Comment 110140

By Ted Mitchell (registered) | Posted March 12, 2015 at 13:19:35

Killing LRT is a victory for short term thinking. But this should be expected, as when did council last make a long term decision on anything? Aerotropolis?

There are further benefits than stated. Health care being a big ticket item, the increased physical activity of urbanites leads to lower costs, and with increased density it is easier and cheaper to service those health care needs.

But the real factor is economic. Long term costs for almost everything are lower with more density, and if that density is functional for all land uses, economic output can be higher than the status quo.

So the choice is: status quo which limits short term costs. Side effects net negative, long term circling the drain.

Or LRT and similar density enhancing projects: higher short term costs, but mostly born by the province, long term economic benefits, side effects net positive.

How can anyone, even not very enlightened people, choose the former? Cenophobia, fear of new ideas.

This is really hard to fight in the best of cases, but in a city that is now majority suburban it just might be unattainable.

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