Around the downtown core there seems to be a reduction in density which is curious, and I’m not sure what drives that
Having lived both right on the subway line and in the some areas just outside the downtown core, I may be able to add some insight here.
Basically, that whole area of land feels car unfriendly. Hard to find parking close by and lots of congestion. But living on the subway line this never felt like an issue since there was a good alternative - one typically doesn’t need a car for day to day living in downtown Toronto in my experience. Also, for things like getting groceries or stuff from a corner shop, things are so clustered together that there’s usually something within walking distance of where you live.
Much further away in the GTA, you definitely need a car. But congestion is not so bad (at least until you finally need to head into the city proper) and parking nearby is quite more comfortable as well.
So the areas outside the core have the worst of both worlds - you get much of the lack of space and congestion that you get in downtown proper, but also a lack of viable public transportation alternatives.
Having lived both right on the subway line and in the some areas just outside the downtown core, I may be able to add some insight here.
Basically, that whole area of land feels car unfriendly. Hard to find parking close by and lots of congestion. But living on the subway line this never felt like an issue since there was a good alternative - one typically doesn’t need a car for day to day living in downtown Toronto in my experience. Also, for things like getting groceries or stuff from a corner shop, things are so clustered together that there’s usually something within walking distance of where you live.
Much further away in the GTA, you definitely need a car. But congestion is not so bad (at least until you finally need to head into the city proper) and parking nearby is quite more comfortable as well.
So the areas outside the core have the worst of both worlds - you get much of the lack of space and congestion that you get in downtown proper, but also a lack of viable public transportation alternatives.