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Originally Posted by someone123
His claims that people want "stability" are also absurd. These developments are happening in the urban core, where growth has occurred for 250+ years. If you want a nice yard for your children to play in, why would you buy on, say, Hollis, not that there are any single unit detached dwellings in that area in the first place? Where are the sunny backyards around the other sites? There are none around United Gulf, and South Park street already has big buildings that cast shadows.
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The core has been in decline for so long that I think people have gotten use to a sense of stability. Most of the worst decay has been confined to the area around Gottingen St. where many people might drive by only a couple of times a year. Out of sight, out of mind. There's never been a sense the city has been in trouble, except for some concern over Barrington St. every now and again. This development pressure is new and many people don't really see the need for more density. If it ain't broke don't fix it, right?
Some neighbourhoods are very stable. The South and West ends are almost exclusively zoned single-family residential. There's also high rates of home ownership and a largely middle-upper middle class demographic. Most of the currently desireable residential neighbourhoods on the peninsula will change very little under the MPS and HRMbyDesign. They'll stay like they are now, single family residential. Whether that is a good thing is very much debatable.
I think inevitably you will run into areas where tall buildings are desireable but there will be angry single-family home owners next door. The streets which front the Commons are being built up and I imagine that won't sit well with those living around Robie and Cunard if it continues. I agree completly though that downtown and the immediatly adjacent neighbourhoods don't present those issues.