Quote:
Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark
It’s an interesting debate with both sides making good points. One thing I wonder about is affordability for poorer people to live downtown, given that prices tend to be higher to capture tourist dollars as well as the tendency for higher end shops to locate there.
Also, if the city is spending premium money to put housing there (meaning less housing for the dollar) how do they choose who gets to live there? i.e. If some potential tenants already have jobs in the downtown, but have to commute from elsewhere, do they get priority over the person or family who is next in line? If we are aiming at a situation where people who work downtown can live downtown, that sounds like a situation that needs to be managed, which HRM has proven time and again that they are not capable of.
While suburban environments are often looked down upon, for a family of lesser income, the suburbs are usually where playgrounds, soccer fields, etc. are located, which is a zero to low cost way for kids to get entertainment and exercise. Downtown, with all the traffic, bars and other not-so-great things that go on, is a less than ideal place for kids to be out and about.
Lots to consider here…
|
Yeah the higher prices are a good example of why downtown itself might not be the best option, but there are a lot of central neighbourhoods where that's not really an issue. There are several conventional grocery stores and dollar stores on the peninsula for instance.
But with the playgrounds, I think it's easy to assume those things are more numerous or accessible than they actually are in suburban areas. There may be a lot in absolute numbers, but the suburbs are so large and geographically spread out by comparison that it makes travel distances much longer on average. If you have one area that's half the density of another place, the less dense place needs twice as much of a given amenity per person in order for it to be as physically close to each person on average. And that's just distance without even considering other aspects of pedestrian friendliness like the design of streets including crossings and intersections. It's easy for someone with a car to say, "Oh we have a such'n'such just 5 minutes from me" without realizing how different a short suburban drive can be for someone walking the same distance.
Threaded Mode