Walkerville Districting Study

Walkerville is a model industrial village originally planned, built, and managed by the Walker Distillery company. Located on the northern edge of the city of Windsor and flanking the Detroit River, Walkerville is a rare Canadian example of a place that was planned and designed using international examples of complete communities intended to support major industrial complexes. Constructed between the 1870s and the 1920s, the village survives today largely intact. Its residential neighbourhoods contain schools, a church, and parks, while there is also a thriving commercial main street as well as a large distillery complex. The Districting Plan was an initiative by the City of Windsor to better understand the history and urban form of Walkerville in order to enhance its unique character and create a tourism destination. Preparation of the Plan included research, community consultation and urban design guidelines. Carl Bray and Marcus Letourneau of Letourneau Heritage Consulting were responsible for historical research and morphological analysis. Using a combination of site investigation, archival research, and analysis of historical photographs and maps, they prepared a comprehensive history of the village that included discussion of architectural styles and urban design principles alongside a review of the role the Walker family had in the village’s creation and evolution. Their work was the basis for the consulting team’s proposals for new infill and for projects to enhance the public realm.