What if people don't like contemporary design? Who says that people must like contemporary design?
If you don't like contemporary/modern design for residential development, you are in the right city. The bias has leaned toward this segment, with few exceptions, for a very long time. But what about all those closet modernists who want to see Toronto breakout and make a more balanced statement - they are the jilted ones. This is like a self-fulfilling prophesy - obviously there is a market for this so why not build it - hence, why concern yourself about this supposed imbalance, the market determined it? But for those who could and would buy modern, they are so underserved that they are likely to move onto another venue: maybe Mississauga and
Absolute World at best, or further afield. That is Toronto's future going straight out the door with them.
In my comments from yesterday, I pointed to the destruction of non-modern skyscrapers with legitimate pedigree, as oppose to what can be called anachronistic replays, as being part of the problem. I implore you to save the best of that honest architecture, while encouraging, simultaneously, a diversity of styles in the present and future. But I cannot personally encourage unupdated faux-past. No one should be concerned about the survival of unupdated faux-past, since it will occur on its own here and needs no additional faux-encouragement in doing so. Mr. Stern's
1 St. Thomas is a better than average example of faux-past, but the city in the meantime needs to address diversity in creative design if for no other reason than to keep pace with its competition in other cities or outlying areas of urban sprawl.
There are so few of the really forward looking skyscrapers in Toronto's residential mix now, that it would take decades to get into any type of tangible balance. That's why I say speak to the issue now, at every turn, or be buried by your silent acceptance of what only appears to be the norm.