11-06-2015, 12:16 PM
(11-06-2015, 10:01 AM)plam Wrote: I could see it being possible, however, that before LRT, people just live far away anyway, and now they have more of an opportunity to live somewhere along the LRT line at least, even if it's not in the center. You hear about poor people and 2+ hour commutes, but this area just isn't big enough for that.
My concern is that because an LRT or subway line makes an area more desirable to live in, in large part because of reduced commuting time and/or more convenient commuting (in the Sheppard example if a building has direct access to the subway then one could commute to work downtown, go shopping, to the theatre, etc. without the need to put on a coat), property values rise at faster rates than elsewhere. This in turn drives up rents and drives away those who can't afford the increases, resulting in an increase in commute times for them. And of course because they no longer live in the area, it then becomes "gentrified." But that's just my simple-minded view.
(11-06-2015, 10:25 AM)Andy Wrote: In the Shepphard example you gave, there's greater housing supply in the area now. So even though prices are higher, they would be even higher if the single detached homes and small rental towers remained.
There's greater housing supply to be sure. But most if not all of that new housing is very expensive. In addition the prices of existing houses have gone up at rates that far exceed inflation. Some of this is masked by the real estate "bubble" in Toronto which only makes analysis that much more difficult.
(11-06-2015, 10:59 AM)Owen Wrote: So sure - it's unfortunate the the price of housing is going up - but that's not the fault of developers or politicians - that's just a fact of life...
I'm not suggesting that it is, only that the city and developers might have some obligation to provide lower cost housing for those who would otherwise be driven out. Note I'm asking, not telling. It does seem to me that as a society we have an obligation to help those less fortunate than we are. (I realize that this goes counter to libertarian doctrine. But fortunately that's not quite as popular here as it is to our south.) Most communities do provide subsidized housing of some sort, including in "gentrificatied" areas. Should we (have we) made any commitments of this sort in our current LRT plans?