A Dense Urban Canada? It’s Possible

An article in The Globe and Mail written by Alex Bozikovic.

Impossible Toronto: On the Courtyard – a provocative proposal on how Toronto might evolve.

The concept: Replace century-old houses in the middle of the city with courtyard blocks – apartment buildings of four to six storeys, lined up side by side along the street and leaving a green courtyard in the middle. Their apartments have windows facing both the street and a central green space within the block. The obstacles are regulatory. Most importantly, all apartments must have two separate exit stairs right now. Removing this requirement could lead to a significant improvement in residents’ quality of life, thanks to better building design and apartment layouts. The proponents imagine a city of connections where residents interact and opportunities for encounters arise. The author describes this proposal as a utopian solution. Interestingly, the Jericho Coalition has developed an alternative proposal for the Jericho Lands on its own (see the videos on JerichoCoalition.org), largely aligned with this Toronto idea. We might call our version Possible Jericho Lands: On the Courtyard. However, our group doesn’t consider itself utopian, as many cities around the world have adopted similar ideas. These designs promote more affordable, ground-oriented, family-friendly, and human-scale developments that boost livability. That’s what the Jericho Coalition stands for.

Here is the link to Alex Bozikovic’s article in the Globe & Mail:
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/culture/art-and-architecture/article-a-dense-urban-canada-its-possible/