[unimaginative2]

Berlin has almost nothing over 7 storeys and is an incredibly dense and vibrant city.

Houston on the other hand is what Toronto will become if this trend continues.

Bland, lifeless, boring, corporate.

Parts of TO already are - Young and Eglinton, everything north of the 401...

I completely agree with your points, though I do have a bit of a quibble with the last one. I think some bits north of the 401 are actually some of the liveliest, most interesting, and least corporate parts of the city. Unlike downtown, where all you get is RabbaSubwayDryCleaners (rinse, repeat) in new buildings, the condo retail in North York Centre is packed with tiny, independent, mostly Asian businesses. Triomphe alone must have 25 tiny stores, including the tasty Sushi Bong. Many of Toronto's suburban arterial strip malls are packed with small, independent, unique businesses, whether it's Which Restaurant and the Nice Cafe along Midland or the less humble Times Square on Highway 7. That's pretty unusual in North America.

 

[CDL.TO]

When the restaurants are full and movies are showing at the TIFF, this short stretch of street is probably the spot most densely populated with warm bodies in the entire city.

Lots of modern planning principles take in to account the need for activity generators and destinations. I don't think that anyone of sound mind can argue that restaurant row is anything but HIGHLY successful at generating activity and serving as a destination.

Urbanity is measured in more than floor count, gross floor area, or residential population density.

 

[neubilder]

I completely agree with your points, though I do have a bit of a quibble with the last one. I think some bits north of the 401 are actually some of the liveliest, most interesting, and least corporate parts of the city. Unlike downtown, where all you get is RabbaSubwayDryCleaners (rinse, repeat) in new buildings, the condo retail in North York Centre is packed with tiny, independent, mostly Asian businesses. Triomphe alone must have 25 tiny stores, including the tasty Sushi Bong. Many of Toronto's suburban arterial strip malls are packed with small, independent, unique businesses, whether it's Which Restaurant and the Nice Cafe along Midland or the less humble Times Square on Highway 7. That's pretty unusual in North America.

You make a good point - many of the strip-malls from the 60`s and 70`s have been reappropriated and given an interesting new life by the multitude of cultures thriving in this city.
The sections I have in mind are the very built up areas like Mel Lastman square and surrounding areas (minus the interesting strip of shops that somehow survived just to the south)