While I understand we…

While I understand we currently have a housing crisis and Ontario is expecting an influx of people who will need homes in the near future, we don't have the luxury of destroying the Greenbelt. It's 2022 - the climate crisis is real, and any projects that don't take this into account are backwards and detrimental to us and the planet.
This is not solely a question of supply and demand, as we have seen with inflation decreasing at a glacial pace, even as interest rates rise. Those who have had the luxury of saving money over the course of the pandemic continue to be cash rich and the wealth divide will continue to grow.
We need creative solutions that utilize the infrastructure currently in place.
Speaking from Ottawa, there are office buildings which are standing empty and whose landlords are struggling to fill them. I know retro fitting is more costly and more of a headache, not to mention re-zoning and making sure there are adequate amenities nearby (I have no idea, I'm not an urban planner), but it is critical that our leaders start thinking of creative solutions that include long term benefits over short term solutions and profits.
Please, I'm begging you. Don't destroy the Greenbelt because you are too lazy to come up with something better.
Alyssa