Christopher Hume likes tall buildings

It is a rare day that I agree with anything as Christopher Hume has to say, for but once, there is much merit in his article in the Toronto Star, December 24 edition (http://bit.ly/sj1fQZ). In his article, he interviews a number of architects and planners who either participated or had opinions on the exhibition “To Tall” currently on display at Harbourfront Centre until December 31.   Hume interviewed a variety of architects and planners who unanimously agreed that for the city to enter the 21st century and recognize the realities of increasing population growth with limited land availability, coupled with the governments' clear desire to avoid sprawl and intensify built-up areas, tall buildings, appropriately designed and located are inevitable, and the way of the future.   Although Toronto leads the world in high-rise development, the NIMBY-ism of local counselors and their constituents continues to wreak havoc on good design and maximization of density in appropriate locations. Developers are forced to seek excessive height requirements for their high-rises because inevitably no matter what they asked for, the community, the counselors and often the planners will arbitrarily object height to the proposed and automatically seek a reduction. This results in an inefficient and wasteful use of resources and extends the time for approvals and construction, only adding to the ultimate cost, passed on to the consumer. As long as there is a ward based municipal system inToronto, as opposed to citywide elections and representation as is the case inVancouver, NIMBY-ism will not go away.   Peter Clewes, a renowned Toronto architect, commented to Christopher: “Still there is a general sense in the city that height is bad, that the planners' job is to cut these towers down to size. It is an emotional response, if not the tall poppy syndrome, certainly the tall tower complex. As a rule of thumb, the city reduces the height other proposed building by 10%. Asked for 50 stories, expect 46.” It is actually quite amazing that development proceeds in the city at all notwithstanding the political and community resistance. It is only by having an independent forum, the OMB, which is the final arbiter for zoning approvals and which can overrule the city and its counselors, that allows development to proceed. If this institution was removed, development would grind to a halt in the city.  

Without the growth of high-rise condominium towers over the last 15 years, the rental market in the city would be severely constrained. As it is, the vacancy rate of 1.4% is far too low, resulting in is a residential landlord's market. UnlessTorontopoliticians want to close the door to new immigrants to the GTA, they will have to recognize that high-rise living, is the only available alternative to house new families and newcomers to GTA.