Quote:
Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper
I wonder what the daily tonnage transport on the 401 through Toronto is. I find the GTA suburbs incredibly ugly but, as a function of sprawl, they are no where in the league of most US metros; abundant 1/4 acreages, no sidewalks, much high percentage of abandonment and, miles to go for milk. Most larger subdivisions of the last 20 years here are designed with a commercial component that is within walking distance of most homes. For this, all of the larger builders have commercial divisions.
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The way suburbs are built these days in the GTA is very different than the norm in mid-size Canadian cities. New suburban developments in cities like London and Kingston have zero provision for any commercial development within walking distance. One of the new subdivisions in the west end of London is a 30-minute walk from the nearest convenience store. I was very surprised a few years ago when I visited a new development in suburban Milton (itself a suburb serving both Toronto and Hamilton), and saw commercial development under construction
in the neighbourhood - and it was even pedestrian-oriented with street-facing entrances. You'd
never see that in Southern Ontario outside the GTHA and maybe Ottawa.
Today's Toronto Star had an interesting article on the subject of walkability:
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2015...t-pay-off.html - It's interesting to see that walkable neighbourhoods are becoming more desirable in large cities with long commute times from the suburbs, while in mid-sized cities the traditional suburban development model is still king.