Detroit vs. Toronto

[oladub]

Toronto established sprawl limits. The Detroit metropolitan area did not. This created a vibrant intensity in Toronto. It also caused real estate prices to skyrocket within the build-able portion of Toronto. People were largely priced out of single family homes. I have relatives in a northern Ontario city with shut down mines. It has attracted retirees from Toronto who cannot afford the housing prices there. Toronto isn't crime free but relatively so compared with Detroit. No development takes place in high crime neighborhoods.

[dtowncitylover]

Toronto established sprawl limits.

Yup. Developers can't build out anymore, they have to build up.

[professorscott]

I disagree with the sprawl argument, to some extent. Metro Toronto has spread out vastly over the past, say, 30 years. Of course, one difference between the spreading out of Metro Toronto and the sprawl of Metro Detroit is that Toronto's growth in land use was a result of a simultaneous growth in population, whereas the urbanization of farmland in southeast Michigan came with no population growth whatever.

I think the bigger picture is this: try to name one basic urban service that the Toronto area does an awful job of. Not just mediocre, awful. Go ahead, try. I've been there dozens of times and can't think of anything.

Now try the same thing for Detroit, and if you can't come up with something, you're in a coma and should really see a doctor.