fedplanner
Active Member
I've been wondering...
It seems like once or twice a week there is a new tall building proposed in Toronto. Yet "Avenues" style buildings like Haven on the Bluffs and Queensbury Terrace seem far less common of an occurrence. Toronto's Official Plan strongly encourages this type of development, and Toronto's chief planner, Jennifer Keesmaat, is a strong advocate of low-rise and mid-rise buildings to one day line the avenues. According to Keesmaat, there is more than enough space along Toronto's avenues to accommodate Toronto's anticipated population growth. How come we don't see more of them?
I remember reading a post by Mike in To awhile back that briefly touched on the issue. I wasn't able to find the post, but if I recall correctly, the building code, NIMBYism, and the expense of navigating the planning process are discouraging low-rise development. The theme was that low-rise buildings must overcome similar obstacles as high-rise buildings, which make them less cost effective.
Is there more to it? Could Torontonians prefer high-rise buildings? I've noticed that prices for condos increase by several thousand dollars by floor. Top floors command a premium over lower floors, so I'm assuming that is because there is greater demand for higher floors with a view than lower floors. Are there any other reasons why high-rise proposals are more common than low/mid-rise (5 to 12-storey) proposals for the avenues? (At least it's my perception that they are more common from reading this forum.)
It seems like once or twice a week there is a new tall building proposed in Toronto. Yet "Avenues" style buildings like Haven on the Bluffs and Queensbury Terrace seem far less common of an occurrence. Toronto's Official Plan strongly encourages this type of development, and Toronto's chief planner, Jennifer Keesmaat, is a strong advocate of low-rise and mid-rise buildings to one day line the avenues. According to Keesmaat, there is more than enough space along Toronto's avenues to accommodate Toronto's anticipated population growth. How come we don't see more of them?
I remember reading a post by Mike in To awhile back that briefly touched on the issue. I wasn't able to find the post, but if I recall correctly, the building code, NIMBYism, and the expense of navigating the planning process are discouraging low-rise development. The theme was that low-rise buildings must overcome similar obstacles as high-rise buildings, which make them less cost effective.
Is there more to it? Could Torontonians prefer high-rise buildings? I've noticed that prices for condos increase by several thousand dollars by floor. Top floors command a premium over lower floors, so I'm assuming that is because there is greater demand for higher floors with a view than lower floors. Are there any other reasons why high-rise proposals are more common than low/mid-rise (5 to 12-storey) proposals for the avenues? (At least it's my perception that they are more common from reading this forum.)