This election, vote for smart urban planning

The idea of urban sprawl might seem progressive to some. On the surface, it might seem necessary. After all, the Hamilton municipality lies in the Greater Golden Horseshoe, one of the fastest growing regions in North America.

Pushing urban boundaries and building more housing might seem like the natural solution to accommodating the growing population. It could also give people more access to employment opportunities and improved lifestyles. Indeed, this is the agenda adopted by many politicians who advocate for urban sprawl. But does sprawl truly lead to better, more developed cities? Expanding urban boundaries leads to development on agricultural lands and natural spaces like wetlands, marshes and forests. The Golden Horseshoe might be home to a large and growing population, but it is also home to around more than 800,000 hectares of protected farmland and green spaces called the Greenbelt. The Greenbelt hosts most of Canada’s prime agricultural lands.

Yet, according to the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, Ontario loses about 71 hectares of farmland every day. Most of this loss is due to urban sprawl. Long term, this trend will lead to economic instability and food insecurity. The Greenbelt also hosts significant ecotypes like the Oaks Ridges Moraine and the Niagara Escarpment — and is home to 78 of Ontario’s 200 at-risk species. Habitat loss and fragmentation in these areas leads to the loss of native species at risk like the Jefferson salamander, snapping turtle and hooded warbler.

Finally, loss of wetland and marsh habitats in the Greenbelt affects natural water filtration and storage processes. This means that over time, our soils will become dry and barren, our cities will be more vulnerable to floods and our water sources will be more polluted.

However, losing the Greenbelt isn’t the only concern here. Urban sprawl focuses on residential housing or single zone use, so there is often a lack of infrastructure needed to support residents. Under sprawl conditions, workplaces are further from homes and residents may not have access to public transit. This means more cars on the roads and a corresponding increase in air and noise pollution.

Suburban areas that favour singlefamily homes also have higher carbon footprints per household compared to other housing types. Ultimately, sprawl communities are poorly planned, less sustainable and cost taxpayers. A better solution is to focus on affordable, family-friendly homes within urban centres. This can be done through a mix of housing types, from duplexes and townhouses (the so-called missing-middle housing) to highrises.

The effects of urban sprawl haven’t gone unnoticed. Ontario has released several policies in the last few years to help curb the problem. Some of these include the Greenbelt Plan (2017), Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan (2017), A Place to Grow (2017), etc. These policies aim to provide sufficient, affordable housing and an integrated transportation system while protecting the Greenbelt. More locally, grassroots Stop Sprawl movements have sprung up across Ontario. The Stop Sprawl movement in Hamilton in particular, has been very successful so far.

In the last year, community protests, petitions, tireless campaigning and a public survey prompted Hamilton’s city council to vote for no boundary expansion as part of Hamilton’s Growth Plan for the next 30 years. Hamilton’s growth plan will instead accommodate population growth by developing greyfields (underutilized lands), adding intensification along mass transit lines and making zoning reforms that will add thousands of homes to existing neighbourhoods.

While this is a step in the right direction, we have to keep the momentum going. Currently, Stop Sprawl movements in Halton, Peel and York are pushing for the same kind of reform. It is important to spread awareness and campaign against urban sprawl. More importantly, with a provincial election around the corner, we must elect government leaders who will support responsible urban growth.