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Toronto Urban Sprawl Compared to Other Cities

By me. I posted this on SSP a couple weeks ago, but I think it's appropriate to share it here as well. I adjusted all the cities so that they are to the exact same scale +/- 3% for some of the smaller ones. The big 6 are all to scale. Yes, I know I left a couple greenfields in for some cities by accident, but it's not a significant amount. I think it's interesting what a behemoth Toronto is. I isolated Oshawa and Hamilton, but obviously it's all one connected urban area. Edmonton and Calgary are both simply massive for their populations.

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In the Toronto Sun today, see link, Hazel McCallion admits:

“We don’t have an adequate transit system,” McCallion said. “(People) moved to Mississauga to buy a home of their own. The market determines that. Developers don’t build something that people won’t buy ... Transit can’t operate with cul-de-sacs and crescents and that’s what people love.”
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W. K. Lis said:
In the Toronto Sun today, see link, Hazel McCallion admits:
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While grid pattern streets are more adaptable, transit can work with crescents and cul-de-sacs if the crescents and cul-de-sacs are design with transit in mind. Transit doesn't work if the crescents and cul-de-sacs are only designed so they can be accessed by car like they were in the 1970's and 80's. The two important things a neighbourhood has to have to support transit, regardless of the street pattern, is density and walkability. It's relatively easy to design a neighbourhood with crescents and cul-de-sacs that is also transit friendly if that is one of your design priorities.
 
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Indeed: technically, the St. Lawrence neighbourhood has "crescents and cul-de-sacs" (i.e. the stuff buffering the rail line)--and transit access *can* be convoluted there, at least relative to remoteness from the King car...
 
adma said:
Indeed: technically, the St. Lawrence neighbourhood has "crescents and cul-de-sacs" (i.e. the stuff buffering the rail line)--and transit access *can* be convoluted there, at least relative to remoteness from the King car...
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Yet there are bus routes (75, 72A, 72B, 65) in the St. Lawrence area. Yet, because they are buses, and not streetcars, people don't know there is transit available other than rail.
 
Hazel McCallion's "people love cul-de-sacs" line is misleading. A lot of people like to live on a street without noisy traffic. Toronto's rectangular grid has hundreds of quiet side streets. People bought houses in Mississauga because they wanted to buy an affordable and new house not requiring much maintenance. All they needed to make their dream of home ownership happen was a car to navigate the mess of cul de sacs--an easy tradeoff. In the end, the suburban grid is a tradeoff. Tell them that you enjoy the short and easy walk to many great parks, restaurants and businesses in your neighbourhood in Toronto, and no one will tell you that actually driving to all those places is better and a factor in why they decided to buy a house in Mississauga.
 
Johnny Au said:
Even the northeastern part of Oakwood-Vaughan (especially east of Oakwood and north of Vaughan) is a giant maze of one-way streets.
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Although isn't some of that maze a more recent (i.e. post-Allen Rd) through-traffic-discouraging tactic?
 
adma said:
Although isn't some of that maze a more recent (i.e. post-Allen Rd) through-traffic-discouraging tactic?
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Some of that is attributed post-Allen Road, though there are many more one-way streets in the former city of York far from the Allen as well.

One would not find that kind of maze, even downtown, though the Oakwood-Vaughan maze is beneficial to the 63 Ossington and the 90 Vaughan bus routes.
 
I just found an insane exurb north of Burlington. It's called the Bluffs, houses there look to be about 5000 sq ft on average, lots about 2 acres. It's on Guelph Ln right after the 407. A bit further north is another exurb called Kilbride. Absolutely no retail or work there. Purely residential neighbourhoods and extremely low density, but still cul-de-sacs etc. Driving through both of these was pretty surreal.
 
middeljohn said:
I just found an insane exurb north of Burlington. It's called the Bluffs, houses there look to be about 5000 sq ft on average, lots about 2 acres. It's on Guelph Ln right after the 407. A bit further north is another exurb called Kilbride. Absolutely no retail or work there. Purely residential neighbourhoods and extremely low density, but still cul-de-sacs etc. Driving through both of these was pretty surreal.
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Many communities like that are based around small former hamlets or villages. There is a perception among people that bigger, nicer houses will bring better people to the community which will support their business and village lifestyle. In reality, the opposite is more likely to be true. Smaller, more-humble homes are more conducive to a village lifestyle. The large mega-homes bring executive families who own three or four cars and drive to the mall in the city to shop, even for milk and bread. They rarely walk beyond their property line (except when they want to complain to their neighbor about improper grass cutting); and their kids all go to private schools not the local public school. Yet if a developer tries to get small 2500 sq.ft. houses (just like the historic houses in the village) approve people will be up in arms about how the developer is destroying the village by bringing in riffraff.

For comparison take a look at Schomberg, a small town just west of the 400 north of Toronto, which has allowed small units to be developed and which has a very vibrant successful main street and numerous community events, versus places like Kilbride or Ballentrae (north of Stouffville) who's downtown's are a gas station. Which community is better?
 
Johnny Au said:
Some of that is attributed post-Allen Road, though there are many more one-way streets in the former city of York far from the Allen as well.

One would not find that kind of maze, even downtown, though the Oakwood-Vaughan maze is beneficial to the 63 Ossington and the 90 Vaughan bus routes.
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Actually, it may be argued that "maze planning" originated in downtown nabes--think Cabbagetown, or the zone E of Central Tech...
 
the maze only effects drivers, people walking can keep going through. this is the same as the traffic calming that Jane Jacobs made in the Annex, its to make it so that the residential streets are safer and quieter. it is not the same as actual mazes where cycling and walking are inhibited by badly places houses and fences, and really doessn't effect city life, because nobody needs to drive through all neighbourhood streets, a few major ones will suffice.
 
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