Canadian City Proposals - Page 871

Innsertnamehere · #**17401** Posted **Jan 13, 2022, 4:56 PM**

Housing in Canada is insanely over-regulated as everyone’s got outlandish expectations in terms of how much control government should have over private property. It drives costs massively and impacts design.

biguc · #**17402** Posted **Jan 13, 2022, 5:13 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

The middle live in single family homes in post war neighbourhoods outside of Canada too. A 15 to 20 million dollar estate in Toronto can be purchased for $2 million in Latin America. It doesn't make any common sense that high net worth individuals (local and foreign) are only interested in condo apartments.

Consumers ultimately drive design. Where the investment is coming from may have more to do with our standards than the costs of business in Canada.

It's more about what's normal for the middle class. In many upper-middle/lower-upper income places it's more normal for middle class people to live in apartments than it is in Canada. Since they aren't going to get a bigger garage or wet bar in the basement, they'll look for nicer materials.

WhipperSnapper · #**17403** Posted **Jan 13, 2022, 10:57 PM**

I agree that it's more common for middle class families to live in low rise apartments with a private or semi private garden. A lot of that has to do with the age of the housing stock. I don't find post war neighbourhoods all that different as far as percentage single/multi family go. It's the planning that creates a very different environment.

WhipperSnapper · #**17404** Posted **Jan 13, 2022, 11:19 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

Housing in Canada is insanely over-regulated as everyone’s got outlandish expectations in terms of how much control government should have over private property. It drives costs massively and impacts design.

It doesn't impact design and innovation in Europe. They do have stable population unlike in Canada where the issues all relating to too much growth too quickly is to increase immigration.

Hali87 · #**17405** Posted **Jan 14, 2022, 7:26 PM**

Revised proposal for a residential addition to Scotia Square at the southeast corner of the complex, ~250 units. The rendering is a bit weird - the buildings in the lower right corner are a very rough abstraction of what's there, and the "plaza" in the foreground doesn't really exist - there's a row of apartment towers there that meet the sidewalk.

Source

The site as it looks currently:

zoomer · #**17406** Posted **Jan 15, 2022, 4:28 AM**

Although a couple obvious giveaways, if you were playing GeoGuessr and have five seconds to make a guess, you might go with Regina, Saskatoon, or the edge of downtown in Calgary or Edmonton based on this pic. The new development look really good and is a great revitalization of the street level dead space in Scotia Square, although the pedestrian experience is still lacking. Is that because of a parking garage they’re still retaining?

WhipperSnapper · #**17407** Posted **Jan 15, 2022, 4:19 PM**

Quite an addition. Both sides of the block is parking garages. Nothing wrong with the pedestrian experience providing the pedestrian realm is widened (a tiny bit) for actual street trees.

someone123 · #**17408** Posted **Jan 15, 2022, 4:51 PM**

That is basically an "alley", the back end of a large office and retail complex. It's a bit strange because they widened the street there but it carries virtually no traffic since it runs for 1 block ("H" shape). Unusually ugly landscaping too IMO. This complex does have a "courtyard" that I think may be the original Buckingham Street complete with cobblestones. I wonder if that will ever be restored.

The new tower proposal is okay but I think the ground floor needs a lot of work. Hopefully they will adjust it.

This complex has a number of potential tower development sites and is owned by Crombie REIT. It's interesting because a lot of these sites were marginal before but will be more valuable as the Cogswell interchange is redeveloped.

GeneralLea · #**17409** Posted **Jan 15, 2022, 6:08 PM**

It's good to see some redevelopment made in these under-utilised plots in that part of town. Although it would be nicer to see the street more activated, the ground level does just about as much in terms of addressing the street as the current parking garage does.

TorontoDrew · #**17410** Posted **Jan 15, 2022, 6:30 PM**

preliminary renders of a 60 story tower for the entertainment district on a current surface parking lot site.

Source: urbantoronto.ca

Address: 260 Adelaide St W, Toronto, Ontario, M5H 1X6
Category: Rental, Retail
Status: Pre-Construction
Number: of Buildings 1
Height: 654 ft / 199.30 m
Storeys: 60
Number of Units: 848
Developer: Centre Court, CreateTO
Architect: Sweeny & Co Architects Inc.
Heritage: Architect GBCA Architects
Landscape: Architect NAK Design Strategies
Engineering: Jablonsky, Ast and Partners, Gradient Wind Engineers & Scientists, exp, EQ Building Performance Inc., Kuntz Forestry Consulting Inc., WSP
Planning: Bousfields
Services: National Elevator Consulting
Site Services: Rouse Surveyors
Transportation & Infrastructure: RJ Burnside & Associate Limited

samne · #**17411** Posted **Jan 15, 2022, 7:26 PM**

260 Adelaide interesting at street level.

The Entertainment District between Queen to King is getting pretty intense density. Almost too much. Narrow sidewalks and virtually zero park space. Was around there last week and was amazed at both the amount of high rise construction and the number of people walking dogs.

