Given the realities of climate change and fossil fuel dependency, many local governments are looking for ways to reduce the impact of their communities in regards to carbon dioxide emissions, and reducing the use of fossil fuels altogether.
Public Concerns
There have been no recent news items about “Avenues” studies; response seems limited to blogosphere and local councillor websites[1]. Some residents groups are concerned with density that exceeds current bylaws (Kingsway Residents Association), others (such as Business Improvement Areas) are enthusiastic about the Avenues as a means of bringing about neighbourhood rejuvenation and the studies as having captured community input well (Harbord Village Residents Association newsletter, April 2005 and October 2004). Reaction from the Planners Network criticizes the intensification of the avenues as displacing apartments and existing businesses without investment in public housing[3].
In regards to the EcoDensity initiative, a news article in The Province (July 29, 2009) focuses on the possibility for laneway housing to reduce rents and ease the vacancy rate (“Laneway housing bylaw passed”). There is much more media attention on EcoDensity compared to the Avenues. The Avenues are represented by a chapter in the official plan, whereas EcoDensity was a publicized project from the Mayor’s office (Mayor Sam’s Ecodensity). The focus on the word density is also a likely reason for the increased attention (both good and bad), for some critics its connotations include more expensive housing and crowded living conditions. Positive media attention has also focused on the legacy of EcoDensity, in that it has already started to result in the type of development wanted by the city, and has encouraged neighbouring cities to start looking at similar strategies to encourage density (see MetroNews.ca, July 27, 2009, “EcoDensity thrives after Citizen Sam”).
Completed Studies/ Council Items: Reactions
Toronto
Completed Studies (from city website): Bloor Street West (Mimico Creek to Prince Edward Drive); Bloor Street West (Lansdowne Ave to Dundas St W); Finch Avenue at Weston (Signet Road to Milvan Avenue); Kingston Road (Guildwood GO to Highland Creek); The Queensway (Mimico Creek to Kipling Ave); Lakeshore Blvd W (Brown’s Line to 32nd St); Wilson Avenue (Bathurst St to Keele); College Street (Spadina Ave to Ossington Ave); Dundas St West (Royal York to Humber River)
Reaction from council: Tone seems generally supportive as these offer a means of revitalization, some councillors are concerned about increasing density in their neighbourhoods.
Vancouver
Current Actions (City website): Laneway Housing (approved July 28, 2009); Secondary Suites in Apartments (Approved July 21, 2009); Basements in Single Family Areas (Approved June 16, 2009); Removal of barriers to green building (ongoing)
Reaction from council: Initially EcoDensity’s 3rd draft passed by a slim margin in council (6-5), but the final draft received unanimous support, which city planner Brent Toderian relates to the city process being educated by the feedback received after the 3rd draft passed[4]. The recent laneway initiative garnered unanimous council support, and 2/3 support from speakers at a public hearing on the topic[5]). A former councillor sums up the criticism by suggesting that laneway housing will result in noisier, crowded residential streets with less room for parking (CTVBC, July 29, 2009, “Laneway housing gets green light in Vancouver”). There was no media attention on the secondary suites in apartments, the basements in single family areas, or the removal of barriers to green buildings, perhaps because these were seen as less controversial. EcoDensity seems to have become more popular with politicians and commentators as time has gone on, even public opinion is beginning to come around according to Toderian's blog (http://www.planetizen.com/node/39926).
Conclusions and Recommendations
In sum, both policies seem to be effective approaches to encouraging increased densification as a way of meeting environmental objectives, and reducing the overall environmental footprint of cities. EcoDensity and the Avenues seem to be supported by a wide range of citizens, including residents, councillors and businesses, and concerns remain about the same things in both cities, making sure density doesn’t result in affordability issues and doesn’t push out existing residents and businesses. While Toronto’s more gradual approach has received less media attention, and has probably resulted in fewer political problems for the city, Vancouver’s more visible approach has been seen as another example of Vancouver’s excellence in planning for environmental sustainability.
In the end, both EcoDensity and the Avenues use densification to achieve social or environmental goals, although the two cities come at it from different ways. The Avenues initiative comes at density from a growth management perspective, while Vancouver’s seems to explicitly focus on the environmental benefits of densification. Is the carbon footprint a proper way of measuring environmental benefits in general, and specifically, the outcomes of these policies. The locally unique nature of each avenues studies has benefits, as it as seen as affording attention to individual neighbourhood circumstances, however it is possible that the city would benefit from more citywide initiatives in regards to increasing urban density. In addition, the avenues section of the Official Plan could benefit from stronger language. Vancouver has also benefitted from the attention that EcoDensity has garnered in furthering that city's commitment towards ecological sustainability. A more public campaign could result in increased awareness of the effect of land use patterns on climate change and affordability. It might be early to measure the success of either policy in meeting objectives such as reducing carbon footprints and improving housing affordability, however progress seems to be being made in both cities if the EcoDensity council items that passed this summer, and Toronto's completed avenues studies are viewed as indicators.