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ugh, I've had enough of this thread, I'm not gonna let it control my life. well im just gonna sit here and enjoy this beautiful city. going to go get sushi this weekend with some friends, cant wait!
The Wanda supertall is backed by China's richest man. No need for financing....there is envy reason to think it'll move forward and the design is from Jeanne Gang, Chicago's most famous architect at the moment (she designed the insanely gorgeous Aqua tower).
Believe it or not, but Chicago is on a bit of a roll at the moment. Public amenity improvements such as Northerly Island, Maggie Daley Park, Navy Pier renovation, the expanding Rivewrwalk, the Bloomingdales trail, the recently announced selection of Chicago for the Lucas Museum, and the likely choice of Chicago for the Obama library form a pretty impressive list.
Downtown is booming, new housing is spreading throughout the city, the census has estimated the city population is growing again, Chicago just landed another fortune 500 headquarters in ADM, and the tech scene in Chicago is exploding.
A massive boom in hotels is ongoing as are record numbers of tourist arrivals in the city.
There is more to being a successful city than runaway condo and population growth, and despite Chicago's challenges, the city continues to make strides in numerous ways.
The Wanda supertall is backed by China's richest man. No need for financing....there is envy reason to think it'll move forward and the design is from Jeanne Gang, Chicago's most famous architect at the moment (she designed the insanely gorgeous Aqua tower).
Believe it or not, but Chicago is on a bit of a roll at the moment. Public amenity improvements such as Northerly Island, Maggie Daley Park, Navy Pier renovation, the expanding Rivewrwalk, the Bloomingdales trail, the recently announced selection of Chicago for the Lucas Museum, and the likely choice of Chicago for the Obama library form a pretty impressive list.
Downtown is booming, new housing is spreading throughout the city, the census has estimated the city population is growing again, Chicago just landed another fortune 500 headquarters in ADM, and the tech scene in Chicago is exploding.
A massive boom in hotels is ongoing as are record numbers of tourist arrivals in the city.
There is more to being a successful city than runaway condo and population growth, and despite Chicago's challenges, the city continues to make strides in numerous ways.
This is all good news but if you think Toronto is just about ' runaway' condo and population growth than your bias is clearly evident.
Speaking of Aqua - 1 Bloor U/C in T.O kind of reminds me of it
The Wanda supertall is backed by China's richest man. No need for financing....there is envy reason to think it'll move forward and the design is from Jeanne Gang, Chicago's most famous architect at the moment (she designed the insanely gorgeous Aqua tower).
Believe it or not, but Chicago is on a bit of a roll at the moment. Public amenity improvements such as Northerly Island, Maggie Daley Park, Navy Pier renovation, the expanding Rivewrwalk, the Bloomingdales trail, the recently announced selection of Chicago for the Lucas Museum, and the likely choice of Chicago for the Obama library form a pretty impressive list.
Downtown is booming, new housing is spreading throughout the city, the census has estimated the city population is growing again, Chicago just landed another fortune 500 headquarters in ADM, and the tech scene in Chicago is exploding.
A massive boom in hotels is ongoing as are record numbers of tourist arrivals in the city.
There is more to being a successful city than runaway condo and population growth, and despite Chicago's challenges, the city continues to make strides in numerous ways.
Oh there is definitely more to success than condo and population growth. I agree.
That's why in dt Toronto alone you have:
-a $1 billion dollar Union station expansion under construction (doubleing capacity, new platforms, retail etc).
-Queens Quay revitalization (pretty much being a whole new street from scratch) under construction along the waterfront.
-New streetcar lines under construction (Cherry St).
-Replacing streetcars with new vehicles (over 200 of them) right now. Longer, more capacity, low floored, and with much better advanced technology.
-Lots of low-midrise development under construction including the Pan Am village.
-New park space (Canada Sq, Ontario Sq, Underpass Park, Sherbourne Common, Sugar Beach,etc all opened within the last 1-2 years or so). Corktown Common officially opened a few days ago. Another park. With plenty more in development.
-A new rail line that travels from the airport to Union station under construction.
-Regent Park (I believe the largest public housing project in Toronto) being transformed into a mixed income community under construction.
-Toronto's 99th library branch opening up just a few days ago in Cityplace.
etc.
These are mostly non condo developments that are under construction in the downtown Toronto area alone off the top of my head. I'm sure there are dozens of more non-condo development things under construction in dt Toronto alone, but I'd have to Google them to make this list even greater which takes time.
Then you have various proposals that are endless including new parkland, amusement park redevelopment, transit, hospital expansion, highway re-development, redeveloped streets, infill, museum office space etc and so on that will be starting soon. All in the downtown area alone.
I don't think I will get into things like a 12 mile light rail line rail line under construction in Midtown Toronto, North America's first all digital mega hospital under construction in North Toronto (North York), and other things going on in Toronto but outside of the dt area. It would be too much to type.
This is why people are saying Toronto is booming. Not just because of condo construction. These people that will be living in the rapidly ever-growing dt Toronto area need office buildings to work in, hospitals to visit, parks to walk their dogs and transit to use. Hence the boom of non-condo developments in dt Toronto and beyond.
Was curious about job growth in the two cities and was somewhat surprised that Chicago is adding more jobs. In the lt year, Chicago added Some 24,000 jobs
Chicago's unemployment rate stands at 7.2 and Toronto's is 8.2..... Neither seem to be performing too well in the jobs category compared to other cities.
