Toronto Bloor & Dufferin | 122.35m | 37s | Hazelview | Turner Fleischer

I'd love to hear your reasoning for 47, 57, or 77 storeys here. I'd be thoroughly disappointed if it's because it's next to a subway station. These heights greatly exceed anything in the neighbourhood and a shopping mall plus proximity to a subway station doesn't justify a hyper dense block in my books. There should be some balance between employment and residential when densities reach above 4 FAR. A hellish, hour long transit commute to the CBD is not a net benefit to those that end up living here.

There's plenty of options between 2 storeys and plus 20 floors although, for whatever reason, it often gets lost in Toronto.
 
maestro said:
I'd love to hear your reasoning for 47, 57, or 77 storeys here. I'd be thoroughly disappointed if it's because it's next to a subway station. These heights greatly exceed anything in the neighbourhood and a shopping mall plus proximity to a subway station doesn't justify a hyper dense block in my books. There should be some balance between employment and residential when densities reach above 4 FAR. A hellish, hour long transit commute to the CBD is not a net benefit to those that end up living here.

There's plenty of options between 2 storeys and plus 20 floors although, for whatever reason, it often gets lost in Toronto.
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Housing shortage? What housing shortage? Don't need any more homes, I guess. :D
 
maestro said:
A hellish, hour long transit commute to the CBD is not a net benefit to those that end up living here.
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I'm confused. Are you talking about the subway commute from Bloor/Dufferin?
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Yes. I embellished a little bit which seemed appropriate given the discussion. It's not a great commute and it's not going to get better if we continue to build this way. You don't just throw established neighbourhood planning policy out the window because there's a subway stop. Multiple 15 storey towers stepping down to 6 storeys would still deliver a large influx of new residential density but limit the impact on the existing community.

The record for residential block developments exponentially higher in density and height than the existing neighbourhood is poor including beside TTC stations. I don't have hope the improved interactivity at ground level will make a huge difference.
 
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W. K. Lis said:
Housing shortage? What housing shortage? Don't need any more homes, I guess. :D
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There are plenty of options to increase housing supply that aren't inclusively 47 storeys tower or 2 storeys. One option is to encourage certain investors to lease their units out instead of leaving them dark. Skyscrapers are a poor choice at resolving an immediate affordable housing crunch because they aren't affordable to build and take years to complete. That's a weak argument for supporting 47 storeys at Dufferin and Bloor.
 
I actually agree with @maestro here.

Just because a development is located right next to a major rapid transit stop, doesnt mean that it warrants a ~50 story building. It's important to respect the existing character of a neighborhood, and take into account the existing constraints that exist. The problem we have in Toronto, is that we like to overbuild in areas that really cant absorb the mass influx. Even if Dufferin Station is right next to this development, that doesn't automatically mandate that we need some sort of towering skyscraper that towers across the surrounding landscape/neighborhood.

Another point is that this is not the downtown core where 40+ stories is commonly proposed within that boundary, this is Dufferin and Bloor. Should we bring 40+ storied developments to Old Mill, Jane, Runnymede, etc, just because "a subway station is right next door"? I'm sorry but I refuse that notion.
 
My reason for saying more floors is because I like tall towers. I think all the talk about not changing the character of a neighborhood is bull*&%#. The character of neighborhoods is constantly changing and evolving, along with the city itself, so where does that leave room for the neighborhood to stay as it is???
 
Koops65 said:
My reason for saying more floors is because I like tall towers. I think all the talk about not changing the character of a neighborhood is bull*&%#. The character of neighborhoods is constantly changing and evolving, along with the city itself, so where does that leave room for the neighborhood to stay as it is???
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You like towers so that means you can just plop them down anywhere with no regard for the area around it. You can change and evolve without planting 70 storey towers at every corner....especially an area that is comprised of predominantely 2 storey buildings.
 
I certainly don't expect 70 floor towers on every corner. That isn't practical, as much as I'd like there to be that many tall towers around... But, at a major intersection, with high level transit, I see no reason to be timid here in regards to height.
 
Koops65 said:
I certainly don't expect 70 floor towers on every corner. That isn't practical, as much as I'd like there to be that many tall towers around... But, at a major intersection, with high level transit, I see no reason to be timid here in regards to height.
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So back to my original point, should Ellesmere and Kennedy see a 70 story tower plopped right on the corner of the intersection because you know, high level transit is right next door?

Or what about at Royal York and Bloor? That area should see a 70 story as well due to Bloor-Danforth line being right there huh?
 
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