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Roy Brander's avatar

It feels like the larger problem could be as well-served by a whole lot of 4-storey buildings (I've done a lot of time in Madrid), but we keep getting these >20-storey monsters. That larger problem (the rent is too damn high) is still very pressing, and we're taking the projects we can get.

But in the longer term, I'd rather have the many-shorter solution.

Russil Wvong's avatar

I totally agree about adding a lot more growth in the form of four- to six-storey buildings, not just high-rises. https://morehousing.ca/consensus

That said, what's appropriate does depend on the location. For a site right downtown, at Cambie and Smithe, 30 storeys actually doesn't seem like a lot! I always think of the 80-storey high-rises at Lougheed Station. Demand is far higher downtown, because it's geographically central, with easy access to lots of jobs throughout the region.

Roy Brander's avatar

For sure. I only meant that if we had enough low-rise, investors could not be found for hi-rise…except, as you point out, in the most-valuable locations.

Few in Madrid are attracted to the hi-rises it does have. Though…ahem…that’s been changing as they have had a housing crisis for some years now. (Underinvestment during the Great Crisis, 2007-20teens)