I posted a few days ago about the Ontario government's plan to curb sprawl in the Greater Toronto Area (while at the same time announcing almost $4 Billion in highway maintenance and expansion funding - way to waste our money by going after contradictory goals).

I've had a bit more time since then to read about it in the Star and the Hamilton Spectator, and now feel I must apologize - these two goals are not contradictory at all - they actually complement eachother.

While the anti-sprawl announcement sounds good and "green" and warm and fuzzy like ecologically-friendly moss growing in an old-growth forest, it is actually just political "blowing smoke":

- To protect farmland, 40 per cent of all new growth must be contained within existing built- up areas by 2015.
- To better use existing infrastructure, such as roads and water lines, 25 city centres have been given minimum densities to meet by 2031.
- The growth that will still occur on undeveloped land must meet minimum targets, about twice as dense as traditional sprawl.
- Cities must promote more compact living and build "complete communities" where people can live, work, shop and play without needing a car.

So, 60% of new development will still be allowed on farmland (80% currently is), and communities don't have to reach this goal until 2015 - 9 years from now. They have 25 years to reach target densities, and they have to "promote" sustainable living - so... um... issue some crappy pamphlets?

This "anti-sprawl" thing by the Ontario Government should be named "A Teeny Weeny Little Bit Less Sprawl, Wayyy In The Future, When Our Farmland Will Already Be All Gone And We'll All Be Eating Astronaut Food And Breathing Through Respirators".

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