Zoning Reform Ideas

[Northern Light]

Not just that, but the passenger pigeon became extinct when the world had much fewer people:

Yes, the passenger pigeon officially became extinct months after the start of the First World War (defined as the botched assassination attempt on the Austrian archduke by a Serbian nationalist).

The video mentions other North American birds that have gone extinct over a century ago.

Humanity has been making a mess of things for a very long time.

 

[Undead]

Humanity has been making a mess of things for a very long time.

Ehhh, sticking with the former working species example, I think horses would be quite grateful for being made redundant via a vis the horrific back breaking labour they used to do. It's very easy (and fashionable) to be negative toward humanity, but it's an overly cynical, simplistic and often inaccurate take. I for one would never bet against the human spirit, despite the tarnish we can sometimes put on it.

 

[Northern Light]

Ehhh, sticking with the former working species example, I think horses would be quite grateful for being made redundant via a vis the horrific back breaking labour they used to do. It's very easy (and fashionable) to be negative toward humanity, but it's an overly cynical, simplistic and often inaccurate take. I for one would never bet against the human spirit, despite the tarnish we can sometimes put on it.

LOL, who inflicted the back-breaking work on horses?

Oh right, that was humans.

Yes, we're not half-bad at solving problems we create, a few centuries late......

 

[Undead]

Well, my point is that we can solve problems. Whereas the contemporary nihilistic mindset is that it's hopeless to try anything and that humanity probably deserves to be wiped out. Statements along these lines were made being widely when covid first hit--"humanity is the virus" and other associated BS (and of course long before covid).

 

[TRONto]

Canada Is Now Completing 18 Homes For Every Person The Population Grows - Better Dwelling

Canadian homebuilding lagged in the past, but it now far exceeds population growth. CMHC data shows home completions started to outpace population growth last year. By the fourth quarter, there are now 18 homes completed for every person the population grows. Curiously, home prices have been...

betterdwelling.com

I know this is Canada at large, but I've come across articles that suggest otherwise. I think speculative and investor ownership is a big issue. There are lots of social issues that need to be addressed (wages, capital gains, etc) and not strictly building more units. What good is more units if investors who already own several buy even more? I recall an article profiling a guy who owned 12 homes in Toronto.

There was another article discussing the fact that there are a million vacant homes in Canada as well. That's a lot of housing just sitting around not housing anybody.

I looked at this and the temporary population is not included in this analysis. Once you put in that number you can see we are not over building.

 

[Northern Light]

I looked at this and the temporary population is not included in this analysis. Once you put in that number you can see we are not over building.

Of course, we again need to ask; should we have that large a temporary population?

The largest share being foreign students, followed by 'Temporary Foreign Workers'.

I'm not for prohibiting either.

But as these programs are currently constituted, I'm not clear that they produce a tangible net benefit to Canada, to the workers, or to their home countries.

The benefit largely goes to the schools (empire building on the back of full-market tuition, and degree-factory economics)........and to employers (farms, those who employ nannies, and some factories and hospitality businesses). The benefit accrued in the latter cases is derived from artificially low wages which could never be sustained in the absence of the TFW program.

 

[TRONto]

Of course, we again need to ask; should we have that large a temporary population?

The largest share being foreign students, followed by 'Temporary Foreign Workers'.

I'm not for prohibiting either.

But as these programs are currently constituted, I'm not clear that they produce a tangible net benefit to Canada, to the workers, or to their home countries.

The benefit largely goes to the schools (empire building on the back of full-market tuition, and degree-factory economics)........and to employers (farms, those who employ nannies, and some factories and hospitality businesses). The benefit accrued in the latter cases is derived from artificially low wages which could never be sustained in the absence of the TFW program.

I agree with both sentiments. I don't believe we should have a TFW program, if owners can't figure out a business solution without FW then how about they run a different business.

In the case of students, it should be University undergraduate level and higher. I don't believe that a business diploma from Humber is going to provide a leg up vs taking the same diploma in their own country. Even with undergraduate, I could see an argument to limit it foreign students to science (incl healthcare) and technology Graduate could be completely open.

 

[TRONto]

Toronto developers are scrambling to avoid new rules to house the poor https://www.blogto.com/real-estate-...rs-are-scrambling-avoid-new-rules-house-poor/

 

[Northern Light]

Toronto developers are scrambling to avoid new rules to house the poor https://www.blogto.com/real-estate-...rs-are-scrambling-avoid-new-rules-house-poor/

Key bit from the above:

 

[Northern Light]

A report on opening up 'neighbourhoods' to multiplexes/low-rise apartments has made its way on to next week's Planning and Housing Agenda.......

Link: https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2021/ph/bgrd/backgroundfile-173156.pdf

The Good News: Planning is clearly leaning to open things up

The Bad News: One more report to get there, due by the end of Q2 2022, which is to say, just in time for the last Council meeting before next year's municipal election...... What could go wrong?

From the above:

Examples the City is looking at:

Case Study Neighbourhoods:

Note there is a detail on each area in the report, but this is a long post, so I'll stop here!

 

[Northern Light]

Another biggie dropping, this one with imminent action proposed.

Reform to Parking Minimums/Introduction of Parking Maximums where not previously in place.

Report Link: https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2021/ph/bgrd/backgroundfile-173150.pdf

From the Report:

From that last Paragraph, the Big News:

Staff are recommending to eliminate parking minimums city-wide with the exception of
maintaining minimum requirements for visitor parking and accessible parking.

 

[Undead]

Finally!

 

[Towered]

Finally!

If it passes, which I'm very skeptical of.

 

[allengeorge]

If it passes, which I'm very skeptical of.

As am I, but I’m truly hoping. IIRC, although it removes parking minimums, it’s actually not mandating reduced parking in large swaths of the city, so…it may get an easier ride?

I’m seriously crossing my fingers, but Toronto has disappointed me so many times before.

 

[allengeorge]

As @Northern Light posted, lots of exciting stuff up at the PHC meeting on Nov 25:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1461430061127634949

1. Expanding multiplexes across the city
2. Making it easier to build laneway suites
3. EHON bulletin (basically…suggesting it’s time to start cracking open the Neighbourhoods)
4. Parking minimum removals

That’s a pretty aggressive agenda. Obviously I’m hoping everything is passed and onto Council for the final battle but…