Just as concerns were rising that the city was becoming less interested in what's come to be known as tower renewal -- the greening and refurbishment of our many 1960s and 70s residential slabs -- the province stepped in. The first tangible result was released at the end of November in the form of a tower study focused not just on Toronto or the GTA, but the entire
Greater Golden Horseshoe.
"It's a sort of mapping exercise," says Paul Kulig of
Regional Architects, which was involved in the study, "that for the first time identifies the scope of the towers and the issues associated with them beyond the boundaries of Toronto."
According to the report, there are 1,925 towers in the Greater Golden Horseshoe, which makes the region unique in North America, and more similar to parts of Asia, Europe and the former Soviet Union where massive development took place in the wake of the second world war and the installation of controlled economies.
According to the executive summary, "The focus of this study is two-fold. The first objective is to analyze and catalogue this housing resource to better understand its current role within the GGH. The second objective is to examine the potential for Tower Neighbourhood Renewal to support the realization of provincial priorities, such as implementing the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, creating a network of regional rapid transit, conserving energy, reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) production, reducing poverty, providing affordable housing, and building a green economy."
According to Kulig, the study is the first step in the renewal of towers across the Golden Horseshoe, the province taking its lead from work championed by
Mayor Miller.
Writer: Bert Archer
Source: Paul Kulig
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