Can Denser Be Better?

The idea that dense urban communities are bad for well-being is a myth. As it turns out, having more neighbours may actually help you live better

Watching covid- 19 devastate New York City, the most densely populated metropolitan centre in North America, made it easy to imagine that urban density is a problem. The soaring infection and mortality rates of early 2020 gave Canada’s urban residents reason to consider a switch to country life — or at least more space in the suburbs. But with covid- 19 cases popping up everywhere, from metropolises to small towns, experts are reassuring city dwellers that they can safely stay put rather than create more sprawl. In fact, public health researchers from Johns Hopkins University have found that people living in denser communities are not experiencing higher infection rates than their spread out counterparts. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation ( cmhc) is also increasingly recognizing that intensification, or creating denser communities, can play a positive role in addressing not only housing affordability but other challenges — such as access to services, health status, and climate change — that factor into where people choose to live. Here’s how. ACCESS TO SERVICES From leading-edge hospitals that tend to attract the best medical talent to specialized clinics for every kind of illness, health services can be superior in dense urban centres. “You simply can’t offer the same level of service in smaller centres; it is just not economically justifiable,” says Michel Tremblay, senior vice president of policy and innovation for cmhc. “You can’t have cancer treatment centres everywhere, for example. People in larger urban centres tend to have access to services, whether they are preventive in nature or at the treatment stage.” Beyond health facilities, everyday needs such as groceries, libraries, and community support services are not only more numerous and varied in a city, but also easier to get to by walking, cycling, or public transit. Steve Mennill, chief climate officer for cmhc, explains that when services are walkable, people prefer to go on foot, which is the basis for an inherently healthy, active approach to living. “When you have car-oriented neighbourhoods and suburbs, people develop more sedentary lifestyles,” he says. The strong social connections forged in walkable communities can also act as a safety net in times of crisis. They create the conditions that allow community