The Editor:
Re: 'Appalled' at Coquitlam Central mega-project planned
The reality is that these types of developments wouldn’t be necessary if broader acceptance of gentle densification in the form of townhomes and four-storey walk-ups were common.
It’s not so much NIMBYs that foment hostility towards gentle densification, it’s the developers themselves.
The equation is simple: as more people move here the demand for units goes up - the number of people moving here isn’t slowing as the feds ramp up immigration targets.
With constrained supply (single-family zoning being the main culprit), the available land’s value is maximized.
Ultimately, towers like these will continue as long as councils are bought and paid for by developers who push to maintain the status quo and make out like bandits.
No politician is willing to sacrifice their cut of the gravy train.
- Nicholas Smith
