James T. White and John Punter, "Condoland: The Planning, Design, and Development of Toronto's CityPlace" (UBC Press, 2023)
Dec 1, 2024
auto_awesome
James T. White, a professor of planning and urban design at the University of Glasgow, dives into the complexities of Toronto's CityPlace, a major residential megaproject. He and urban studies graduate Timi Koyejo discuss the evolution from a railway yard to a thriving neighborhood, exploring the consequences of 'condoism' on urban living. Key issues around the interplay of design governance and profit-driven development emerge, pressing the need for community-focused planning strategies in achieving sustainable urban environments.
Toronto's transition to high-density condo developments since the 1970s reshaped its urban landscape and raised sustainability concerns.
Design governance in City Place evolved to balance developers' interests with urban quality, often leading to compromises on community needs.
The development process highlighted issues of community engagement and the distribution of public benefits, questioning the effectiveness of planning practices.
Deep dives
Transformation of Toronto's Urban Landscape
Toronto has undergone significant changes in its urban landscape, transitioning from a city with a concentration of high-rise office buildings to one dominated by condominium developments. The journey began in the 1970s when the city faced increasing pressure to utilize vacant sites, particularly industrial lands, for residential and mixed-use developments. The introduction of these condominiums started a wave of vertical urbanization, reshaping the Toronto skyline, especially in areas like City Place. This urban growth has been marked by three distinctive waves of condominium development, culminating in an explosive increase in the number of high-rise towers in the downtown core.
The Role of Design Governance in Urban Planning
Design governance plays a crucial role in urban planning by ensuring that design considerations are effectively integrated into decision-making processes. In the case of City Place, this governance aimed to enhance the urban fabric by creating a walkable environment that addresses community needs. The book emphasizes how Toronto's design governance mechanisms evolved over time, particularly as city planners learned from the development challenges posed by City Place. However, the balance between developers' profit motives and the city’s design aspirations has often led to compromises that detract from the intended urban quality.
Impact of Vertical Urbanization on Housing
Vertical urbanization in Toronto has significantly affected housing dynamics, exemplified by the rise of condominium developments that prioritize investor interests over affordable housing. As developers aimed to maximize profit margins, the design and size of new units often catered to the rental market rather than long-term residents or families. This shift resulted in smaller living spaces and a lack of necessary amenities that traditional communities might offer. Consequently, the emphasis on high-density development intensified housing unaffordability in a city already struggling with a housing crisis.
Community Engagement and Public Benefit
The execution of developments like City Place raises questions about community engagement and the distribution of public benefits derived from increased density. While the city planners initially aimed for a mixed-use model that included affordable housing and public spaces, the end result often prioritized private development. The process known as planning by concession often led to developers gaining more than the public benefits returned to the community, as affordable housing targets were not met and public amenities fell short. This situation has sparked debates about genuine stakeholder engagement and how urban planning can better align with community needs.
Lessons from City Place for Future Urban Developments
The experience of developing City Place has provided valuable insights for urban planners and policymakers regarding vertical urbanization and design governance. Lessons learned include the need for more rigorous design regulations to prevent configurations that favor investors at the cost of community livability. The city has since attempted to refine its approach, focusing on clearer public expectations and enhancing participation in the urban design process. However, ongoing challenges, including a politically influenced planning environment, still hinder the realization of truly public-benefit-oriented urban developments.
Casting an eye toward the frantic vertical urbanization of Toronto, Condoland: The Planning, Design, and Development of Toronto’s CityPlace (UBC, 2023) traces the forty-year history of the city’s largest residential megaproject. James T. White and John Punter summarize the tools used to shape Toronto’s built environment and critically explore the underlying political economy of planning and real estate development in the city.
Using detailed field studies, interviews with key actors, archival research, and with nearly two hundred illustrations, White and Punter reveal how a promise to reproduce Vancouverism, a celebrated model of Canadian urban development, unravelled under an alarmingly flexible approach to planning and design that is acquiescent to the demands of a rapacious development industry. Through a uniquely design-focused evaluation of a phenomenon increasingly known as “condo-ism,” Condoland raises key questions about the sustainability and long-term resilience of city planning.
James T. White is a professor of planning and urban design at the University of Glasgow, Scotland, and deputy director of the UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence. His published work focuses on how the design of the built environment is shaped by policy, regulation, and the market in both UK and Canadian contexts.
This interview was conducted by Timi Koyejo, a graduate student in urban studies at the University of Vienna. He has worked professionally as a researcher at the University of Chicago and as an urban policy advisor to the City of Chicago.
