Did We Get It Wrong in the Last Election?

The last municipal election, which saw Rob Ford elected to the Mayor’s chair, highlighted the differences in needs between residents of the downtown core and those they considered the troglodytes in the former boroughs.

In 2010, Rob Ford garnered 47 percent of the popular vote without capturing any of the downtown wards, while George Smitherman got 35.6 percent of the vote primarily from sweeping the downtown core. It was a highly publicized division between the districts of the city prior to amalgamation (1998), with Smitherman basically the choice of the residents of old Toronto.

Since then, there’s been a lot of blame for the demise of City services and the black-eye the Mayor has given the city through his outlandish behaviour. Much of it has come from core dwellers, who seem to continue to believe that the needs of the old city of Toronto should count for more than the needs of the GTA.

Well, recent developments at City Hall indicate they may be right.

Speaking after the August Toronto City council meeting, chief city planner Jennifer Keesmaat highlighted that downtown Toronto is growing four times faster than the rest of the city, noting other large North American cities are desperate for the type of development going on in Toronto. She also noted that Toronto accounts for a quarter of all the office development in Canada.

At that meeting, council approved 18 new projects, with more than 750 new storeys of space housing some 7,000 new units (a mix of residential and office space).

Though that kind of progress bodes well for city growth, it does come with some caveats. Most notable among them are (a) the need to easily and quickly move people working in the city core in and out; and (b) the need to make residents in the downtown core feel “at home.”

Keesmaat says this type of growth highlights the need to push ahead with the downtown relief line (which is currently undergoing an Environmental Assessment) because the Yonge line is running at full capacity.

In the past, she has also been a strong advocate of creating a more pedestrian-friendly downtown to attract more residents and visitors to enjoy the city core.

She also notes that a study is underway to ensure the necessary infrastructure (from sewers to daycare) is available to handle the growth, and plan accordingly if it isn’t, and she believes Toronto can effectively handle the growth spurt with sensible funding.

For the most part, that funding for growth comes from developers, in accordance with Section 37 of Ontario’s Planning Act — which basically charges developers for increases in density beyond existing zoning and policy allowances.

That may not be enough to cover the growing demands on infrastructure, so there may be a need for more funding — an increase in taxes or user fees, for example.

So, as we head into another municipal election (and our second new mayor in as many tries), it’s time to consider all the angles that constitute growth — who has the best plan for moving people around? Who has the best interests of city residents at heart? Who has the best plan to pay for it all? Whose vision is most clear?

There is no denying the city core is what makes Toronto an attractive place to visit and to work and live in — the culture, the job opportunities, the activities — and we now have the chance to have a say in its continued growth for the next four years.