The (not-so) Missing Middle: Breaking Down Density

Malcolm Kennedy

Dense neighbourhoods support vibrant retail, reliable transit, and so much else that makes cities great. They provide much-needed housing with a low carbon footprint. But the "tall-and-sprawl" approach of Toronto's densification in recent years has seen new density in a handful of towers, while most neighbourhood streets have become *less* dense.

Palmerston and Harbord Village provide great examples of dense, low-rise housing from throughout the city's history.

We'll walk around adjacent blocks that have higher and lower residential density, and talk about how individual buildings contribute to those block's densities. We'll look at doorbells and mailboxes to get a sense of the hidden units that sometimes go unnoticed. I'll point out some low-rise apartments, laneway houses and multiplexes -- both old and new -- that contribute to blocks with high density, and try to get at why some work better than others.

Walk Start:

Northeast corner of Bathurst & Harbord. Just South of Bathurst subway.

Bathurst & Harbord area

Walk End: