[ssiguy]

Guys this is a planning thread not the Food Network..........let's get back on topic.

There are many ways that shrinking/stagnating cities can become more liveable and vibrant as they do so and, besides the initial political will and proper planning, it all gets back to taxation. Taxes are a great way to shape our urban environment but that does not mean we need more {or less} of them but rather need to relocate where they are being spent and raised.

Anyone wanting to live in the non already urbanised sections of a shrinking/stag city have to know ahead of time that it is going to cost them dearly. They should be taxed at a disproportionately high level and yet receive no city services except for essential ones like police, fire etc. Redirect those taxes to lowering tax rates/subsidising infill housing.No new transit/libraries/ community centres and ESPECIALLY no new schools within 20 km of any school that is suffering from enrollment decline. Tripling or more any development fees for non-infill housing. The taxes they pay will go to services needed in already existing neighbourhoods and especially downtown/inner city ones.

It also means raising taxes especially on current existing and proposed commercial development not only on square footage and land value but also HEAVY extra taxes on EACH parking spot they provide but no new services like transit. Again, any businesses that do build will be paying far higher taxes but getting no benefit from them. Those new taxes would be reallocated to existing and downtown communities. Those astronomical parking taxes would be used to subsidize the transit system and/or providing free parking throughout the downtown. They could also use these new taxes to reduce the current tax levels of downtown businesses and even residential units.