I think it would look great if we have more Victorian houses built right up to the sidewalk for that more metropolitan look to residential streetscapes
The only reason these other "metropolitan" streetscapes you speak of don't have the setbacks, is because they wanted to maximize every square inch for profit, and municipal legislation allowed it. In Toronto, the City legislated setbacks for a reason, and Toronto had the advantage of more abundant and cheaper land to do it. It was not something only the very rich could afford. Sometimes, the exception to the rule is better than the rule, and in this case, I think Toronto's situation is superior. And I think the people in these "metropolitan" cities are the ones who would envy us...not the other way around. This is a clear case of
"grass is greener", only in Toronto's case, it can be taken quite literally. We have to start seeing Toronto's strengths, rather than blindly accepting what's done in these "metropolitan" cities as better.
with trees between the curb and sidewalk and perhaps a very small front yard.
Trees between the curb and sidewalk are good too, and should be accommodated when possible. But ample setbacks allow for mature trees between the sidewalk and buildings, which serves an even greater purpose. This acts as a great mitigating feature to the street, which lessens the impact of buildings lining the street when and if these buildings are changed and have less context with each other.
This is why you can walk down residential streets like the ones running east of Yonge downtown and things still seem contextual, despite the buildings on the street running the gamut from victorian houses to 1920's walk-ups to 1960's apartment high-rises to 21st century 50 storey glass condos. These are some of my favourite streets in the city. If there were no ample setbacks, this would not be possible, or look very strange. We would either be able to do nothing....or tear it all down for canyons of tall buildings. Neither of those scenarios is good. This is what has allowed Toronto to add to its density over long periods of time without such drastic measures.
The other great advantage is a green one. Toronto has a great abundance of public trees of course, and so do other cities. But unlike most other large cities, the vast majority of Toronto's trees are not on public property...they are on private property. Which is why Toronto does actually look like a "City within a Park".
