O
officedweller
Guest
"subways aren't built to anticipate demand"
That statement is counter to the entire concept of transit-oriented development.
Transit has a very strong development shaping effect. It is much better to concentrate growth in response to an existing station location, than trying to build a line or stations at some future point in time to serve a sprawling area. It is also easier to encourage development around an existing station than in response to some future promise of a station. Building the line to VCC would solidify that area as the town centre and focus growth there.
i.e. The Eglinton, St. Clair and Davisville nodes did not exist prior to the subway. They were built in response to the subway.
Of course, the ability to densify around stations depends on the municipality's zoning and desire to densify - compare, for example, Scarborough Centre or the Sheppard Line stations versus the other SRT stations, where the light industrial zoning has been preserved (likely to preserve jobs and an industrial tax base)
That statement is counter to the entire concept of transit-oriented development.
Transit has a very strong development shaping effect. It is much better to concentrate growth in response to an existing station location, than trying to build a line or stations at some future point in time to serve a sprawling area. It is also easier to encourage development around an existing station than in response to some future promise of a station. Building the line to VCC would solidify that area as the town centre and focus growth there.
i.e. The Eglinton, St. Clair and Davisville nodes did not exist prior to the subway. They were built in response to the subway.
Of course, the ability to densify around stations depends on the municipality's zoning and desire to densify - compare, for example, Scarborough Centre or the Sheppard Line stations versus the other SRT stations, where the light industrial zoning has been preserved (likely to preserve jobs and an industrial tax base)