Article: How the 905 stole our urbanist mojo (THE GRID)

[taal]

I thought this was an interesting article:

http://www.thegridto.com/city/politics/how-the-905-stole-our-urbanist-mojo/

One needs to keep in mind only about 1 year ago we had Miller, who very much pushed the interests Markham's mayor highlighted in the article above.

The interesting part of the article, in my opinion, is the contrast it draws between the outer 416 and the 905.

Recall the outer 416 is supposedly the anti-transit / development / anti-tax base Ford won the election on:

1) Is the 905 really that different ?
Maybe, I think the important part here is Markham's mayor has been able to keep tax increases very low. A lot of it due to the suburban spawrl they're battling, not the new dense developments.

But because of this, I feel residents are content; They wouldn't care, on the whole, if downtown Markham was going ahead or not. I know many folks who live in Markham and they fall into this boat, they don't care as long as taxes are kept in line.

My point here is this dense development push is very much driven by the administration as opposed to the demands of citizens. So in this sense the majority of residents may not be much different then the outer 416.

But there is a big difference and the article does touch on it. The outer 416 does tend to be the poorer residents in the GTA - as the article states grandiose development plans don't mean anything to them, they're not on that level. While 905 residents tend to be more affluent, so new 'downtown' areas may reinstate with them more.

Downtown Toronto, in that sense is more similar to the 905 then the outer 416.

I do think in the long term, these new developments will further the income divide ... the 905 and downtown will get richer and the outer 416 poorer; Or at the very least it won't improve.

 

[W. K. Lis]

Rob Ford is more 905ish than the 905 mayors.

 

[kkgg7]

wondering where exactly is "outer 416"? I thought many of the outer areas are actually richer, such as Lawrence Park? Or is it part of inner 416?

ps: it is "more ... than", not "more ... then", which doesn't exist. It is probably the 1000th time I see the same mistake on this forum, and I can't help pointing it out.

 

[W. K. Lis]

wondering where exactly is "outer 416"? I thought many of the outer areas are actually richer, such as Lawrence Park? Or is it part of inner 416?

ps: it is "more ... than", not "more ... then", which doesn't exist. It is probably the 1000th time I see the same mistake on this forum, and I can't help pointing it out.

Don't forget that at one time 905 WAS part of 416. From areacodehelp.com:

Ontario is currently using eleven area codes. Ontario is utilizing five area code overlay plans, often called overlay complexes. Ontario recently implemented area code 249 to provide numbering relief for area code 705 with was put into service effective 03/19/2011. Area code 365 is assigned but not yet in service to provide numbering relief to area code 289 and 905 and is scheduled for implementation on 3/25/2013.

Ontario originally had two area codes when the numbering system was established in 1947. By 1953 Ontario experienced sufficient growth in population and telephone use to need an additional area codes. To meet this increase in demand the two original area codes 416 and 613, established in 1947, were split to form area code 519. Four years later in 1957 area codes 613 and 519 were split to form area code 705. These changes resulted in four area codes being utilized in Ontario by 1957. In 1962 area code 705 was split to establish area code 807.

These five area codes were sufficient for more than 31 years when in 1993 area code 416 was split to form area code 905. Between 2001 and 2010 four more area codes were established and put into service. These changes resulted in the ten area codes in use today.

Changes and History of Ontario Area Codes:

01/01/1947
Area code 416 was put into service. In 1953 area code 416, along with area code 613, was split to form area code 519. In 1993 area code 416 was split to form area code 905. In 2001 area code 416 was overlaid with area code 647.

01/01/1947
Area code 613 was put into service. In 1953 area code 613, along with area code 416, was split to form area code 519. In 1957 area code 613, along with area code 519, was split to form area code 705. Area code 343 is proposed as an area code overlay of area code 613 effective 05/17/2010.

01/01/1953
Area code 519 was put into service. Area code 519 was created from a split of area codes 416 and 613. In 1957 area code 519, along with area code 613, was split to form area code 705. In 2006 area code 519 was overlaid with area code 226.

01/01/1957
Area code 705 was put into service. Area code 705 was created from a split of area codes 613 and 519. In 1962 area code 705 was split to form area code 807. Area code 249 is proposed as an area code overlay of area code 705 effective 03/19/2011.

01/01/1962
Area code 807 was put into service. Area code 807 was created from a split of area code 705.

10/04/1993
Area code 905 was put into service. Area code 905 was created from a split of area code 416. In 2001 area code 905 was overlaid with area code 289.

03/05/2001
Area code 647 was put into service. Area code 647 is an overlay of area code 416.

06/09/2001
Area code 289 was put into service. Area code 289 is an overlay of area code 905.

10/21/2006
Area code 226 was put into service. Area code 226 is an overlay of area code 519.

05/17/2010
Area code 343 was put into service. Area code 343 is an overlay of area code 613.

03/19/2011
Area code 249 was put into service as an overlay of area code 705.

Not in service
Area code 365 is proposed as an overlay of area codes 289 and 905 but is not yet in service. The scheduled implementation date is 03/25/2013.

Not in Service
Area code 437 is proposed as an overlay of area codes 416 and 647. The scheduled implementation date is 03/25/2013.

 

[Jonny5]

A big test of which way the 905 is headed will come when Hazel dies or stops running. There will be war over what kind of city Mississauga should develop into and it will get ugly. Hazel has been on autopilot for so long that a lot of suppressed dissent will quickly boil to the surface. A second thing to watch for is if Mississauga and other large 905 cities start asking for the powers Toronto has in the new City of Toronto Act.

