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If you could change one thing about Toronto, what would it be?

Wouldn't it have made more sense to build the "Spadina" expressway to feed onto University Avenue as opposed to Spadina? University is the main n/s thoroughfare downtown, and the bypass lanes around Queen's Park will (and should) never be pedestrianized. so putting a on/off ramp under them shouldn't be a big deal. The only difficult part, technically, would be dodging the subway.
 
Cool thread idea.

Definitely for me it would be selling booze in corner stores. I can walk 10 minutes from my place right now and eat at restaurants with food from 20 different countries, but I need to drive my car to buy a case of beer.

Also, I would add a couple of more lanes to the Gardiner Expressway, just to upset the mayor.
 
Mystic Point said:
A Red Light district.
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Could be fun to have one, but why not just legalize prostitution instead?

And on a related note, it's time to end the puritan stupidity of grandfathering strip clubs in this city. If there's a demand for them, let them be opened.

Also, stop restricting night clubs to the "Entertainment District". Allow them to open organically across the city.

Ok, final point - get rid of most zoning laws.
 
How about wishing for the gradual addition of a million extra people living within the city of Toronto.

*The increased density would make an expansion of all forms of mass transit essential, especially subways.
*The new population would force the rapid development of underutilized areas like the waterfront.
*The new demand for housing would extend the current building boom and might even get us some super talls
*It would increase the city's electoral might and prevent us ever again being walloped by a Mike Harris type government.
 
Improving transportation within the city should be a priority. I'm sure it's a provincial issue but making it easier for people to commute into the city should be the last thing the province or city encourages.

Force people to live where they work. And by force I don't mean strong arm, just give them fewer options.
 
OttoSchloss said:
Improving transportation within the city should be a priority. I'm sure it's a provincial issue but making it easier for people to commute into the city should be the last thing the province or city encourages.

Force people to live where they work. And by force I don't mean strong arm, just give them fewer options.
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I totally agree!
 
Towered said:
Could be fun to have one, but why not just legalize prostitution instead?

And on a related note, it's time to end the puritan stupidity of grandfathering strip clubs in this city. If there's a demand for them, let them be opened.

Also, stop restricting night clubs to the "Entertainment District". Allow them to open organically across the city.

Ok, final point - get rid of most zoning laws.
Click to expand...

All those are great suggestions. Legalize prostitution but also allow a red light district. The ones in Europe are pretty cool.
 
SimonP said:
How about wishing for the gradual addition of a million extra people living within the city of Toronto.

*The increased density would make an expansion of all forms of mass transit essential, especially subways.
*The new population would force the rapid development of underutilized areas like the waterfront.
*The new demand for housing would extend the current building boom and might even get us some super talls
*It would increase the city's electoral might and prevent us ever again being walloped by a Mike Harris type government.
Click to expand...
Yes, yes yes!

I just wonder what Toronto has that would make a million people come. I mean, our population is supposed to increase by a million or two, but it's not really going to be any different from other cities, is it? Hopefully that growth will all be up instead of out :D
 
Haven't you guys seen the Vital Sign's reports?

Toronto population growth is anemic and its job growth is negative. Toronto's projections have not panned out.
 
You need to update your blog.

Glen -- your blog link shows that you haven't ranted there since September 2008. Is that true? Is it because the current Mayor has cut corporate taxes and raised residential taxes? Is it because RBC Dexia and Telus and Bay-Adelaide have been built? Is it because Corus is going into the Waterfront, West Don Lands is getting built, condos are still popping up everywhere?

Just wonderin'.
 
No offense, but three or four office buildings opening (after 10 years of stagnation), one of which only thanks to super-subsidies, is hardly proof of anything. You can look at the StatsCan numbers which quite clearly show stagnant job growth.
 
Riverdale Rink Rat said:
Glen -- your blog link shows that you haven't ranted there since September 2008. Is that true? Is it because the current Mayor has cut corporate taxes and raised residential taxes? Is it because RBC Dexia and Telus and Bay-Adelaide have been built? Is it because Corus is going into the Waterfront, West Don Lands is getting built, condos are still popping up everywhere?

Just wonderin'.
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No I have been busy. Soon enough though I will post about the coming death of Kensington Market, and similar (older) areas due to cap creep.

WRT to your points. The condo craze, in part, indicative of the problem. Do you think that RBC Telus and Bay Adelaide would have proceeded without some certainty that the a more equitable burden was forthcoming? While you may laud the Mayor for ETBC, what choice did he have? He has already had to make two modifications to it, because it was to little and to slow. He has also hinted that next years planned shift in the burden might be put on hold. This is a council and Mayor that is preoccupied with appearances, and judging by your comments it is a wise political strategy.

PS. The Corus example is a poor one. In fact, seeing that no private money has been 'invested' in the harbour front outside of residential uses, it goes to show just how un-competitive the city is.
 
Whoaccio said:
What is urban village-ish about the 200m wide corridor of 15-30 story condos that is Yonge street stretching from the Lakeshore to Steeles surrounded by homogeneous use single family homes? It looks completely artificial (I wonder why?) and doesn't reflect any kind of sensible land use planning. Practically a Mid-Western Dubai, paragon of "urban villageism" it is.
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Subdividing the city into 2km x 2km superblocks was the problem. It works for farms, but not for urban streets.
 
Ummm... what's it proof of, then?

Whoaccio said:
No offense, but three or four office buildings opening (after 10 years of stagnation), one of which only thanks to super-subsidies, is hardly proof of anything. You can look at the StatsCan numbers which quite clearly show stagnant job growth.
Click to expand...

So, Glen says it should be discounted that the Mayor did something, because it was the obvious and right thing to do.

And, Whoaccio says that three or four office buildings being opened during this Mayor's term, but not during ANY of his predecessors for years and years, is hardly proof of anything. So... it's just coincidence? Maybe, but it didn't happen for Mayor Mel or the ladies.

The StatsCan numbers lump Scarborough and York with the central core business district. It may be unfair (and most definitely biased on my side, I freely admit), but I really don't care that the needle trade has moved from Sheppard and Midland to Brampton. I care about the higher paying office jobs that will be found inside the shiny new towers downtown.

If it kills you so much to give Miller any credit, then don't. But come downtown and see all the cranes, and people, and shiny new buildings, and smile. Just leave your wee, dark doom cloud home, 'cause we downtowners are shiny, happy people. ;)
 
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