Was curious about job growth in the two cities and was somewhat surprised that Chicago is adding more jobs. In the lt year, Chicago added Some 24,000 jobs
Chicago's unemployment rate stands at 7.2 and Toronto's is 8.2..... Neither seem to be performing too well in the jobs category compared to other cities.
The links you posted are for the metropolitan areas for both cities. The link for Toronto you posted is using a small metro area for some reason (it says population of 5 million ppl) and the link you posted for Chicago is using the entire Chicago metro (nearly 10 million people). Two very different areas.
The city limit unemployment rates (the links I just posted above) for the same month (May 2014) show Toronto has the lower unemployment rate.
The same goes for jobs added. The links you posted are for two very different areas.
Just one more thing to share.
Toronto is deferentially doing amazing on their Skyscraper development, and has much more than Chicago, but Chicago has enough skyscrapers to last!
With all proposed, built, and UC skyscrapers in the city higher than 200 meters,
Chicago:39 Toronto:36
Someone else mentioned a height of 500 feet, if we limit the built, proposed, and UC buildings to 500ft we get,
Chicago:124 Toronto:97
Now someone else said that proposed doesn't mean anything, so lets take worse case scenario and say none of the proposed buildings in Chicago or Toronto get built. counting buildings higher than 200m, the cities would be at,
Chicago:28 Toronto:20
As we can see, Chicago already has enough skyscrapers built to compete with Toronto CURRENT boom. Toronto could have more booms, and Chicago can have some booms, but as of now, Chicago has enough to hold its own against the tidal wave of development in Toronto.
Just one more thing to share.
Toronto is deferentially doing amazing on their Skyscraper development, and has much more than Chicago, but Chicago has enough skyscrapers to last!
With all proposed, built, and UC skyscrapers in the city higher than 200 meters,
Chicago:39 Toronto:36
Someone else mentioned a height of 500 feet, if we limit the built, proposed, and UC buildings to 500ft we get,
Chicago:124 Toronto:97
Now someone else said that proposed doesn't mean anything, so lets take worse case scenario and say none of the proposed buildings in Chicago or Toronto get built. counting buildings higher than 200m, the cities would be at,
Chicago:28 Toronto:20
As we can see, Chicago already has enough skyscrapers built to compete with Toronto CURRENT boom. Toronto could have more booms, and Chicago can have some booms, but as of now, Chicago has enough to hold its own against the tidal wave of development in Toronto.
That is why we are saying the momentum has been and continues to be on T.O's side - nobody said in absolute numbers, we are talking relative numbers in the last decade and what is projected in the near future. Don't forget 450-499 ft infill makes a big difference in core density... put a 480 ft building beside a 510ft building not much of a visual difference... put 3 480 ft buildings against one 510ft building and the difference in density is clear and overall impact greater. Chicago's skyline still skews taller and will continue for the next 5-10 years but if the last decade is any predictor of the next than Chicago is in big trouble in all measures.
That is why we are saying the momentum has been and continues to be on T.O's side - nobody said in absolute numbers, we are talking relative numbers in the last decade and what is projected in the near future. Don't forget 450-499 ft infill makes a big difference in core density... put a 480 ft building beside a 510ft building not much of a visual difference... put 3 480 ft buildings against one 510ft building and the difference in density is clear and overall impact greater. Chicago's skyline still skews taller and will continue for the next 5-10 years but if the last decade is any predictor of the next than Chicago is in big trouble in all measures.
Chicago isn't Dubai, neither is any other north American city. they have plenty of lower buildings to set a sort of constant range.
for all proposed, UC and built buildings heights 450-499
Chicago:49 Toronto:45
only including UC and built,
Chicago:46 Toronto:27
Plenty of core density in Chicago, and in Toronto for that matter
And if the last decade repeats itself in these two cities, then i wouldn't be worried. Chicago having at least one supertall, and development of all sizes, and Toronto having a lot of development under 300m, it would look like midtown Manhattan, cool looking, and tall, but basically all one height, with an occasional tall one in there
Just one more thing to share.
Toronto is deferentially doing amazing on their Skyscraper development, and has much more than Chicago, but Chicago has enough skyscrapers to last!
With all proposed, built, and UC skyscrapers in the city higher than 200 meters,
Chicago:39 Toronto:36
Someone else mentioned a height of 500 feet, if we limit the built, proposed, and UC buildings to 500ft we get,
Chicago:124 Toronto:97
Now someone else said that proposed doesn't mean anything, so lets take worse case scenario and say none of the proposed buildings in Chicago or Toronto get built. counting buildings higher than 200m, the cities would be at,
Chicago:28 Toronto:20
As we can see, Chicago already has enough skyscrapers built to compete with Toronto CURRENT boom. Toronto could have more booms, and Chicago can have some booms, but as of now, Chicago has enough to hold its own against the tidal wave of development in Toronto.
Good post. They both do well in development. Although I would say Toronto which has double the amount of highrises that Chicago has, is continuing a trend of widening that gap.
At the moment, Toronto has over 2000 highrises, while Chicago is at half of that amount with just over 1000.
Under construction:
Toronto: 138. Chicago: 13.
Proposed:
Toronto: 252. Chicago: 79.
If the trend continues in both cities, then somewhere in the not too distant future Toronto may eventually triple the amount of highrises that Chicago has. Chicago had a much faster head start with its history (big boom of the 60s/70s, the Great Chicago fire, higher population throughout time etc), but Toronto has somehow passed Chicago by doubling the amount of highrises over the years.
Similar to the TTC and the CTA with rail. The CTA has had a head start and much a bigger rail network throughout time due to history, but by 2020 the TTC is expected to have more rail in their network than the CTA.
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