 

[taal]

A big test of which way the 905 is headed will come when Hazel dies or stops running. There will be war over what kind of city Mississauga should develop into and it will get ugly. Hazel has been on autopilot for so long that a lot of suppressed dissent will quickly boil to the surface. A second thing to watch for is if Mississauga and other large 905 cities start asking for the powers Toronto has in the new City of Toronto Act.

meh, a test for Mississauga sure but not the entire 905, it is very clear the direction Markham wants to head in and they're pushing very hard in this regard.

 

[taal]

wondering where exactly is "outer 416"? I thought many of the outer areas are actually richer, such as Lawrence Park? Or is it part of inner 416?

ps: it is "more ... than", not "more ... then", which doesn't exist. It is probably the 1000th time I see the same mistake on this forum, and I can't help pointing it out.

Thanks for that !

You're right that the outer 416 is loosely defined. I'm referring to a lot of Scarborough and Etobicoke.

 

[canarob]

The article is a bit boosterish, but I'm glad to see the more forward-thinking parts of the 905 get some recognition. We have some of the most progressive town/city councils in Canada.

I do wish that Scarpitti would stop referring to all Markhamites as "executives" though as that's not really the reality for most.

 

[taal]

The article is a bit boosterish, but I'm glad to see the more forward-thinking parts of the 905 get some recognition. We have some of the most progressive town/city councils in Canada.

I do wish that Scarpitti would stop referring to all Markhamites as "executives" though as that's not really the reality for most.

Right, that's far from the truth and he really pushes that. Also the attitude toward transit portrayed in the article is also far from reality, I take viva every day (well not as of late), indeed there are many professionals, but they're the younger variety, and even then the majority are students.

I think the the 905 gets lucky in the sense they don't need to worry about many of the social issues the 416 does.

I'd argue the 905, some of the plans, are probably some of the most ambitious in North American (forget Canada), when you're talking about suburbs.

 

[TJ O'Pootertoot]

IMHO, this article is catching up on stuff that's been going on for 10 years, give or take. I guess it's good if downtown hipsters who read The Grid are finally getting wise, though. Markham's been riding the high-tech, new urbanist wave since the Clinton administration, for one. They were ahead of the curve on Places to Grow.

Also, though I get why the Grid has to frame it in terms of Toronto I think it's really misguided to drag Rob Ford into it. Keenan just keeps pointing out how Scarpitti isn't like Ford (aside from liking low taxes) though it's only HIS OWN assumption the two have anything in common in the first place.

The more they try to shoehorn Ford in (Markham is building bike lanes while Ford tears them up!) the more suspect it all seems. Obviously there's no "War on the Car" in Markham - that's because the modal split there is probably 90+% in favour of cars and while their pro-transit efforts are very admirable they have aways to go before anyone actually complains cars are getting short thrift.

Same goes for the fact that Toronto is (by definition) far more urban that Markham or Mississauga and it's not like Rob Ford is trying to create sprawling communities in the middle of downtown. There is no policy reversal that will suddenly suburbanize Toronto. It's also a bit debatable whether North York is an "inner surburb" while Markham (which shares its border) is an "outer suburb," and I think it's artificially compartmentalizing.

I also think that while it's GENERALLY true, that the suburbs are more affluent I think the current transit strike has shown how important that service is for students, seniors and other people on the financial fringe.

...but, again, I understand it's probably all the same to people who live downtown.

 

[Tewder]

The 905 has a split personality. While the majority of it reflects the traditional dated notion of suburbia our grandparents and parents knew and aspired to, there are many pockets where significant populations are choosing to live an urban lifestyle, even if on a smaller scale: walking/cycling to work, living in higher density nabes, working from home or nearby, and generally eschewing the whole metro-boulot-dodo grind that previous generations accepted. Within these pockets you find more diversity and more of a progressive outlook than you find in the larger 905, even as these areas become more desireable and start to wield more influence over the 905.

 

[DTowner]

IMHO, this article is catching up on stuff that's been going on for 10 years, give or take. I guess it's good if downtown hipsters who read The Grid are finally getting wise, though. Markham's been riding the high-tech, new urbanist wave since the Clinton administration, for one.

Eh? I think you mean "since the Chrétien Government".

 

[taal]

I agree with the sentiment that this isn't really a new phenomena ... you're starting to see more results as of late but its been in the plans for a long time ... just like waterfront toronto.

If you look at waterfront Toronto you'll bike lanes are planned as well ... it's a lot easier to make said changes when your starting from stractch, so the comparison with Toronto and Ford here isn't really fair.


I think the take away message is a lot of the outer 416 is poor and correspondingly what matters for these citizens is very different then downtown or many parts of the 905.

 

[TrickyRicky]

I have little knowledge on this issue but for all the hype how much is Markham just like Mississauga but behind the curve? What I mean is that Mississauga was able to keep it's taxes low because of a relatively strong commercial inventory and prepetual greenfield growth. As this phenomenon unwinds the 'magic" is starting to lose it's luster is it not?

I also have the feeling the 90's version of the 905 espoused in our mainstream culture is probably becoming archaic. I predict that in the future the 905 will be home to the most dramatic socio-economic demographic polarization trends in the region. What I mean is that while some areas of the 905 are rich and will get richer, others will become some of the poorest areas in the region.

 

[Electrify]

Recall the outer 416 is supposedly the anti-transit / development / anti-tax base Ford won the election on

Please keep in mind that in the last provincial election the Tories were shut out of Toronto, and in the last federal election the vast majority of the 416 voted either Liberal or NDP. The outer-416 is nowhere near as right winged as downtowners, or even Ford himself, think it is.