Yonge and Eglinton has not always been urban: at one point is was all forest, and it's been on a long progression even since. What it's turning into now is little different from what the area west of Square One is becoming. If you think that the street grid is problematic near Square One, what does that mean for the longer blocks at Yonge & Eglinton? It means that the City of Toronto is trying to get more mid-block connections between the east-west streets so that someday, if they are lucky, the blocks will be as easily navigated through by pedestrians as they are at MCC, but it is going to take a while.
Here are Google Maps snippets at the same scale to show you that your perceptions of block sizes at the two sites are essentially backwards:
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The other differences like sidewalk setbacks are far less pronounced than you believe as well, the biggest difference between the two being that Burnhamthorpe is wider than Eglinton and Confederation is wider than Yonge, both to the detriment of walkability at MCC, but MCC's other streets are not hugely different. MCC has a College Campus, Yonge and Eg does not. Yonge and Eg has more rapid transit, MCC is getting some rapid transit. Both have libraries within walking distance from thousands of condo dwellers, MCC's is much better. MCC has an excellent YMCA within walking distance of thousands of condo dwellers. MCC dwellers who work at City Hall can walk to work. MCC has a major performing arts venue. Both Yonge and Eg and MCC have tons of places that locals can walk to for shopping, dining, going to the cinema, while Yonge and Eg has more non-chain options. Until such time as First Capital's plans are in place at Humber Bay Shores and it gets better transit, more jobs, more commercial, better community facilities, and more walkability overall, no, it's the one that's not a fair comparison.
So, while MCC outshines Y&E in some urban attributes and Y&E is better in others, what's virtually the same, and what's more pronounced than the other attributes I've gone through, is the building typology: both are dominated by point towers in the same height range rising above podiums in the same height range: they are both vertical gated communities. If you don't think that makes Yonge and Eglinton virtually the same as what's going on at MCC, all you really have is a prejudice.
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