How builders, city planners are trying to create more family-friendly Toronto condos
CBC News (abridged)
Alexandra Sienkiewicz
26 May 2017

The Goodtimes hope they'll be able to live in their Queen West condo forever, but even they admit squeezing their life into a 730-square-foot space is not without its problems. 

the stuff

The biggest issue for the artist couple with two young children is "the stuff," Lindsay Goodtimes told CBC Toronto.

"Everyone has more stuff, so you have to get the reins on all the stuff," she said. The other challenge is finding enough living and playing space.

"I think it's important to try and better utilize the space outdoors for the community. It's about finding space and grass that you can use for your backyard," said Goodtimes. Negotiating dog and children's play spaces can also get difficult.

The Goodtimes family constructed a small bedroom for their daughters, just wide enough to fit a bed. (Paul Borkwood/CBC)

With the average price of a detached home in Toronto well above the $1-million mark, the housing dreams of families like the Goodtimes wanting to live in the city have undergone a radical shift in the last 10 years—posing a challenge that developers and city planners are only just beginning to tackle.

Condo dwellers used to be a pretty equal mix of first-time buyers and empty-nesters, but many people are now choosing to stay in condos, says Mimi Ng, vice-president of sales and marketing at Menkes  Developments Inc.

"You're not considered a have-not if you live in a condo these days," said Ng, who says more and more residents are what she calls "move-out" buyers — people who are moving from one condo to another.

Buildings that were originally designed to accommodate a more mature, adult lifestyle are now being forced to change—as those young adults are starting to have families.

Embracing vertical living
Meantime, the Goodtimes family is embracing vertical and small-space living.

making it work is all about compromise

The family has constructed a small room in their one-bedroom condo for their two daughters. And Lindsay Goodtimes says making it work is all about compromise.

"If you're going to live in a condo, you have to have a little give and take. Yes, kids are going to make noise; yes, people are going to throw parties … if you have to live in such tight quarters, you have to give a little," added Goodtimes.

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