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Now is the time to reshape our cities. [Toronto alerted to unsustainable sprawl in 1996 by the Golden report]

DragonflyProperties

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Hi all,

An article from the November 27th edition of the Globe and Mail (Comment): Excerpts:

At the low end of the business cycle, there`s no match for the efficiency of well-planned public transit.

Just as Detroit was warned about fuel-inefficient automobiles, so was Toronto alerted to unsustainable sprawl in 1996 by the Golden report.

It has been clear for some time that fuel-inefficient sprawl is an obsolete, unsustainable form of development. As difficult as it is for General Motors to restructure its business, with so-called legacy issues imbedded in the way it does business (gas guzzlers, too many dealerships, union contracts and so on), so it is difficult to restructure the shape of our cities. But it is not impossible, and like GM, we have no option. The sooner we acknowledge the problem, the better our prospects for a sustainable future.

Not only did the Big Three automobile manufacturers fail to recognize the problem of excess gas consumption, they actively resisted the call for fuel-efficient automobiles. So, too, did Mike Harris`s Ontario Conservatives ignore the recommendations of the Golden report. Even the most efficient automobiles are nothing in comparison to the fuel efficiency and pollution-reducing characteristics of public transit.

There are answers to these problems. There are ways to begin the necessary transformation.


First, higher densities should be zoned within walking distance of existing public-transit stops. To make public transit affordable, at least 25 units to the acre are necessary. Indeed, no further development should be allowed further than, say, 1,000 metres (a 15-minute walk) of a transit stop.

Second, the utilization of bus flexibility. No expensive rail bed is required for bus service. Buses can serve local routes or longer-haul, express routes. They can have a number of stops in one neighbourhood, then go directly to a more remote destination. Exclusive bus lanes on existing arterial streets, for the longer-haul components of such trips, would enhance their efficiency.


Now is the time to consider investing in an infrastructure that not only provides employment but also lays the foundation for future sustainability, and therefore a globally competitive and environmentally responsible economy. If we don`t take the opportunity created by the current crisis, suburbs will be like an SUV in the next decade - unwieldy and unwanted.


http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/sto...specialComment/

Keith
 
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