Population and Housing

[ijmorlan]

Maybe I am wrong and the region can accommodate 300,000 people in shoebox towers in the downtowns or at various midrise infill projects that take years to build due to nimby protests. In the mean time I am glad I got into the housing market a couple years ago, because prices will probably continue to skyrocket in this region due to the artificial constraint.

I think you raise some good points. I should point out, however, that fixing the midrise infill issue is mostly a matter of liberalizing zoning: allow everything up to 3-story apartment buildings in all zones, and eliminate the distinction between detached/semi/townhouses/stack townhouses/maisonettes/duplexes/triplexes/whatever other words planners use. Also allow residential in commercial (most likely, apartments above retail, but unlike typical planners I don’t pretend to know what everybody will need) and allow 6-story buildings in all commercial zones. Allow neighbouring properties to waive setbacks without input from other properties and eliminate all parking minima. That’s for a start, just off the top of my head.

Then the NIMBY problem is gone because all the midrise can be built without going to Council to adjust the rules.

The biggest objection from the planning department would probably be the job loss owing to nothing to do.