More mid-rise buildings should be built in place of high-rises: report

TORONTO – High-rise condominium developments currently litter major urban centres such as downtown Toronto but it doesn’t have to be that way.

A new report released by the Pembina Institute, a non-profit think tank that advances clean energy solutions, suggests communities and neighborhoods in the Greater Toronto Area could benefit more from the construction of mid-rise buildings, which make it more economically viable and affordable for families.

“Mid-rise buildings are more human-scaled in terms of size. They fit into the character of neighbourhoods and animate sidewalk culture, in particular by providing street-level retail,” says the report.

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To tackle the GTA’s growing rental and home ownership problem, the Pembina Institute has teamed up with other groups, such as the Ontario Home Builders’ Association to help come up with solutions.

“Mid-rise, mixed-use development is a valuable tool when creating neighbourhoods that support healthy lifestyles and local economies, since
it can help increase walkability and put more people close to transit, while also supporting local business,” the report says.

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The study points to a City of Toronto planning study which found that if only one-tenth of all properties now zoned for mixed use were redeveloped at six storeys, that would generate about 120,000 new housing units.

“Not enough of these developments are being built because of rules and incentives that tilt the playing field against mid-rise,” the report says.

The report recommended several solutions to make mid-rise development more economically viable such as eliminating minimum parking requirements, pre-approving mid-rise development along avenues and transit corridors and requiring retail planning before any mid-rise is built.

You can view the full report here.