Housing Affordability Task Force (Advocate)

New development doesn’t cause gentrification, it prevents it. Not building in high demand areas is what causes it. Proven yet again

In the first 6 months this year in the City of Toronto:
- Starts are down 62%
- Single-family new home sales down 58%
- New condo sales down 86%

The City failed to implement HAF-required pro-supply reforms, yet the feds may let it slide.

Total lack of leadership all around.

~150000 daily drivers on the Gardiner stuck in congestion - politicians at all levels leap into action to accelerate construction and fall over each other to talk solutions, a million daily subway riders trapped in slow zones . . . Almost nothing from our politicians.

One mile on a bike is a $.42 economic gain to society, one mile driving is a $.20 loss Copenhagen, the bicycle-friendliest place on the planet, publishes a biannual Bicycle Account, and buried in its pages is a rather astonishing fact.

“One mile on a bike is a $.42 economic gain to society, one mile driving is a $.20 loss.”

“Which means that Copenhagen, a city of 1.2 million people, saves $357 million a year on health costs because something like 80% of its population commutes by bike.”
grist.org/biking/one-m...

I think it's worth pointing out that at least half of the same staff who apparently "reccomend" not having bus lanes were probably told by the city councilors that they better recommend that they don't put in bus lanes.

Vancouver has these modular bike parkades everywhere, they are great. They've had them for 10+ years. Toronto get with the program.

Controversial bus lanes on Bathurst and Dufferin could see changes following backlash Proposed bus lanes on Bathurst and Dufferin streets have sparked a debate over how to prioritize road space.

What happened here: Coun. Dianne Saxe caved to a “campaign” of a few dozen people with three Instagram accounts.

www.thestar.com/news/gta/con...

Seine swimming pool opening gives Paris mayor another jewel in her green crown Making the famed river swimmable is one of the final big projects Anne Hidalgo will inaugurate before she leaves office next year.

NEW: “The transformations that Paris made work better for everyone, including drivers.” I’m interviewed for this @politico.eu @victorglaf.bsky.social article on Paris Mayor @annehidalgo.bsky.social’s truly remarkable city-building legacy. @carlosmorenofr.bsky.social is quoted along with many mayors.

We must maintain the inner suburbs as suburbs forever. Can't change the built form or streets because their destiny was set when they were first designed and built in the 70s.

Why aren’t we seeing more multiplexes in Canadian cities—even after zoning reforms? In this episode of The Missing Middle, Sabrina Maddeaux and Mike Moffatt dig into the surprising roadblocks holding back infill housing. From bizarre bedroom caps to height limits that make 10-plexes impossible, they How Cities Keep Screwing up Multiplex Housing

New MMI episode! Sabrina and I examine how cities like Toronto continue to undermine multiplex reform through excessive regulatory requirements that they don't impose on McMansions.

Watch here: www.youtube.com/watc...

YouTube video by Oh The Urbanity! 5 Big Ways I Changed My Mind About Urbanism in 5 Years

5 Big Ways I Changed My Mind About Urbanism in 5 Years

Olivia Chow Doesn't Care About the Housing Crisis The stars aligned, but Mayor Chow chose inaction.

On multiplexes: "Olivia Chow had the power. She had the tools. She had the mandate. She had all the votes she needed. And she had the funding. Every variable was in her favour. The constraint was not political arithmetic. The constraint was her."

venat.substack.com/p...

Heather Mallick: How Many Parking Spots Does a Man Need? and other Tolstoyesque truths about transit on Bathurst Street Transit is eternal. It enrages people unreasonably. But when it comes to the new RapidTO rule on Bathurst Street, they’re not arguing about transit as such, more about the time

This bizarre column by Heather Mallick misses an obvious point: creating a bus lane will make the street *nicer*. It is roaring cars that make it unpleasant.

www.thestar.com/opinion/star...

Holyday: Do you believe the economic viability of the project should have a prominent balance in a planning policy decision? Scorgie: Yes. I think far too often we make decisions as planners that are not grounded in financial reality or land economics, and for far too many years we’ve divorced those two professions from one another, and we create policies and regulations that aren’t in any way grounded in land economics. So they become kind of useless, to be honest with you. What is the point of permitting a building typology that’s not going to be built?

