Urban Planet is a daily roundup of blogs from around the world dealing specifically with urban environments. We’ll be on the lookout for websites outside the country that approach themes related to urban experiences and issues.
Canadians increasingly prefer walkable neighbourhoods with access to transit. This may not seem like shocking news but it is a significant shift. A recent study by the Royal Bank of Canada and the Pembina Institute found that, if home price were not a factor, more than 80 per cent of homebuyers would trade a large house and a long car commute for a modest or attached dwelling where they can walk to amenities, take rapid transit to work and enjoy a commute of less than 30 minutes. Pembina’s report, Live Where You Go, which focuses on the Greater Toronto Area, suggests five policy tools to make living where we work and play easier. These include: a cost location calculator, changes to development charges, taxing surface parking, reducing minimum parking requirements and using transit funding to support location efficiency.
Image from MsAnthea
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2 comments
Nothing about laneway housing, avenue intensification, and other infill? That would create more availability and reduce the price for all housing in the city. I guess there are some things property owners are not willing to sacrifice to let others in…
Right on, ἈΝΤΙΣΘΈΝΗΣ. The biggest single obstacle to “live where you go” is price. Guess how much those nice houses shown in the pictures will cost you? If we cannot effectively increase supply to all segments of demography (not just young and single), then “live where you go” will remain a pipe dream for most.