A new report documents the tremendous growth of Toronto's core, as it outpaces the surrounding suburbs. Downtown's growth is welcome news, but it won't come without substantial challenges.
'Echo Boomers' - those born between 1972 and 1992 - are flocking to Toronto's core, tripling downtown's growth rate in just five years according to a new report, entitled “Toronto — A Return to the Core" [PDF] by TD Economics. "This runs counter to worry over the 'doughnut effect' — a fear that Toronto will steadily lose jobs and dynamism to the regions that surround it — making this city the empty hole in a GTA doughnut," says an editorial in The Toronto Star.
Yet, as the report notes, this growth brings with it substantial challenges that must be addressed by city leaders and planners. "The eager young urbanites crowding into the core rely heavily on public transit, and a continued downtown population surge could overwhelm the city’s already struggling system."
"It’s also clear that the downtown is fast becoming a 'neighbourhood' in the full meaning of the word. And no neighbourhood benefits from having a casino plopped down in its centre," says the editorial in regards to a proposal by Oxford Properties Group to build a casino as part of a massive redevelopment project.
"It’s not clear how long the Echo Boomer influx will last. As they get older and have children they might head off to the suburbs, just like their parents. Those parents, in turn, may go the other way, abandoning their empty nests and moving into a condo in the core. Either way, it’s vital that city builders get it right by providing more transit and other amenities so that more people — regardless of age — can keep our downtown booming."
FULL STORY: ‘Echo Boomers’ revitalize Toronto’s downtown core: Editorial
Oregon Passes Exemption to Urban Growth Boundary
Cities have a one-time chance to acquire new land for development in a bid to increase housing supply and affordability.
Where Urban Design Is Headed in 2024
A forecast of likely trends in urban design and architecture.
Savannah: A City of Planning Contrasts
From a human-scales, plaza-anchored grid to suburban sprawl, the oldest planned city in the United States has seen wildly different development patterns.
Orlando Pledges to Improve Walkability
A city report highlights successes and failures in building safer transportation infrastructure and reducing VMT in 2023.
New York Transit Agency Launches Performance Dashboard
The tool increases transparency about the agency’s performance on a variety of metrics.
Washington Tribes Receive Resilience Funding
The 28 grants support projects including relocation efforts as coastal communities face the growing impacts of climate change.
City of Rochester
Boston Harbor Now
City of Bellevue
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Birmingham, Alabama
City of Laramie, Wyoming
Colorado Department of Local Affairs
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.