General Urban Kitchener Updates and Rumours

[dtkvictim]

Unless it dawns on people that being stuck in a 600sqft box for 20 hours a day is less appealing than moving further out to get more space.  The suburbs/exurbs could see some action if it really doesn't matter where you live anymore.

I don't think the people who live in downtown Toronto do so for jobs, I think they do so because they want to live in downtown Toronto.

I find this highly unlikely, although I'm certainly biased as someone who would never live downtown Toronto.

According to this page: https://www.toronto.ca/city-government/d...e-centres/

Compared with the rest of the City, Downtown and the Centres have:

• more adults in their twenties and thirties;
  
• more single person households; and
  
• fewer families with children.
  

I think this implies the average living space is much too small in our urban center. When people want to move in with their partners, and especially if they want to have children, 600sqft is not enough space. It can also be that many people (such as me) don't think North American downtowns are a good place to raise a family.

For Downtown residents, being close to work was the most important reason.

And this is certainly a direct argument against your claim. Although many factors beyond that go in to making the decision where to live...

And while I haven't seen cause and effect properly established, studies about density and happiness (usually life satisfaction) clearly shows people are less happy living in urban centers.