I don't disagree in principle, but it's not that simple. In Toronto, balconies
are often just all-weather storage space hanging off the building. Setbacks are measured to the building face and balconies do not count towards GFA, so it's essentially free space in the developer's eyes (not including hard costs). Combine that with a pre-sale market that demands them and it's kind of just a selling feature, not a real living space, unfortunately. Contrast that (as always, it seems) with the Lower Mainland, where outdoor space, even 50+ storeys up, is truly valued and developers work to make it usable. Take these two units in Concord's Metrotown project, both featuring large outdoor terraces regardless of unit size. Incomprehensible here, unfortunately:
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