Description of Organization
REALPAC (Real Property Association of Canada) is a national industry association representing leading organizations in Canada’s commercial real estate sector. Its members include developers, property owners, investors, asset managers, pension funds, and other organizations involved in building, managing, and investing in real estate. REALPAC supports the industry through research, advocacy, professional education, and opportunities for collaboration on issues affecting real estate and the built environment.
Problem area
In planning circles, urban sprawl is generally accepted as undesirable and unchallengeable. The usual arguments are that it consumes farmland, encourages automobile use, and raises the cost of providing services to those areas.
As counterpoints:
- Low‑rise development may take only 40‑50 % of the land out of potential productive use (i.e., the building footprint).
- Land may not be high value arable land, and may not even be used for agriculture.
- Backyards remain available for small scale urban farming.
- The use of electric automobiles should alleviate concerns about car pollution.
- The cost to extend infrastructure to new homes in suburban areas is typically charged back as development charges to the home purchaser.
- Its what a large segment of the housing market aspires to.
Media portrays the most desirable home as one with a backyard where children and pets can play and a barbecue can be set up. How can we meet market demand for low rise homes while mitigating the associated impacts? Do our current density minimums fail young Canadians' aspirations?
This debate dates back to the contrasting ideals of Le Corbusier versus Ebenezer Howard. Canada, with the world’s second‑largest landmass, still has land to spare. Review the current literature on urban sprawl, especially work that reconciles market demand with the urban‑sprawl is bad manifesto. Consider what Alain Bertauld might say about urban sprawl. Could lower densities be another tool to significantly lower housing costs, as recommended in the Demographia reports? What would your informed analysis be?
Main objectives
- Examine the current evidence on urban sprawl, density, and housing affordability.
- Assess the trade-offs between low-rise development and higher-density growth, including land use, transportation, infrastructure, environmental impacts, and housing preferences.
- Explore whether lower-density development could help expand housing choice or improve affordability in some Canadian markets.
- Review alternative perspectives and international research on how market demand and planning policy shape urban growth.
- Develop balanced, evidence-based recommendations for accommodating demand for low-rise housing while mitigating the negative impacts of sprawl.
Scope of work
- Conduct a literature and policy review on urban sprawl, density, housing affordability, and consumer preferences.
- Review Canadian and international examples of lower-density and higher-density growth.
- Compare key costs, benefits, and trade-offs across different development patterns.
- Assess the relationship between density, housing choice, and affordability.
- Identify planning approaches that could mitigate the impacts of low-rise growth.
- Develop evidence-based conclusions and recommendations.
Deliverables
- Report
- Presentation
- Resources
Frequency
- To be determined upon discussion with the project team.
Skills and training required
- Urban and regional planning
- Housing and land-use policy
- Research and literature review
- Economic and market analysis
- Data analysis and interpretation
- Transportation and infrastructure planning
- Comparative policy analysis
- Report writing and presentation skills
Resources required
- Housing, land-use, density, and demographic data
- Municipal and provincial planning policies and zoning information
- Infrastructure and development cost data
- Housing market and affordability data
- Canadian and international case studies
NDA or a commercialization agreement for this project?
Yes