I'm not aware of anyone saying anything that even remotely suggests the model you are suggesting.
My point was simply that if we are perceiving there to be a problem, then it is just common sense to address the source of that problem.
Not that I perceive achieving London, England level densities is a problem in the first place. In fact, it's something some might consider a good target to shoot for.
If the current crop of bureaucrats can't handle the job, then the solution is to hire ones that can.
If you didn't understand what I was talking about, there is no shame in saying so.
I still don't understand what you are writing about, says I, shamelessly.
The problem isn't "bureaucrats" as you so crassly term them, but the elected councillors who so often over-rule them or ignore their qualified and skilled advice. Keesmaat has made a bold statement, and I've had some issues with her statements on other matters, mostly her cow-towing to Tory's heavy hand after her initially speaking out (correctly so, in my opinion), so if she runs with her latest claim, she certainly has my support, and that of a lot of others, and I'm sure Planning Staff under her. The question really is 'where does Council stand on this'?
And a bit more cynically, can we see the puppet strings moving the councillors contrary to their plebes' wishes if we look closely enough?
Does anyone here have actual insight as to what this means? Keesmaat said she would enforce the policy framework. How does the law/regulations work in this case?
It's a good question, easily answered to what *policy* states, but one which rarely follows written policy. I could link all sorts of references to your question, but the real question you should be asking is "Does Council follow their own written and stated policies?".
And the answer is 'No'. It all starts with what's termed an Official Plan, then there's Secondary Plans, and things slowly fall apart right from the get-go. But rather than harp on that, I do think that a critical point is being reached where even the unmoved majority of Torontonians are wondering: "Where does this stop?"
Keesmaat could and would have been over-ruled by her political masters before. I think this time she's tapped into the emerging zeitgeist. That's a pretty safe projection to make.
But I'll take it further: She could run for Mayor after this goes critical, and have a very good chance of winning. She's going to have to be willing to stand her ground though. She might have to resign to stand her ground, Tory has been pretty slippery on a lot of what's happening.
A proviso that few understand though in dealing with Council: The Mayor has only one vote, the same as a Councillor. What a winning Mayor has to do beyond the power of one vote is being a populist, and Keesmaat could do it, and sway council like it hasn't been for decades.