WhipperSnapper · #**17412** Posted **Jan 15, 2022, 7:54 PM**

Yup. Another massive tower (ugh) but, with a narrow street frontage by Toronto standards. The retail colonnade through the tower is cool.

Toronto loves dogs. I don't know if its an exception or commonplace. I do know a lot of refugee dogs are flown in from Mexico and the United States. Could be dog lovers there demand pure breeds over mutts and/or less regulation with breeding. Anyways, I'm amazed by the number of medium and large dogs residing downtown over small dogs. I guess larger dogs breed tend to be less hyper and can hold their bladders.

suburbanite · #**17413** Posted **Jan 15, 2022, 10:38 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

Yup. Another massive tower (ugh) but, with a narrow street frontage by Toronto standards. The retail colonnade through the tower is cool.

Toronto loves dogs. I don't know if its an exception or commonplace. I do know a lot of refugee dogs are flown in from Mexico and the United States. Could be dog lovers there demand pure breeds over mutts and/or less regulation with breeding. Anyways, I'm amazed by the number of medium and large dogs residing downtown over small dogs. I guess larger dogs breed tend to be less hyper and can hold their bladders.

"Any dog less than 50 pounds is a cat, and cats are useless" - Ron Swanson

advance62 · #**17414** Posted **Jan 16, 2022, 11:18 PM**

An average looking, but much needed rental tower for Midtown Kitchener. 900 King St West, 25 floors LRT station directly infront:

The current site: 835 King St W
https://maps.app.goo.gl/nUQhZWMPyvyGYm7F9

trueviking · #**17415** Posted **Jan 17, 2022, 7:09 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hali87

Revised proposal for a residential addition to Scotia Square at the southeast corner of the complex, ~250 units. The rendering is a bit weird - the buildings in the lower right corner are a very rough abstraction of what's there, and the "plaza" in the foreground doesn't really exist - there's a row of apartment towers there that meet the sidewalk.

Cool. What city is it in?

trueviking · #**17416** Posted **Jan 17, 2022, 7:12 AM**

I’d say that Kitchener proposal is better than average.

Hali87 · #**17417** Posted **Jan 17, 2022, 7:38 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by trueviking

Cool. What city is it in?

Halifax

905er · #**17418** Posted **Jan 17, 2022, 5:33 PM**

I'd be very happy with that rental proposal if it were in Brampton or Mississauga.. I think that's a good looking tower for Kitchener.. especially given it's a rental.

niwell · #**17419** Posted **Jan 17, 2022, 7:13 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

Yup. Another massive tower (ugh) but, with a narrow street frontage by Toronto standards. The retail colonnade through the tower is cool.

Toronto loves dogs. I don't know if its an exception or commonplace. I do know a lot of refugee dogs are flown in from Mexico and the United States. Could be dog lovers there demand pure breeds over mutts and/or less regulation with breeding. Anyways, I'm amazed by the number of medium and large dogs residing downtown over small dogs. I guess larger dogs breed tend to be less hyper and can hold their bladders.

Tons of people adopted dogs during COVID, to the point where rescue agencies could be extremely picky about who ended up adopting. I think it's calmed down a lot, and wouldn't be surprised if a lot of people ended up giving up their new dogs unfortunately...

Can't complain since we got a dog during COVID, but it was something we were planning beforehand anyways (both my wife and I have had dogs previously). WFH just made it a lot easier. Big dogs are indeed less hyper but I can't imagine raising a 100lb puppy like ours in a highrise condo located somewhere like the Entertainment District without ample greenspace. "Less hyper" is only relative.

TorontoDrew · #**17420** Posted **Jan 17, 2022, 7:37 PM**

I got my rescue a year before Covid hit here. Not sure how he or many other dogs will do if we ever go back to a normal work life. He has gotten very attached to me. He's 40lbs of anxiety. Rescued from a Thai meat market.

IMG_20210723_162446_442 by Andrew Moore, on Flickr