While this proposal has a…

While this proposal has a rationale that is clearly designed to be convincing, the numbers do not bear out the cost. The greenbelt changes will remove 7,400 hectares from the Greenbelt but create a paltry 50,000 homes. These homes are, based on that number, likely to be single family homes, with car-dependent lifestyles and distant quality services/retail.

7,400 Hectares is equal to 74 square kilometers, about 10% of the land area of New York City’s 5 boroughs. In 74km2, New York City fits 300,000 homes. This is 6x what the government is proposing. If we are serious about building homes, we could simply open up 7,400 hectares or more of single-family zoned housing to New York City style development. This does not necessitate Manhattan skyscrapers, but a mix of detached, low-rise (like brownstones), mid-rise (like tenements), and high-rise (skyscraper) buildings, creating a mixed topology and all of the service and retail benefits that come with it.

This proposed change is a cynical handout to single-family home developers and a danger to our floodplains, natural spaces, and the owners of these new houses which will be directly in the path of flood waters.

We must not make this change and instead density existing sprawl.