Is inner city Toronto to suburban?

miketoronto · #1 Posted: **Apr 15, 2007, 7:49 PM**

This is from the downtown thread where it was mentioned that the popular areas of inner city Toronto are suburban.

I just wanted your guys views on this?

Do you think that overall inner city Toronto is pretty suburban, even in a streetcar suburb kind of way. And maybe that is why the inner city never really lose so much as other more dense cities did in terms of pop?

Do you our inner city residents walk less and drive more then people in other cities? If you look at the city of Toronto website, a large number of non-work trips even in inner city wards are by car. As much as 60-70% in many inner city wards.
That does not seem to urban to me.

Your views on this.

I have actually talked with a number of people who consider inner city Toronto not more then a bunch of streetcar suburbs.

Or do you think we strike a good balance?

Your views?

kool maudit · #2 Posted: **Apr 15, 2007, 8:40 PM**

it could do with a few more areas of 3-4 storey attached walkups, but the condo towers are doing o a good job at increasing the general density.

MonkeyRonin · #3 Posted: **Apr 15, 2007, 9:06 PM**

By "Inner city" I assume your talking specifically about areas like Yonge-Eglinton and Rosedale?

But either way, not suburban. In areas like North Toronto, houses are moderately sized and close togther, with transit and retail in walkable distance, while still having gridded streets and residential and commerical high-rises on main streets.

EDIT: I think Salvius put it best in the other thread:

"Well, Cabbagetown is all houses... But since when was suburbia just about houses? Suburban lifestyle and living in a house is by no means synonymous. I mean, here you say the most desirable areas in inner city Toronto are 'suburban.' I'm guessing you'd be talking about Rosedale; but Rosedale is not a 'suburban lifestyle.' It's steps to the subway, and steps to Yonge and Bloor, one of the busiest intersections in Canada... It's in the middle of downtown (ok, not quite in the 'middle' at all but still). You could live there completely car-free if you wished to; plenty of dining/food/entertainment options in your backyard. Absolutely nothing suburban about that. I just don't understand this reasoning: is a lot of the Greenwich Village suburban, then? On the other hand, Mississauga is mostly actually not houses, but rowhomes--but there is very little urban about it."

401_King · #4 Posted: **Apr 15, 2007, 9:09 PM**

no, im uptown all the time, i always find it bustlin full of ppl. lots of apartments. urban living for sure

LordMandeep · #5 Posted: **Apr 15, 2007, 11:25 PM**

i doubt anyone from the burbs would think about the word suburban in the inner city.

WHISTLERINMUSKOKA · #6 Posted: **Apr 16, 2007, 1:23 AM**

This should be in the Ontario section, and mike why always the doom and gloom?

LordMandeep · #7 Posted: **Apr 16, 2007, 1:58 AM**

come on consider the headlines....

"city losses bid for expo"
"city looses bid for expo, is this the end for the city?

which is more interesting...

Doady · #8 Posted: **Apr 16, 2007, 2:06 AM**

No.

shappy · #9 Posted: **Apr 16, 2007, 4:18 AM**

inner city Toronto may be a lot of things but suburban is not one of them.

SHOFEAR · #10 Posted: **Apr 16, 2007, 5:38 AM**

I think some examples of bus route maps would really help explain what your trying to say mike.

Taller Better · #11 Posted: **Apr 16, 2007, 6:15 AM**

Do I think it is suburban downtown? no.
Next gloom and doom question.

Mister F · #12 Posted: **Apr 16, 2007, 6:31 AM**

Mike should have a doom and gloom section all to himself. That way he can talk about things collapesing to his heart's content.

miketoronto · #13 Posted: **Apr 16, 2007, 12:46 PM**

Its not doom and gloom. Its just a question.

I happen to like how our inner city is layed out.

Taller Better · #14 Posted: **Apr 16, 2007, 1:58 PM**

Then why do you dwell on these end-of-the-world scenarios? Do you come from a family of alarmists and pessimists?

shappy · #15 Posted: **Apr 16, 2007, 3:09 PM**

I don't get how this is considered doom and gloom...

MolsonExport · #16 Posted: **Apr 16, 2007, 3:41 PM**

perhaps not doom, but certainly gloom.

caltrane74 · #17 Posted: **Apr 16, 2007, 3:53 PM**

should have been posted in Ontario section.

but yes, I like how toronto is layed out. It has constant buzz of pedestrian and streetcars moving about. It's so exciting even for someone who was born here. Other big cities just do not have the same big city feel so far away from Downtown as Toronto has.

Like the Beaches, Rosedale, Summerhill, Dundas West, Sunnyside...etc etc..
these are excellent hoods in the big fabric...but still..

This should have been posted in the Ontario section.

M II A II R II K · #18 Posted: **Apr 16, 2007, 4:01 PM**

Should it.........

Anyway alot of the city is too suburban past the old city of Toronto.

Taller Better · #19 Posted: **Apr 16, 2007, 4:08 PM**

So, the suburbs are too suburban?

salvius · #20 Posted: **Apr 16, 2007, 4:22 PM**

The inner suburbs are indeed just that--suburban, and I do think that some of the main arteries (e.g. Finch) are, for the most part, horrid wastelands. Much could be done to improve these; they lack the basic walk-up commercial roads so prevalent in the old city. These have instead been replaced with crappy arterial mini-highways. Ugh.

But the old city is perfect; there's still room for infill, but as a whole, it's fine. My nabe, Bloor West Village/High Park is very much a low-rise type of place (minus a few obvious exceptions), and it's absolutely great. Supports a major commercial/retail road (or two, depending where you are) and rapid transit... If suburbs looked like this, I'd have absolutely no trouble living in them.