M
miketoronto
Guest
There is no doubt that Toronto is a great and amazing city.
However lets get serious here for a min and talk about something. Do you guys think Toronto is on a kinda lifesupport. That our great and highly regarded city is actually in a major decline that is just getting covered up?
Theres no doubt our city is facing many challenges. Toronto use to be a region that was a model for other cities. In the face of suburban expansion, we kept a vibrant downtown and inner city, a great public transit system used by all incomes, a diverse population, etc.
However all that seems to be falling apart. Some troubling facts.
-Toronto has lost 100,000 jobs. We are seeing the classic problem that American cities have where the central city employment is being eroaded while suburbs boom.
-Our inner suburban areas are seeing a flight of established families. This is leaving the City of Toronto in a classic American situation where we have a central city that is seeing its family income drop and seeing more poor people, while the surrounding suburbs are getting richer. A little at a time Toronto is turning into a place where the people with money are getting out and the poor are being left behind.
-Toronto use to pride itself on mixed incomes living together, etc. However we are now more segregated then ever before. The 905 has almost no mixed housing, and this is causing a central city full of poor people with suburbs full of rich people. A classic city suburb split that Toronto never saw before.
-Our downtown has not seen major office towers or employment growth in over a decade. Downtown Toronto is now at its lowest point of regional influence. Less % of people work here then ever before regionally, and most regional residents are out of our touch with the centre of our city now.
-Our transit system while still good has lost the attraction it had. We are not attracting enough choice riders anymore, and the one car family is now less common.
-Toronto is seeing business flight to the suburbs. Massive big box centres that are eating away at city retail and causing the kind of sprawl we never wanted, etc.
So what do you guys think. Under the surface, do you think Toronto is deep trouble, and no one wants to admit it.
The model city of North America might just fall like the great American cities have?
We are pointing in that direction
-Population flight that is being covered up by immigration.
-Loss of business. More people work in the suburbs now, then in the City of Toronto.
-Regional segregation. If you live in the 905 chances are you have money. If you live in 416 chances are your family makes alot less money.
So is Toronto on lifesupport? What are we going to do to fix it?
Is there hope? Or do you think this is just normal for big cities to fall.
However lets get serious here for a min and talk about something. Do you guys think Toronto is on a kinda lifesupport. That our great and highly regarded city is actually in a major decline that is just getting covered up?
Theres no doubt our city is facing many challenges. Toronto use to be a region that was a model for other cities. In the face of suburban expansion, we kept a vibrant downtown and inner city, a great public transit system used by all incomes, a diverse population, etc.
However all that seems to be falling apart. Some troubling facts.
-Toronto has lost 100,000 jobs. We are seeing the classic problem that American cities have where the central city employment is being eroaded while suburbs boom.
-Our inner suburban areas are seeing a flight of established families. This is leaving the City of Toronto in a classic American situation where we have a central city that is seeing its family income drop and seeing more poor people, while the surrounding suburbs are getting richer. A little at a time Toronto is turning into a place where the people with money are getting out and the poor are being left behind.
-Toronto use to pride itself on mixed incomes living together, etc. However we are now more segregated then ever before. The 905 has almost no mixed housing, and this is causing a central city full of poor people with suburbs full of rich people. A classic city suburb split that Toronto never saw before.
-Our downtown has not seen major office towers or employment growth in over a decade. Downtown Toronto is now at its lowest point of regional influence. Less % of people work here then ever before regionally, and most regional residents are out of our touch with the centre of our city now.
-Our transit system while still good has lost the attraction it had. We are not attracting enough choice riders anymore, and the one car family is now less common.
-Toronto is seeing business flight to the suburbs. Massive big box centres that are eating away at city retail and causing the kind of sprawl we never wanted, etc.
So what do you guys think. Under the surface, do you think Toronto is deep trouble, and no one wants to admit it.
The model city of North America might just fall like the great American cities have?
We are pointing in that direction
-Population flight that is being covered up by immigration.
-Loss of business. More people work in the suburbs now, then in the City of Toronto.
-Regional segregation. If you live in the 905 chances are you have money. If you live in 416 chances are your family makes alot less money.
So is Toronto on lifesupport? What are we going to do to fix it?
Is there hope? Or do you think this is just normal for big cities to fall.