The Feminist Case to Stop the Sprawl

*Women cycling on Toronto, ON street with bus stop in the background (photo by: Nicole Roach)*

You may have seen “Stop the Sprawl” groups popping up in communities across Ontario, like Orillia, Peel, Halton, Hamilton, and Durham, to name a few.

This is a direct response to the Ontario provincial government’s Places to Grow Act (2005) that was amended by the Ford government in 2020 (Amendment #1). The amendment required designated municipalities to plan for population growth up to 2051, setting a deadline for municipalities to approve their plans in summer of 2022. Accordingly, many municipalities have proposed to expand their urban growth boundaries, with plans of developing farmland and green space for further urban sprawl.

These proposed expansions represent a significant threat to the environment and would further embed inequalities in cities. There are many reasons why communities should reject urban sprawl, and many of these reasons are aligned with feminist-oriented design priniciples.

The feminist case to stop the sprawl will explore housing affordability, municipal tax-base and services, mobility, and surrounding farmland, and access to green space.

Housing Affordability

Much of the housing in Canada is single-family detached homes, with over 50% of Canadians living in this housing type. These houses are characterized by a single dwelling unit on a piece of property, not sharing walls with other homes. This requires a significant amount of space, contributing to urban sprawl and expansive suburban developments, all of which comes at a high cost for both home buyers and renters.

More affordable housing options include “granny” or basement suites, townhouses, duplexes, apartments, or condominiums with a combination of subsidized and market-rate housing. These types are particularly important for women who earn about 80% of men’s full-time, full year wages, and face numerous challenges and discimination in accessing affordable and secure housing.

Holding the current urban boundary in cities will help to incentivize investment in more dense, affordable housing options that are essential to addressing the current housing crisis and gender inequalities.

*City scene in Toronto, ON (photo by: Nicole Roach)*

Municipal Tax-Base and Services

The municipal tax-base is determined by the number of people who live there and are accessing services. Quite simply, the more people that live in a city means the more tax revenue will be generated. A study commissioned by the City of Ottawa found that it costs $465/person each year to serve new low density homes, whereas high-density infill development leaves the city with an extra $606/person each year. Accordingly, the more people that live in a smaller space means municipal infrastructure and services, like plumbing, wastewater treatment, waste collection, firefighters, snow clearance, and much more, are done more efficiently and cost-effectively.

Having a larger tax-base keeps costs lower for everyone, making it a more affordable place for women to live. Municipal services, like snow removal, lighting, and sidewalk maintenance, are also incredibly important for women’s safety and mobility in cities, which can be done better in dense communities.

Stopping the sprawl will help cities to keep living expenses low, and also provide a better environment for residents through high-quality infrastructure and municipal services.

Mobility

The mobility of residents includes their ability to walk, bike, wheel, access transit, or drive. Building communities in ways that are compact allows for shorter travel distances, better quality and maintenance of infrastructure, and more frequent transit service. This also reduces reliance on personal vehicles to get around, which limits the need for parking, car-centric infrastructure that is expensive to build and maintain, and improves community health and safety.

Dense and accessible communities help to reduce mobility barriers for women, who are more likely to walk or take public transit to access services. This also helps more people to go car-free, which costs thousands of dollars each year to operate and maintain, saving women and other low-income folks significant amounts of money.

Maintaining the urban boundary limit will help to make sustainable modes of transportation more accessible, safe, and convenient for everyone. This is vital in reducing emissions and addressing inequalities in mobility options.

*Teenage girls cycling on suburban multi-use path in Winnipeg, MB (photo by: Nicole Roach)*

Surrounding Farmland

The proposed urban boundary expansions are most often set to encroach on surrounding farmland. The 2016 Ontario census demonstrated 175 acres of farmland being lost per day, with that number rising to an astonishing 319 acres lost per day in 2021. This has serious implications for local food production.

Farmland and locally-produced agriculture is vital for food security, while also being more environmentally sustainable and beneficial to the economy. Furthermore, southern Ontario contains some of the country’s most finite and productive soils, making the preservation of this particular agricultural land base critical. This is also a gendered issue, as women are the primary shoppers for food. Accordingly, maintaining local production of produce, eggs, meats, and other goods is important to keep costs low and quality high.

Food production continues to be threatened by the impacts of climate change, making the preservation of existing farmland essential. Increasing food production within cities and directly surrounding them is key to food security and climate justice.

*Stop Sprawl Halton Protestors (photo by:* *Toronto Star*)

Access to Green Space

The proposed urban boundary expansions are also set to encroach on green space, such as woodlands, marshes, and other types of natural resources. This has serious implications for recreation and climate adaptation measures in cities.

Green space in/surrounding cities is important for women seeking time in nature, who are typically more constrained in their ability to travel far distances, often traveling with children or elders. This makes close access to recreation and green space imperative for women and many others.

Furthermore, green space and other natural resources are crucial for cities experiencing extreme temperatures, floods, droughts, fires, and other climate events. These resources help to absorb impacts, store and purify water, and help in the post-event recovery. As women are disproportionately impacted by extreme weather events, it is essential that we preserve these green spaces.

Maintaining the urban growth boundary to preserve green space surrounding cities continues to be essential, as the pandemic has created a greater need for green spaces and climate chaos escalates. Communities must keep these precious resources intact and actively work to preserve and protect them.

*Woman cycling through forest in Winnipeg, MB (photo by: Nicole Roach)*

Stop the Sprawl

All of the above factors of housing, taxes, infrastructure, services, mobility, farmland, and green space all contribute to a sense of livability. These are things that women, especially young women and families are prioritizing when it comes to choosing where they would like to live. People want affordable housing, they want quality municipal services, they want mobility options, they want access to green space, and they want to live in equitable, sustainable, and enjoyable communities.

Expanding the urban boundary does not improve livability. It actually reduces it. The case is clear that further urban sprawl is a mistake, one that we cannot afford to make.

We encourage you to check out Stop the Sprawl campaigns in Orillia, Peel, Halton, Hamilton, and Durham, to offer your support for smart growth and keeping urban boundary limits intact.

This important work will bring us all closer together - hopefully, literally.