In a housing shortage, the only way to go is up

The city has limited the height of buildings along one stretch of the Danforth but times have changed

We are in critical need of more housing density in the City of Toronto – no question about that. However, NIMBYs on council seem intent on stymieing residential development.

Experts, provincial leaders and the home building industry agree that we must build 1.5 million residences over the next decade to address the issues of housing supply and affordability. The provincial government is mandating that Toronto create about 285,000 of those new homes by 2031.

To reach that goal, the only way to go is up, especially if developments are to be located near major transit station areas.

That point might seem obvious to some, but I’m stating it because a proposed condo development in Greektown has rekindled debate about density and whether high-rises should be allowed in the area to meet the needs of a growing population.

For the record, the answer is yes. I believe tall buildings should be allowed in the area.

A proposal has been made by the Goldberg Group on behalf of property owners Del Boca Vista Properties Inc. and 717 Pape Inc. to build a 49-storey tower on the northeast corner of Pape and Danforth avenues – adjacent to a planned interchange station that will connect the Bloor-Danforth subway line to the new Ontario Line upon completion.

According to the proposal, the lower levels of the building will have retail, commercial and office space with 43 floors on top that include 496 residential units. There will be three levels of underground parking.

All in, the building will have nearly 30,000 square metres of much-needed residential floor area.

The city has limited the height of buildings along the stretch of The Danforth from Broadview Avenue to east of Pape Avenue for many decades. But times have changed.

We are in a housing crisis, and it is time to rethink the restrictions. Taller buildings and higher-density development, especially in neighbourhoods along main transit lines in the city, must be allowed.

Tall buildings can be built on a relatively small footprint and are preferrable to urban sprawl. They maximize space for residential and commercial growth and provide as much housing as possible in tight areas. A tall building is, in effect, a vertical transformation of horizontal expansion.

Height creates space and allows people to live in the same areas that they shop in, which means they don’t have to hop in the car to get groceries. It cuts down on pollution and saves residents on car insurance, fuel and repairs.

Today’s tall buildings are more energy-efficient and are built with the latest technology. For example, anti-reflective façade coatings are now used on many buildings. Blast furnace slag is sometimes used in high-strength concrete, which offers higher performance and sustainability benefits.

High-rise buildings, meanwhile, are more secure than a ground level development which has multiple points of access for intruders.

Overall, though, tall buildings allow developers to address housing shortages by injecting more places to live on a smaller footprint.

This past spring, city planners released a study that called for lifting the height limit in The Danforth, allowing it to become a neighbourhood of buildings up to eight storeys, with a strong affordable housing component.

The idea was to help meet the growing need for housing and help the area evolve into a more complete street, with homes, jobs and infrastructure to support them.

However, raising new building heights in the area to eight storeys won’t solve the housing crisis. Conventional wisdom suggests that to create more residential units and affordable housing in The Danforth, the height limits must be revised upwards.

In light of the current housing situation, it is critical to take action. Refusing to budge on the height limits would put the Pape and Danforth project in jeopardy.

The province is asking for a roughly 50-per-cent increase in the number of housing units we’ve been building. It’s a tall order.

To reach the target, provisions must be made to allow for loftier buildings and higher densities. Raising height restrictions in the Danforth area would be a good start.

Richard Lyall is president of the Residential Construction Council of Ontario (RESCON). He has represented the building industry in Ontario since 1991. Contact him at media@rescon.com.