Urban Fragment and Its Population - Essay Example

Existing neighborhoods represent a vast potential for livability and a sustainable way of life. (Sustainable neighborhoods, Page 8) The neighborhood we will discuss here is the East York community in Toronto. East York was home to 52,430 people and consisted of 21,390 households in 2006.

It is 9 square kilometers in size. The population of East York fell by 6.8% between 2001 and 2006. 36% of occupied private dwellings were in single-detached houses, 33% were in high-rise apartments, and 15% were in low-rise apartments 2006. Brutal 56% of the population is English speaking; there are ethnic minorities who speak languages like Greek, Chinese, Italian, and Urdu. The population is a mixture of Canadian Chinese and East Indian groups, with a mix of other minority groups like Filipino, Irish, Bangladeshis, and Italian.

The visible minority population includes Latin American, Korean, and Japanese migrants (Page 3). Most of the dwellings are owned, but 47%, quite large, are rented homes. Of these, the popular form of homes is single detached houses and apartments, which are five plus storied. (Page 7)Education is an area where improvement can be made. The population with a bachelor’s degree in higher education is 22%. A total of 31% have been to the university. Most of the population is employed in business, finance, and administration.

Sales and service come next. 65% of the employed are the labor forces engaged in Manufacturing, retail trade, technical assistance, and health care. About 12% are in management jobs and the rest in education, art, trade and transport and government services. At the same time, a minority are used in mining, agriculture, fishing, arts, and entertainment. 

The average household income is $54211. The aThe average house has at least one vehicle, but most work trips are made by transit or autos. (Page 13, 14)

Age of the population

The majority of the population is within the age group 35-44. And the next major group is of 24-35 years of age.

East York is admired for its health-care and education systems, its rich culture, and the caliber of sports, entertainment, and cultural offerings. The neighborhood is among the safest in Canada, with crime rates well below those of comparable US cities. The diversity in population reflects that many people have made East York home, bringing their histories and cultures with them.

Diversity of race, religion, and lifestyle help define and set East York apart from other world neighborhoods. East York is home to virtually all of the world's culture groups and is the city where close to 100 languages and dialects are spoken.

Some of the critical dates that East York has in history

Pre 1923: East York is part of York Township within York County

December 31, 1923: The Township of East York is incorporated

April 15, 1953: East York and Lea side becomes two of 13 municipalities in the new Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto

January 1, 1967: East York and Lea side amalgamate and become the Borough of East York

January 1, 1998: East York ceases to be an individual municipality and becomes part of the amalgamated City of Toronto

East York is on the verge of becoming a world neighborhood, with creativity and culture as strengths. But its planning and governance systems are similar to the old economy. A d and focused municipal role must exist to connect better and align public and private sector agendas and resources. It needs more flexible and responsive municipal planning systems and capacities.

Some of the secondary plans for the neighborhood are as follows:

 >Promote cultural activity and public life on the waterfront

 >Identify nodes to be developed as creative hubs. Link to colleges and universities across the city

>Protect, enhance and promote natural, cultural, and heritage resources

Toronto is on track to accommodate the expected residential growth by 2031. Guiding this growth to build a more sustainable city takes conscientious planning involving Toronto’s residents, the development community, and design professionals.