Why Invest In Downtown Amenities?

Imagine Toronto with a Detroit-like centre. Not a pleasant thought but one that is becoming increasingly likely. Why? Our downtown neighbourhood infrastructure was paid for long ago, yet, because of amalgamation and expansion, our tax dollars go to pay for infrastructure and amenities in North York and beyond (remember when Queen's Park said amalgamation would save Toronto money?). Developments there may never be self-sustaining given the much lower density and tax base. So, our tax dollars effectively go into the destruction of some of the best farmland and watersheds in Canada. What does that have to do with urban parks? Sooner or later we will hit a tipping point where the cost of living downtown will no longer be offset by the attraction of our urban amenities. Urban parks like Withrow are a key reason why people choose to live in downtown communities. If the City stops investing in them it will be one more reason to move out of the core. When that trend begins it will not take long for Toronto's centre to decay. Property values will drop. To the people who say we cannot afford to improve our urban parks, remember, the alternative is far more expensive.