Watching Toronto planning and housing committee debate expanded multiplex permissions, an interesting exchange between @blairscorgie.bsky.social and Cllr Holyday (transcription and any errors are mine)

I am strongly opposed to the proposed development for the following reasons: 1. It will radically reduce already scarce street parking; 2. It is manifestly inconsistent with the neighbourhood's character, which has always been a single-dwelling residential neighbourhood; 3. It will strain existing infrastructure and municipal services; and, 4. It will negatively impact property values for homeowners who have made investments based on existing zoning rules.

What's great about Lytton Park is that you can get mutliple people to straight up tell you "We do not want this neighbourhood to be affordable." www.toronto.ca/city-governm...

Do car-free zones hurt disabled people? We asked experts. City planners and advocates are seeing "accessibility used as a political football."

“…disabled people are actually less likely to drive than nondisabled people and more likely to get around by walking and rolling and taking transit. Car-heavy cities are also disproportionately dangerous for disabled folks…”

@nondriver.bsky.social in @motherjones.com #Accessibility #MultiModal

Graphic with same text as post

“A developed country is not a place where the poor have cars. It's where the rich use public transportation.” – Former Bogotá Mayor Enrique Peñalosa.

As questions on housing go, it’s just about the easiest. So Mark Carney needs to give a clear answer At a time when housing starts are stalling and affordability remains deeply challenging — especially in Ontario and British Columbia — the public deserves clarity about what our leaders are

Provinces & feds have to be honest: is the goal protecting property assets or lowering housing costs? www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...

Pete channeling his inner Canadian, eh?

Images of Dutch urban biking infrastructure. #Dutch

IMPORTANT: The Dutch invested €595 million annually on urban biking, resulting in €19 BILLION saved in public health care costs alone. That’s how smart governments do the math on investing in better mobility.

Let’s be clear— it wastes public money to NOT do it.

#CityMakingMath HT @modacitylife.com

Here Is Everything That Has Changed Since Congestion Pricing Started in New York Fewer cars. Faster travel. Less honking. And some questions we still can’t answer.

NEW YORK: “Policy changes often take years to show results. Even then, you may have to squint to see them.

And then there’s congestion pricing in New York.

Almost immediately after the tolls went into effect, they began to alter traffic patterns, commuter behavior, transit service, even sounds…”

In Vaughan, minister of municipal affairs and housing Rob Flack announces broad package of housing measures
-Province nullifying municipal building codes outside of provincial code (Toronto Green Standard, RIP)
-Substantially reducing requirements for IZ, already weakened in 2018

Build Your BYD DOLPHIN | Order Online Powered by VIRTUALYARD

If we allowed BYD into Canada like Australia has, we could have nice, small, long-range EVs for just more than half how much EVs cost here

Canada named most positive leader on world stage According to a study by Ipsos, Canada remains the top country expected to have a positive influence on world affairs.

Canada named most positive leader on world stage #Canada #cdnpoli

cultmtl.com/2025/03/cana...

Finland ends homelessness and provides shelter for all in need - scoop.me In Finland, the number of homeless people has fallen sharply. Why? The country applies the "Housing First" concept agains homelessness.

“In Finland, the number of homeless people has fallen sharply. Those affected receive a small apartment & counselling with no preconditions. 4 out of 5 people affected make their way back into a stable life. And all this is CHEAPER than accepting homelessness.”

It costs a lot less to house people.

Making a city more car-friendly makes it worse

Making a city more walking- and biking-friendly makes it better

It's time to shift from relief to gratitude as Carney helps steer the climate transition Danielle Smith's agitations and the insatiable fossil fuel industry's demands will make climate action difficult, but Canada's new prime minister brings the right qualifications — and will have plenty...

“In Carney we now have the world leader who knows more than any of his peers about climate change. And who knows roughly 20x as much about climate and energy economics as anyone else in power. He may turn out to be a truly crucial figure in the fight to turn the climate tide.” @nationalobserver.com

Poilievre had successfully weaponised the incompetence of the Premiers against the federal Liberals and Trudeau in particular, which Trudeau let him get away with time and again because he refused to call the premiers out.
Don't let this happen to Carney. Call out the provinces. #cdnpoli

Can I get a hell yeah