The 2006 Places to Grow initiative of the Ontario government was put in place for the Greater Golden Horseshoe to protect the environment by increasing density in the area’s cities instead of expanding the suburbs.
The plan has been working, but at a cost, according to The Star. With the hope of seeing compact development and for less land to be used to accommodate more people and jobs, implementing the plan has been onerous, especially on municipalities which have had to adapt to its guidelines.
But, in keeping with the plan’s proposed outcome, far more high-density condo developments and fewer single-family homes have been built since 2006. Many new buyers have purchased condos, with an average price of more than $739,000 in the GTA.