Glenn Barr, P.ENG, CNU-A

Glenn Barr is a Consulting Engineer practicing urban design, municipal engineering and neighbourhood development in Ontario.

A native of Toronto, Glenn received his academic engineering education from University of Western Ontario. Upon graduation in 1967, he moved to the Niagara area and received his practical engineering education as an employee of two local consulting firms; initially Proctor & Redfern Limited and thereafter, Kerry T. Howe Limited.

In 1975, Glenn opened his own practice as Glenn E. Barr Associates Limited cob “Barr Associates”. In 1979, Glenn, together with partners, opened Upper Canada Consultants Limited as a sister company to Barr Associates.

From 1975 to 1988, as president of both companies, Glenn oversaw the design and construction of numerous public and private municipal engineering and urban development projects throughout Ontario. Municipal projects included road reconstruction and sewer and watermain replacement programs. Private projects included the planning and engineering of residential and industrial subdivisions, commercial plazas and detached, townhouse and apartment condominiums.

During that period Glenn developed a special interest in urban design, land development economics and the impact of urban design on neighbourhoods, communities and society in general.

In 1988, Glenn sold his interest in Upper Canada Consultants and continued, with a much smaller practice through Barr Associates. Since 1988, Barr Associates has specialized in urban design and land development based upon “traditional neighbourhood design” (TND)* philosophies. Barr Associates has been involved in the design and development of numerous urban developments ranging in size and complexity from a single dwelling to large multi-phased projects.

In 2015, Daniel Romanko MCIP joined the firm and the new partnership changed the company name to Better Neighbourhoods Inc. Better Neighbourhoods now offers an expanded service including Urban Design, Planning, Engineering and Land Development Management.

In addition to his engineering affiliations, Glenn Barr is an accredited member of the Congress on New Urbanism (CNU-A) and a member of the Canadian Urban Institute. As an advocate of Smart Growth, Glenn is an active member of Regional Niagara’s Smarter Niagara Steering Committee as well as a jurist for the Niagara Community Design Awards.

*Traditional Neighbourhood Design (TND) focuses on diverse, walkable neighbour-hoods, each with a unique identity. This is in contrast to Conventional Suburban Design (CSD), which focuses on segregating uses, housing types and incomes in an amorphous vehicle-oriented environment.

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