Start typing to search this publication.
Brandon Donnelly logo Brandon Donnelly
Open menu
Brandon Donnelly logo

Subscribe to Brandon Donnelly

Get new posts delivered straight to your inbox.

2 storeys not 12

Brandon Donnelly avatar Brandon Donnelly
Cover image for 2 storeys not 12

I came across this poster -- related to this development application -- over the weekend:

And I think it raises a number of important questions:

  • Is 2 storeys appropriate for next to a subway station and next to an existing mid-rise building?

  • Is a mid-rise building truly unprecedented in this context? See below.

  • Are mid-rise homes inappropriate for "residential streets?"

  • How does building height factor into flood plain concerns? Wouldn't lot coverage be more relevant?

  • And when does a mid-rise become a "high-rise?"

For more context, here's the proposal and its immediate surroundings:

https://twitter.com/HousingNowTO/status/1557173774016995328?s=20&t=-I9yrZU8WNE__TVthtMPWg

I fully appreciate that there's little incentive to support new development in a place where you already live -- even if you happen to live in a similarly-scaled building across the street. And I am sure that I'll receive a number of emails following this post.

But optimizing the use of land around our existing transit stations is one of the best things we can do as city builders.

Update: I have redacted the contact information on the above poster.

Subscribe to Brandon Donnelly

Daily insights for city builders. Published since 2013 by Toronto-based real estate developer Brandon Donnelly.