I am commenting as a…

I am commenting as a passionate Urban and Regional Planner, and professional consultant specializing in transportation planning in Ontario. I would like to echo all of the comments formally submitted by the Ontario Professional Planners Institute (OPPI) to the Province regarding Bill 23 and the associated changes in this legislation to the Greenbelt.
Removing ANY acres of land from the greenbelt is in direct opposition to our country and province’s fight against Climate Change and all of our local, regional, and provincial policies pushing for environmental protection and resilient planning.
This legislation will pave the way in further destroying the hopes and dreams and prospective qualify of life for my generation and the generations who follow who will live with more polluted airways, waterways, food production insecurity, and lack of access to nature.
Homes can and should be build within existing urban boundaries any ANY land within our greenbelt should be taken back - it should never have been sold in the first place and it is corruption at its finest.
Luxury homes around the world are found in the most walkable, invested, and commercially attractive areas in cities like Paris, London, New York and so forth. Why even pave over sensitive land to build fake luxury homes 2 hours from any financial centre and reliable transportation systems?? Please rethink this policy and if it means buying back land from developers and unlocking other assets within existing urban areas for intensification, so be it. But please, for the sake of our kids, HANDS OFF THE GREENBELT!!
Please listen to the experts - we are educated for a reason and can actually help increase developer profits and provincial tax revenue if development follows proven best practices. We know this isn’t about increasing housing supply for affordable housing, so just lean into luxury home building by selling even more expensive homes with intense densification around transit hubs in the region. At least that will support municipal budgets and appear to align with transit oriented policies.. please end this developer-oriented corruption or a revolution will be coming in the next election! We support lower taxes but not at the expense of nature and our quality of life in this province.