Future Heritage for Millwood: Sustainable Place-making in Suburban Nova Scotia

Though late twentieth-century residential suburbs may be "environmental and economic disasters," they also hold cultural significance; could these communities be rehabilitated, as Edmund P. Fowler suggests, to "become nodes and neighbourhoods cherished by future generations" (Fowler, 2007) - in short, future heritage sites? The Millwood subdivision appears mundane, however, the area's complex relationship with cars, its long-abused river system, and the disappearing threads of its historic past are among the unique challenges and opportunities the neighbourhood presents. This thesis overlays approaches from New Urbanism, values-based conservation, and critical regionalism to explore sustainable place-making and heritage potential in a non-heritage site. A series of multi-scalar interventions are developed, driven by community objectives and value-potential. The methodology underpinning this work might be retailored and applied in other suburban communities across Canada, while the site-specific analysis and design proposals for Millwood uphold the primacy of place, even in the face of apparent placelessness.