LRT 'opportunity of a lifetime' for housing diversity, says expert

The coming Ion LRT presents a golden opportunity for bringinghousing diversity to Waterlooregion, according to a Waterlooexpert.

Brian Doucet, an urban planning professor at the University of Waterloo, saidthe development in the region is going to be increasingly focused along this corridor.

"These areas will become very attractive and desirable places to live," he told Craig Norris, host ofThe Morning Editionon CBC Radio,"They will become some of the most prestigious neighbourhoods in the region."

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While an infusion of new housing and commercial developments looks good on paper, Doucetsaid it still begs the question of the exact kinds of developments that will come up, and the people who will be able to access them.

"There is a real dangerthat people who are currently living along the line [won't] have access to the housing that's going to come along this line in the years ahead," said Doucet.

Introducing diversity

Doucet said affordability and tenure of new developments along the LRTwill be a major factor in determining who gets to live where.

In order to make it accessible to the widest portion of the population, developers need toconsider options likeco-op housing andsocial housing facilities.

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"So not just building small condos that either appeal to young professionals or retirees," he said.

But, he added, the market itself won't create that equitable distribution of people who are able to live along the line, but policy changes are needed as well.

Doucetgaveinclusionary zoning is one example, where a developer needs to have some percentage of non-market housing.

"Ithink it has to come from civic leaders [and] people saying what they want to be developed along the line," he said.