Comment 62100

By Mr. Meister (anonymous) | Posted April 12, 2011 at 13:41:58 in reply to Comment 62050

Why do you insist on trying to compare Hamilton to cities that are just about as different as possible?

Hamilton's population is spread across 1,100 Km2 with pockets of denser population and many areas of lower density. You keep comparing Hamilton to places like Boston which has a population of over 600,000 comparable to Hamilton and an area, wait for it, of just over 200 Km2. Now add to that, that Boston is the destination city for miles around with many suburbs around it and what does it have in common with Hamilton? Just about nothing. With the suburbs the population climbs to about 4,500,000. This is what you want to compare Hamilton too? Find a similar city in population and area and see how your arguments work then. Boston has a high density because people really want to live there. If people really wanted to live in older sections of Hamilton the prices would be a lot higher. If people had wanted to live there for years then the bylaws would have been changed to accommodate that. As it is very few people want to live there and many of the ones that do, live there because of the low prices and are looking for a way out. If our city was similar to Boston then we would have LRT, we would have big areas of high density not just small pockets, and the vast majority of people living downtown just could not afford to be there.

I never said that Hamilton does not deserve liveable streets. I object to the senseless changes that you propose over and over again. It is because Hamilton's population is spread out across 1,100 Km2 (not evenly, but with pockets of higher and many areas of lower density) that we have a city like we do. It did not just happen by accident. We have one way street to accommodate the high vehicle traffic, we have had them for a long time. Hamilton had a vibrant growing busy core during many of those years, I know because for a short while we lived there. People left our core and the core of virtually every city in North America. This did not happen in Europe. Our cultures are quite different.

It is illegal to build anything but low density single family homes because that is what the vast majority of the populace wants. Not long ago there was an article on this site about someone proposing to build a multi- unit building and all the neighbours objected. I know you and a few of your supporters liked the idea but most of the people who lived in the vicinity did not. As far as I know that is how the system is supposed to work. Not necessarily free market economy but certainly politically correct. There are many empty lots in the core and if people wanted to live there then somebody would build condos or apartments on them instead of using them for parking lots.


I have never said "That's not how we do things here." When I have said things similar to "That will never fly." I back it up with facts why it will not work. The only time I said something about you moving was because you keep alluding to European cities and they are so different than almost every city in North America. Your whole squelcher comment is blatant name calling. Is that what you want this to deteriorate to, name calling?

You can call me all the names you want it still does not change the facts. Instead of calling me names try using a couple of good arguments. At this point I would like to see you compare Hamilton to a similar city and not some major urban metropolis. Bet you cannot because if you could then you would have done so a long time ago.

I know you mean well but you really need to use a little common sense.

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