3Dementia
Senior Member
With the city facing a housing crisis, the Port Lands can handle more density, Waterfront Toronto says
Story today:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/port-lands-housing-density-1.6687335
CBC
With the city facing a housing crisis, the Port Lands can handle more density, Waterfront Toronto says
Story today:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/port-lands-housing-density-1.6687335
CBC
allengeorge
Senior Member
Filing this under the “No - duh” column. Glad that Council is asking Waterfront TO and TO Planning to reconsider.
BTW, I’m totally ok with a lot of midrise buildings with a narrow-roadway grid OR tall buildings with the wide Toronto-standard roadway, but having fairly-low-height buildings with Toronto-standard roadways feels like a miss.
Northern Light
Superstar
If you exclude the river valley from the calculation, the Portlands are already set to be among the densest communities on the planet.
I think people keep conflating height and density and that does not serve anyone well.
Lower Don Lands Redevelopment | ?m | ?s | Waterfront Toronto
No overhead wires, no trenching, if the city goes for solar-powered street lighting. How Solar Powered Street Lighting Saves Your City Money From link. We're sure founding and developing a city is never an easy thing. Our hats go off to mayors, city planners, budget wizards, and other key...
In the post above, earlier in the thread, I note that even if you include all the natural space, you still get a density of 24,000 per km2 Not exactly low-density sprawl!
I did note, in a post down the page from the above that I thought there was room to remove a substantial portion of on-street parking; and that might lead to a gentle density bump, but I don't want to see this as Toronto's
new attempt at St. Jamestown. Once wasn't enough, it was too much.
C-C-C
New Member
I wish they can swap some office land from East harbour to create density at East harbour station. As office space needs may be less than previous prediction. I guess people would love to live close to transit station and enjoy close proximity to natural space.
isaidso
Senior Member
The congestion problem isn't due to high population density but the percentage of people commuting by car. I love my car/driving but if I insist on taking 2,000 lbs of metal, plastic, rubber, and glass (my vehicle) with me where ever you go (in a big global city like Toronto), it's my own fault if I get stuck in traffic.
Granted, the public transportation system is massively under built but all these people pretending to care about the environment need to walk the walk. Or in this case, get on a bicycle, bus, streetcar, or train. If everyone in Manhattan behaved like Torontonians, they'd be stuck in gridlock too. Population density isn't the problem; commuting everywhere by car is.
Granted, the public transportation system is massively under built but all these people pretending to care about the environment need to walk the walk. Or in this case, get on a bicycle, bus, streetcar, or train. If everyone in Manhattan behaved like Torontonians, they'd be stuck in gridlock too. Population density isn't the problem; commuting everywhere by car is.
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hawc
Senior Member
Have you got young kids? Have you got to dress up in a suit for work? Have you got to be at lots of meetings on time? Have you got to carry lots of stuff with you when you travel? Bikes and buses only work some of the time for a lot of people. But by all means stay on your high horse.
max
Active Member
I always forget about the TTC bylaw that bans business attire. Luckily enforcement hasn't caught me yet!
allengeorge
Senior Member
A lot of people - including me - fall into one or more of those camps. We don't need a car to get around everyday. Times change.
hawc
Senior Member
Business attire comment refers to riding a bicycle in the winter wise guy.
And I always forget how incredibly reliable the TTC is. You can depend on it when you're a grown up with a job that requires you to be at certain places on time.
Bikes and transit are not the solution for everything people wish they were.
W. K. Lis
Superstar
Kids can cycle. Just provide safer cycling infrastructure.
Most business people wear winter boots in winter, and put on their work shoes at work. Some boots can be high enough up to leg to protect from the slush.
The cyclists go to work on bicycles in their business attire (putting on business shoes at work).
allengeorge
Senior Member
FWIW, if you want a concrete example: when necessary, I have used business attire with winter boots. I have also just swapped out my pants at the office; takes a few minutes in the bathroom. It won’t work for everyone, but it can work for a lot of people. Also, with climate change it’s more than likely in Toronto you’ll be facing more and more rain as opposed to snow going forward.
Finally, I want to be clear: bikes and transit are not going to be the solution for everyone all the time, but we can change city design so that they capture more and more travel, making it a viable choice. Cars should not be the default for you to live your life in a city. It should be “nice to have” not necessary.
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torontologist
Active Member
Paula Fletcher doesn't want a "wall of condos" blocking off the waterfront
How are we going to get all that nebulous affordable housing then? The hate for apartments in this city is so weird and.... backward. Especially when it comes from supposedly left-leaning councillors.Increased density will also be good for the success of future commercial enterprises in Villiers Island; a larger population will be able to support a wider variety of businesses and services. At the initially proposed densities, I wasn't sure if a decent grocery store would be viable in such an isolated area, especially before it's connected to surrounding areas with streetcars. More people will help.
Northern Light
Superstar
Paula Fletcher doesn't want a "wall of condos" blocking off the waterfront
Increased density will also be good for the success of future commercial enterprises in Villiers Island; a larger population will be able to support a wider variety of businesses and services. At the initially proposed densities, I wasn't sure if a decent grocery store would be viable in such an isolated area, especially before it's connected to surrounding areas with streetcars. More people will help.
A 'wall' of condos does not refer to rental apartments (or condos) in general, it refers to tower form vs midrise, and a string of those that will then block the Lake and other key features of the city for anyone and everyone who doesn't live in that community.
Opposing another Queen's Quay or St. Jamestown for that matter is not opposing apartments, nor density.
I don't have much time for Cllr. Fletcher for a host of reasons; but this particular comment is not so unreasonable.
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Also, again, as I posted above, the proposal for the Portlands is one one of the densest communities on the planet; depending on whether you include the new river valley in the calculation it ranges from 24,000-38,000 per km2
The latter being more than St. Jamestown.
We really have to wind back the conversation here the idea that every block of land must have 40s towers on it, this is not the answer to homelessness in our city or affordable housing; (less tall building forms, particularly on public land, can be built at a lower cost per ft2 and result in lower rents and sale prices. )
I'm not opposed to adding some additional density in the Portlands vs the current model, particularly at the expense of street parking. Just lets not go completely over the top.
UtakataNoAnnex
Senior Member
I mean better income redistribution would be a better answer in dealing with former and a better national housing strategy with the latter. But those are likely dirty words in around these parts...
Undead
Senior Member
Man, how do Tokyo residents ever make it to work in business attire?! Quick, build a few mega highways for the long suffering Tokyo office employees whose fancy suits are ravaged by the god awful Japan Rail.
edit: I'm being facetious and I take the OP's point. But man, the amount of excuses and "can't do" attitude is through the roof in this country.
edit: I'm being facetious and I take the OP's point. But man, the amount of excuses and "can't do" attitude is through the roof in this country.
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