Fraser Institute News Release: Toronto, Vancouver much less dense than other comparable major U.S., international urban centres
June 25 2024 - 5:00AM
Canadian cities—including Toronto and Vancouver, which are
experiencing high and increasing housing costs—can accommodate much
more housing supply as they have much lower population densities
than other major comparable urban centres around the world, finds a
new study by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan
Canadian public policy think-tank.
“Compared to their international peers, Canadian cities have
much lower levels of density, which means there’s an opportunity to
expand the supply of housing and perhaps make housing more
affordable, too,” said Steven Globerman, Fraser Institute senior
fellow and co-author of Urban Population Densities in
Canada and Abroad—an Update.
The study, which compares population densities in 30
metropolitan centres in high-income developed countries, finds that
Canadian cities are among the least-dense.
Even Vancouver—Canada’s densest major city with 5,750 people per
square kilometre—ranks 13th out of 30, and is significantly less
dense than San Francisco (6,656 people per square kilometre), a
comparable west coast city.
In Toronto, there are 4,552 people per square kilometre. In
fact, Toronto’s population could double and the city would still be
less dense than New York City (10,712).
And crucially, Toronto and Vancouver are significantly less
dense than many other major cities around the world, including
London (10,663) Tokyo (15,531) and Paris (20,360).
“Some of the most desirable, liveable cities in the world have
much higher population densities than Canada’s biggest cities,”
Globerman said.
“Canadian cities can become significantly more dense, and
possibly more affordable, without necessarily sacrificing living
standards.”
MEDIA CONTACT: Steven Globerman, Senior
FellowFraser Institute
To arrange media interviews or for more information, please
contact:Bryn Weese, Fraser Institute, (604) 688-0221 ext. 589,
bryn.weese@fraserinstitute.org
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The Fraser Institute is an independent Canadian public policy
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Calgary, Toronto, and Montreal and ties to a global network of
think-tanks in 87 countries. Its mission is to improve the quality
of life for Canadians, their families and future generations by
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