"Like it or not, condos will keep going up," by Christopher Hume (TheStar.com) - The Diigo Meta page

• 23 Dec 08
  

  Yule Heibel

  On the rise of condo living in Canadian cities.

  thestar christopher_hume condos cities families

  • Not surprisingly perhaps, Torontonians remain fixated on height, which can be counted on to raise the inevitable hackles. Often overlooked in the clamour is the growing number of small, infill schemes that fill gaps in the urban fabric. These can be seen along arteries such as Queen St. E., King St. E., Kingston Rd. and even the laneways and alleys of the old city.

    Municipal authorities – political and bureaucratic – have fought the charge to intensify these lesser avenues, but at some point resistance will be futile. It is an idea whose time has come and which can no longer be denied.

  • The most glaring oversight of the industry and city officials is the lack of family-sized units. Finding apartments with enough bedrooms can be difficult, if not impossible. Indeed, the trend is to smaller and smaller units.

    Historically, middle-class Canadians have disapproved of families living in highrises, unless, of course, they are poor. That, too, has started to change. The flight to the suburbs that traditionally occurs when couples have kids has slowed and more families are opting to stay downtown.

    Thus the condo builders' focus on young professionals and empty-nesters no longer reflects reality.

    In other words, the condo industry is struggling to keep up with a market whose demands grow ever more sophisticated. In light of developers' deep-seated conservatism, this should be expected. What it means is that the city must adopt a more proactive stance, encouraging appropriate built form with tax and density incentives.

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