General Suburban Updates and Rumours

[ac3r]

What do you think was actually lost in Northdale when the city allowed developers to replace student houses with student apartments with commercial uses?

Some of the towers (especially on King) are pretty ugly, but I would say the average street-level interaction in Northdale is as good as the average recent project in downtown Kitchener.

Everything. The buildings don't do anything but house students. They didn't design the buildings nor the environment they are in to be human. Take a look at this, this or this. Who would want to live near any of it? It looks horrible and it has done nothing to make even walking down the street seem comfortable for people. They're ugly buildings with cramped living environments generally run by vicious landlords who routinely prey on naïve students. I don't believe a bubble tea shop or a hole in the wall restaurant really counts as good street interaction or retail options either. It's a massive student ghetto that I'm sure everyone will regret ever permitting in 20 years.

Compare these new student buildings to the old ones build in the the modernist era - for example the ones near Columbia and Westmount. While they may look dated these days, at least have open environments with green spaces, trees and parks.