Alex Bozikovic: Heritage Rules and the Housing Crisis
Apr 3, 2024
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Globe and Mail's architecture critic, Alex Bozikovic, joins Mike Moffatt and Cara Stern to discuss the impact of heritage rules on housing supply in Toronto. They explore the history of urban planning, differences between listed and designated heritage buildings, and the effects of heritage preservation on density and climate action. Specific neighborhoods like the Danforth, Yonge and Eglinton, Rosedale, and Little Jamaica are examined, highlighting the complexities of balancing preservation with modern urban design.
Heritage preservation restricts building density crucial for housing and climate solutions.
Heritage rules often prioritize wealthy neighborhoods and historical styles, hindering modern development opportunities.
Deep dives
Impact of Heritage Designation on Housing Development
Heritage rules often hinder housing supply by preserving buildings from change. The heritage distinction between listed and designated buildings affects their vulnerability to demolition or alteration. Toronto has a high number of heritage properties, leading to debates on the significance of the sites and the implications for development and density.
Influence of Heritage Preservation on Climate Action
Heritage preservation limits building density essential for addressing housing and climate crises. Cities like Toronto confine dense developments to specific areas like main streets, hampering broader growth. The restriction on building density in heritage-rich zones undermines the potential for sustainable urban living and curtails climate-friendly initiatives like solar panel installations.
Challenges and Solutions in Heritage Policy and Urban Development
Heritage preservation tends to favor wealthy neighborhoods and historical architectural styles over modernist and public buildings. The intertwining of heritage considerations and urban planning creates barriers to achieving balanced urban development. Transforming heritage policy to prioritize cultural significance while enabling sustainable densification remains a key challenge for cities like Toronto.
In this discussion, Mike Moffatt and Cara Stern discuss how heritage designation negatively impacts housing supply in Toronto. During this wide ranging conversation with Globe and Mail's architecture critic, Alex Bozikovic, they touch on the history of urban planning and how it intersects with heritage planning and urban design in unexpected ways. They explore the difference between listed and designated heritage buildings, the growing number of heritage properties in Toronto, and its effect of heritage preservation on density and climate action. Various neighborhoods in Toronto are discussed including the Danforth, Yonge and Eglinton, Rosedale and Little Jamaica. The conversation concludes with a discussion on the role of local and provincial governments in shaping heritage policies.