Quote:
Originally Posted by Crawford
I'm looking at these Markham back "yards", and there isn't a blade of grass. They're concrete patios. You don't even need a mower or any garden/lawn tools.
Are these homeowners mostly immigrants or children of immigrants?
|
Well, that's kind of why the argument that people won't want to leave the suburbs because they don't want to give up their "space" doesn't hold water as much in Toronto.
That being said, if that's how small your yard is, I don't think it's bad for it to be paved. There's a big park across the street with plenty of grass, and I think having a small yard that's basically a patio for the BBQ and outdoor table with few little flower beds is nicer than a tiny square of grass you can't really do anything with just to preserve the image of a "traditional backyard".
The main thing these houses have going for them is that they're decently big (2000sf+, 4+ bedrooms) for a price that's much lower than what it would be in Central Toronto, which makes them appealing to families (including multi-generational families). Some people also like owning their property fully, and not having to deal with condo associations/fees.
As for who lives there, it's about 33% white and 20% third generation Canadians, which is still much higher than the rest of Markham.
But yeah, the high suburban densities are why I think it makes sense to think about how to get these neighbourhoods to have a more urban design and function.