Toronto Still Tops in Tall Buildings

Toronto remains No. 1 in the highrise game, according to German construction data firm Emporis, which says we’ve got 130 highrise projects under construction. New York is second with 91, and Montreal third in North America with 25. Toronto has been in the No. 1 spot for several years now, although this year, Manhattan is closing the gap, likely to catch up as early as next year according to Emporis analyst Matthew Keutenius.

Compared to about 65% in most other cities, 92% of the tall buildings under construction in Toronto are residential, and here comprised almost exclusively of condos, whereas in the U.S. there is a larger proportion of rental apartments going up as well. The all-time sales record set in 2012 dipped 22% to 13,797 new condominium units sold last year, according to Urbanation. The average price in December was $367,376.

Good news? Bad news? Indifferent? The Bank of Canada warned in December that the number of unsold condos in preconstruction has doubled compared to last year, warning of “potential future supply imbalances.” Yet, we just saw unveiled the massive three-tower Gehry project and the convention centre makeover, and we’ve got 15 buildings destined to be more than 150 metres high under construction, the most in this hemisphere. (Then again, octogenarian Gehry says he’s not building condos, but rather sculptures for people to live in.) American architect Daniel Libeskind said in October (while promoting the 57-storey L Tower) that we were “creating a very sustainable future by building condos downtown. It fights urban sprawl and brings people into the heart of the city.”

Even as other markets crumbled five years ago, Toronto’s housing market continued to boom and demand has scarcely waned.

What do you think? Can we sustain this kind of growth? Can our infrastructure support it? Are we looking at a future where the sun can barely reach the street?

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The Intercultural Dialogue Institute (I had never heard of them either) invites you to nominate GTA police officers, firefighters and paramedics for its hero awards. Candidates should display qualities of altruism, dedication, and community involvement. Say thank-you with a nomination form at publicheroes.org.

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That suburbia encourages car use and discourages walking is a given. Such qualities have also linked the ‘burbs to the rise in obesity in several studies, including an American Journal of Public Health/American Journal of Health Promotion joint release 10 years ago that said there was a “significant connection” between sprawl and obesity, as well as hypertension. Such studies are embraced by New Urbanists looking for the small-town feel of old-fashioned neighbourhoods with streets in tight grids.

The topic has been revisited, and this time it’s got a home-town twist. A St. Michael’s Hospital study says that neighbourhoods with more walkable destinations such as those in the downtown core have a markedly lower incidence of obesity and diabetes; rates of obesity and diabetes are one-third higher in the least-walkable neighbourhoods such as those in outer Etobicoke and Scarborough. Those in less walkable neighbourhoods were found to own more cars, and be less likely to use public transportation, walk or bicycle.

As a factor in urban design, it’s certainly useful research. The neighbourhoods with the best walkability were generally east of Roncesvalles, west of The Beach, and south of Yonge and Eglinton, where mixed zoning means stores, restaurants and leisure venues are interspersed with residences. Mixed-use developments have been proven the most likely to increase in value, and they also encourage residents to work and play close to home, which certainly decreases auto-dependency, and that’s only a bad thing if you’re a car-maker.

Because it seems logical — the more time you spend in your car, the more you’ll weigh — we accept the truth of it, even though other studies have found that obesity is tied primarily to education and income, not walkability. A Chicago-based study of seven million people three years ago found that lower rates of obesity were found in neighbourhoods with more college degrees and higher median incomes, factors not included in the St. Michael’s study. The Chicago study did find some correlation between commuting by car and obesity, but the correlation was the same for those who owned their own homes, which makes it just as accurate to say that home ownership makes people fat.

The St. Michael’s study used correlations with destinations walkable within 10 minutes, population density, residential density and street connectivity to reach its conclusions, but found that “interaction between residential density and walkable destinations was not significant for overweight or obesity.” Those areas with both high density and high destinations had the “most favourable” outcomes. While the combination of destinations and density had an impact, street connectivity was found to be less impactful. Given that areas with high density and high destinations are most likely to have younger residents, isn’t age also a factor? And given that highly walkable neighbourhoods like The Beach are primarily home to high income earners, isn’t income?

For me, the most shocking part of the latest study wasn’t that those in areas of poor walkability were heavier, it was that the difference in percentage didn’t seem that pronounced, and that the figures in even the most walkable neighbours are ridiculously high: those living in the lowest walkability areas had a 49.7% prevalence of overweight or obesity compared with 41.3% in the most walkable areas. Either way, it’s way too close to half the population that is overweight or obese.

That doesn’t mean there’s no hope for suburbia. We need to start planning suburban developments with a mixed-use element; neighbourhoods that contain not just houses but commercial aspects as well, along with bike paths, swimming pools, community centres, and libraries to walk to.

And doesn’t the bottom line remain that those who are determined to be active will be, and those who are determined not to get out of their cars won’t? Life is what you make it.