[scarberiankhatru]

But there's no guarantee towers at stations will even generate riders...unless there's continuous skyscrapers like downtown, towers at stations are a bonus and will always be less important than something like feeder bus routes.

 

[Observer Walt]

I think you would find that most people on this forum are probably in favour of intensification, at least up to a point. Somewhere ther's a City of Toronto document setting out the desirability of intensifying "the Avenues", the major arterial streets both downtown and in the burbs.

The problem in doing this, especially in the older neighbourhoods including the Danforth, is that property ownership is fragmented. There are relatively few large properties under one ownership, and an awful lot of properties which may be only 20 or 25 feet wide. Doing a land assembly of even three or four of these is difficult.

Also we should keep in mind that most of the properties along Danforth etc., although old, are still very much in use and serving a useful purpose day by day. They are not outmoded by any means.

-----

I appreciate Wylie's comments about Chinese cities, but he will know better than most of us that Chinese-style urban redevelopment won't fly here. Governments here won't just raze whole blocks of privately-owned properties to make way for towers. Most of us will look at pictures from China and think, wow, what amazing density, but we will then think, wow, thank God that I don't live in such an environment.

 

[nfitz]

Somewhere ther's a City of Toronto document setting out the desirability of intensifying "the Avenues", the major arterial streets both downtown and in the burbs.

I believe the document in question is called the "Official Plan".

 

[adma]

I appreciate Wylie's comments about Chinese cities, but he will know better than most of us that Chinese-style urban redevelopment won't fly here. Governments here won't just raze whole blocks of privately-owned properties to make way for towers. Most of us will look at pictures from China and think, wow, what amazing density, but we will then think, wow, thank God that I don't live in such an environment.

It's a bit like Robert Moses nostalgia--sure, he was able to get things done, but one has to remind oneself again time and again *how* he was able to get things done, and how such means came to be disavowed...

 

[Edward Skira]

But there's no guarantee towers at stations will even generate riders...unless there's continuous skyscrapers like downtown, towers at stations are a bonus and will always be less important than something like feeder bus routes.

Though, as you've mentioned in the past, North York Centre Station shows this can work.

 

[scarberiankhatru]

Though, as you've mentioned in the past, North York Centre Station shows this can work.

Yes, it can work when you're building dozens of towers, block after block. But it's not just condos at NYC station...the Loblaws, the civic centre, office buildings, etc., all generate more riders than equivalently sized condos would do.

When the real option on the table is something like building one or two condos above a bus terminal at a station, that's only going to add like 200 rides a day...which is still a worthy goal, but it's nothing revolutionary.

 

[RedRocket191]

When the real option on the table is something like building one or two condos above a bus terminal at a station, that's only going to add like 200 rides a day...which is still a worthy goal, but it's nothing revolutionary.

If nothing at all, those are units not being built on greenfield out in the hinterlands.

 

[Conrad Black]

PaulG, you sound like a refugee from the 1960s, when blockbusting was very much in style. Although I don't think the city expropriated anything, in those days. Seriously, your suggestion is contrary to any currently accepted planning principles. These days we emphasize maintaining the stability of neighbourhoods (at least in theory). Ripping apart established neighbourhoods is a non-starter.

Most of the B-D subway runs through stable residential neighbourhoods, dominated by detached and semi-detached houses. There is probably room to intensify directly along the main streets (Bloor and Danforth), up to perhaps five or six storeys, but on the side streets most people would say, we like it as it is, thanks.

PaulG's idea might be a little much but why can't Bloor and Danforth go higher around the stations? That's what happened with every station on the Yonge line. Even smaller stations like Rosedale, Summerhill and Davisville have offices or condos nearby. Granted not towers but 8-10 floors easily.

 

[justin]

PaulG's idea might be a little much but why can't Bloor and Danforth go higher around the stations? That's what happened with every station on the Yonge line. Even smaller stations like Rosedale, Summerhill and Davisville have offices or condos nearby. Granted not towers but 8-10 floors easily.

They sort of are, aren't they? There are a couple of buildings next to the Dundas West station with the Application To Build a Really Tall Building here, and the High Park station has a crane over it. Are there any more that are ready for development?

 

[doady]

If you look at a map of population and job density, like on page 53 of this document, the Bloor-Danforth corridor actually looks much denser than Yonge.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

From the TTC April 27 Commissioner's Report:

http://www3.ttc.ca/About_the_TTC/Co...upplementary_Reports/BUILD_TORONTO_-_TRAN.pdf

Basically the properties in the list will be transferred to the new Build Toronto agency. Maybe they'd be better at redeveloping them than the TTC...

AoD

 

[khris]

That's a lot of propety at Islington which could be really intensified.