, Ontario.

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The Story of Village on the Twelve

Village on the Twelve will be comprised of about 300 housing units within 16 Acres. The Concept Plan includes many forms of housing that cater to the many facets of the market in St. Catharines. Traditional Development Design principles were utilized to create a cohesive and high quality “sense of place” that appeals to potential buyers and maximizes property values.

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Kahlin Holmes and Mohammad Kamruzzaman hold a 2019 Merit Award.

CACPT Infill Design Award Winner – 2019

We are proud to announce that our Certified Planning Technician, Mohammad Kamruzzaman, has been awarded with the 2019 Merit Award for Infill Design by the Canadian Association of Certified Planning Technicians. This award is in recognition for his outstanding work on Summerside Mews, a development project located south of the Pelham Community Centre in East Fonthill, Ontario.

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Rendering of McKinnon Park Site Plan.

GM Parking Lot Transformation

We are excited to have been hired to work with Bayshore Group to design and develop the site of the vacant GM Factory in St. Catharines. Better Neighbourhoods has utilized Traditional Neighbourhood Design principles to transform this parking lot into a walkable and vibrant addition to the Haig neighbourhood.

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Give’em What They Want

Detroit, as with many large US cities, is absent of residential life in its dowtown…but, there are signs of regeneration and life.  All vacant buildings in the downtown were in some state of rehabilitation with a growing residential marketplace desperate to make the downtown home once again.  This trend was so prevalent that new buildings were starting construction on vacant parcels.  Something’s going on here…how does this happen?  What’s driving this influx of people back to cities?

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Congress For the New Urbanism 2016 – Detroit

We are back from Detroit, and our annual pilgrimage to the Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU 24).  As many know, Detroit, MI went bankrupt in July 2013.  So, as urbanists, we were both curious and intrigued to see how the images of vacant and boarded-up buildings (those that remained) could be transformed.

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New Name, New Direction

As of October 1st, 2015, Glenn E. Barr Associates was renamed as Better Neighbourhoods Inc.

Operating as Barr Associates, the company was originally founded in 1976 and has offered development consulting services to the Niagara Region for almost 40 years.

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Niagara Community Design Awards 2016

This year, we were recognized with two landmark awards at the 12th annual Niagara Community Design Awards!

2016 Winner for Small Scale Projects – 24 Wanda Road
“24 Wanda Rd., St. Catharines, a project that infills a new house within a low-density neighbourhood while fitting in with the community’s look and feel”

2016 Winner for Large Scale Project (Residential) – Village on the Twelve

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A busy street in New York City with many taxies and cars on the street.

Congestion: The Antithesis of Good Planning Practice or an Opportunity?

The Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU) released an article on how the negative stigma associated with congestion is not inherently bad and that we often underestimate its impact on a city. The article outlines a list of suggestions on how to turn “bad” congestion into something that might positively affect the future of urban design.

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