ince 1961, the population in the Toronto CMA increased from 1.7 million to 5.5 million. With the large influx of immigrants to Canada yearly, and Toronto being the most culturally diverse city in the country, it’s no surprise that Ontario received 43% or 501,000 immigrants between 2006 and 2011 [1], with most of them settling near the largest urban centres. Since Toronto is the financial, medical, and cultural hub of Canada, immigrants provide it with a much-needed workforce to continuously grow and expand the city.
The highest population growth is in the outer suburbs, with cities like Brampton growing from less than 50,000 people to more than 500,000, fueled by its increasing share of immigrants (51%), its affordable housing, and proximity …show more content…
With this population density and the continuous influx of people, traffic issues will continue being a problem into and out of the city. This is having a detrimental effect on daily life, with studies showing commuters suffer from increased stress and less sleep [7]. In addition, with higher demand for condos, prices will continue to increase.
I foresee, with the help of urban planning and the appropriate policies in place, the greatest change to occur in the suburbs. Population in Toronto will continue to increase but at a slower rate due to its high population density and continuously rising cost of living stemming from a high demand for housing, goods, and services. Immigrants and people moving from rural areas will opt to relocate to the suburbs where housing, goods, and services are more affordable [8]. Businesses, realizing the potential for growth in these areas, may choose to relocate to or expand in the suburbs. In Vaughan for example, the services being provided cater to the needs of the family-oriented community as well as the growing population of young professionals. This in turn will reduce the dependency on Toronto and the traffic congestion issues discussed …show more content…
The first is improving on current infrastructure to better handle the growing flow of vehicles. The other is redirecting this flow away from the city by providing incentives for people to live, work, and shop outside the city 's centre. A combination of both methods would be ideal. I believe urban planners and policy makers must play a key role if this issue is to be mitigated. I use the word mitigated because traffic congestion is an inevitable attribute of large growing cities, but plenty can be done to improve the current situation. In my opinion, the correct approach to this matter is to better understand what a realistic target for the average commute time is considering factors such as location, weather conditions, and time of day. From there, delays and improvements can be tracked in a more effective manner.
Suburban areas must slowly become more independent from downtown. As these areas grow, the necessary infrastructure must be built in order that the flow of traffic into the city is reduced. Only if everything that the average person needs is provided in their vicinity will the volume of commuters towards downtown be reduced. The role of the urban planner here is to ensure the correct balance of residential areas, industrial areas, and public spaces spaces is
The highest population growth is in the outer suburbs, with cities like Brampton growing from less than 50,000 people to more than 500,000, fueled by its increasing share of immigrants (51%), its affordable housing, and proximity …show more content…
With this population density and the continuous influx of people, traffic issues will continue being a problem into and out of the city. This is having a detrimental effect on daily life, with studies showing commuters suffer from increased stress and less sleep [7]. In addition, with higher demand for condos, prices will continue to increase.
I foresee, with the help of urban planning and the appropriate policies in place, the greatest change to occur in the suburbs. Population in Toronto will continue to increase but at a slower rate due to its high population density and continuously rising cost of living stemming from a high demand for housing, goods, and services. Immigrants and people moving from rural areas will opt to relocate to the suburbs where housing, goods, and services are more affordable [8]. Businesses, realizing the potential for growth in these areas, may choose to relocate to or expand in the suburbs. In Vaughan for example, the services being provided cater to the needs of the family-oriented community as well as the growing population of young professionals. This in turn will reduce the dependency on Toronto and the traffic congestion issues discussed …show more content…
The first is improving on current infrastructure to better handle the growing flow of vehicles. The other is redirecting this flow away from the city by providing incentives for people to live, work, and shop outside the city 's centre. A combination of both methods would be ideal. I believe urban planners and policy makers must play a key role if this issue is to be mitigated. I use the word mitigated because traffic congestion is an inevitable attribute of large growing cities, but plenty can be done to improve the current situation. In my opinion, the correct approach to this matter is to better understand what a realistic target for the average commute time is considering factors such as location, weather conditions, and time of day. From there, delays and improvements can be tracked in a more effective manner.
Suburban areas must slowly become more independent from downtown. As these areas grow, the necessary infrastructure must be built in order that the flow of traffic into the city is reduced. Only if everything that the average person needs is provided in their vicinity will the volume of commuters towards downtown be reduced. The role of the urban planner here is to ensure the correct balance of residential areas, industrial areas, and public spaces spaces is