Mixed-use developments may actually reduce housing affordability, social diversity
Making the buildings in neighbourhoods more diverse through mixed residential and commercial developments also makes it too expensive for many people to live in
Making the buildings in neighbourhoods more diverse through mixed residential and commercial developments also makes it too expensive for many people to live in
By Media RelationsMaking the buildings in neighbourhoods more diverse through mixed residential and commercial developments also makes it too expensive for many people to live in, according to a study from the University of Waterloo.
The study of Toronto neighbourhoods also found that the increased cost, which was further heightened by the retraction of government support for affordable housing in mixed-use areas, led to the neighbourhoods becoming less diverse and disproportionately impacted people in sales and service occupations.
“Making mixed-use neighbourhoods was done with the best of intentions for our health, happiness and the environment, but as communities become more attractive places to live, demand to live there increases costs,” said Markus Moos, a professor at Waterloo’s School of Planning. “Walking to a nearby fancy coffee shop is nice, but the premium people pay for that luxury means the barista can’t afford to live near their job.
“While mixed-use areas were intended to make things more affordable, factors such as the shift to a knowledge-based economy reduced social diversity in the absence of policies designed to keep housing affordable.”
The study examined neighbourhoods in Toronto between 1991 and 2006 at a time when mixed-use developments were prescribed following a rethinking of previous planning that led to decades of urban sprawl. It incorporated existing research on mixed-use developments as well as housing affordability, classified as spending no more than 30 per cent of one’s income on accommodations.
“Mixed-use neighbourhoods aren’t inherently misguided. In fact, they do achieve many of their intended outcomes,” said Tara Vinodrai, a professor at Waterloo’s Department of Geography and Environmental Management. “But, we’re asking who benefits from this? It’s not people in low-income groups or in low wage jobs.
“What’s needed now is good policy to follow good planning. This includes inclusionary zoning, density bonuses linked to affordable housing, affordable housing trusts, and other relevant methods.”
The study, conducted with Waterloo graduate students Nick Revington and Michael Seasons, was recently published in the Journal of the American Planning Association.
The Future Cities Institute founded by CAIVAN will bring together leading minds from across sectors to solve the most challenging and urgent issues facing global cities.
The gift comes from two Waterloo alumni with passion and drive to have transformative impact
University of Waterloo and leading real estate developer The Caivan Group launch the Future Cities Institute
The University of Waterloo acknowledges that much of our work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg and Haudenosaunee peoples. Our main campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. Our active work toward reconciliation takes place across our campuses through research, learning, teaching, and community building, and is co-ordinated within the Office of Indigenous Relations.