TheTigerMaster
Superstar
A comparison of Scarborough with other non-Toronto GTA 905 municipalities, in terms of density, built form, land use, income level (city's property tax revenue), etc,... would show Scarborough is closer to Pickering-Ajax & Brampton than RichmondHill, Markham, Mississauga and Vaughan.
This comparison is a little tricky for me, because the build form in Scarborough is quite scattershot. There are some areas of Scarborough (McCowan & Brimorton, for example) where you won't find a single store in a 1 km radius, and other areas that are relativity urban, with stores lining the major thoroughfares, or at least plazas within walking distance of residential neighbourhoods.
But Scarborough, unlike Durham, has an abundance of high-rise apartment buildings. So while there may be pockets of Scarborough with no retail in a 1 km radius, there are also high rise buildings with one or two thousand people in them, that might be only a 50 metre or 1o0 metre walk away from a ton of retail choices. So the two extremes in residential housing density balance each other out.
Generally speaking through, I find Scarborough to be quite urban. For example, I don't very often find myself in a situation where I feel like I must drive to find a convenience store or grab a slice of pizza or whatever. Walking is usually an option. I can't really say the same thing about Durham Region.