Quote:
Originally Posted by TheRitsman
Don't get me wrong, I totally agree that many don't need a yard. My partner and I do want a yard because we're very outdoorsy, we have a canoe and other things that wouldn't work in a condo, but I do think mid rise condos are absolutely fine. My friend lives in a 40 storey in South Etobicoke and hates the elevator situation. There's hundreds of units and hundreds of people. When he gets home from work, he has to wait in line for the elevator. Some don't want to deal with them at all. My point is mostly that a range of living styles and preferences exist. I don't think we should keep building sprawl. My partner and I have a mini backyard. It's 20ft wide for 30 ft long compared to suburban lots. No front yard. That's my perfect size, not too much to maintain, but enough space for a patio set, and our outdoor belongings. It's also a duplex because the property would have been too much house for just two of us.
My dad would love a condo in a mid-rise because he doesn't want to maintain any yard at all, or shovel. These townhomes match the need of someone who doesn't want a yard but doesn't want to live somewhere as dense as a mid-rise. I'm betting there are thousands willing to live in mixed use mid rises everywhere in Hamilton though if we were to actually build them here. Especially if good transit was available (in many places it is pretty good)
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Just a note - but most standard suburban backyards these days are about 25x32 feet. Suburban house lots are smaller than many inner city lots - the old myths of low density sprawl are very much not a thing any more, and Hamilton's vote to end new growth areas will make backyards out of reach for a far larger part of the population in a few decades. Most units in new suburban areas are already townhouses as well, which if they even have yards instead of a rooftop terrace or something, are even smaller, often in the 20x20ft range.
The kinds of densities planners were planning for the new growth areas recommended for Hamilton (and will likely still get through the province over-ruling the municipality) were similar to that of North Oakville - tiny little house lots with lots of townhouses and apartments along main streets. You can see this typical suburban density
here, where there is a semi-unit with a roughly 20x25ft rear yard and minimal front yard, or
here where there is a detached unit again with a 25x32ft rear yard and minimal front yard.
New houses built recently in Hamilton had to meet lower density targets (50 people / hectare vs. 80 people / hectare) and are a bit larger, but still not extravagant.
This new home in Waterdown has a 24x35ft rear yard and only a small front yard.
The age of 60x80ft rear yards and massive front yards is long gone. New construction subdivisions usually have 32x100ft lots and a lot more townhouses than historically.
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