The How of Densification
Categories: Cities, Living
In my last post, I discussed why cities need density. Now, thoughts on the how of densification, Part 1.
Leave My Neighbourhood Alone
Dear NIMBY – nobody’s single-family neighbourhood will change tomorrow. Neither your house nor your neighbour’s will be demolished overnight. And, if you choose to demolish, nobody will take away your right to rebuild a single family home.
However, that old house falling apart down the street? A shiny, new fourplex might replace it. Since starting to write about cities, I have given numerous examples of better residential land use. While Toronto / Golden Horseshoe centric, Smart Density provides numerous examples of the possible.
A Pay-for-Service model
Real estate taxation systems based solely on valuation do not capture the differentiated cost of providing and maintaining municipal services for single-family neighbourhoods. Let’s say those costs are $40 per linear foot. Included in this – reserves for major repairs and replacement, ongoing maintenance, street cleaning, and snow removal.
An Example
Consider my street in Pointe-Claire.
- One single family home requires 50 feet of street and underground services – an annual service fee of $2,000 ($40 x 50 ft.) or $167 a month would apply.
- Re-imagined, four homes occupy the same 50 feet – the same $2,000 service fee applies but the per home levy – $500 or $42 a month.
- A twenty-unit apartment building on 100 feet of street front – service fee of $200 per unit or $17 per month.
- The small apartment building will have a greater aggregate value than the four homes, which will have more total value than the single family home and …
- The result – more homes provide a better “valuation” tax base to calculate a lower mil rate for other municipal services.
- User fees make taxation more equitable

And Utilities
Another consideration – single family home owners pay the same rate per kilowatt hour as a resident in a 100 unit apartment building . It would be more equitable for the ‘“wired” utility services to break their bills into a physical network fee based on linear footage plus a usage charge.
The How of Densification – Part 2
The “How of Densification” was meant to be in one instalment – but it was just getting much too long! Certainly much too long for reading on your cell phone. So Part 2 is almost ready!