Can Denser Be Better?
The Walrus|January/February 2021
The idea that dense urban communities are bad for well-being is a myth. As it turns out, having more neighbours may actually help you live better
Can Denser Be Better?

Watching covid-19 devastate New York City, the most densely populated metropolitan center in North America, making it easy to imagine that urban density is a problem. The soaring infection and mortality rates of early 2020 gave Canada’s urban residents reason to consider a switch to the country life — or at least more space in the suburbs.

But with covid-19 cases popping up everywhere, from metropolises to small towns, experts are reassuring city dwellers that they can safely stay put rather than create more sprawl. In fact, public health researchers from Johns Hopkins University have found that people living in denser communities are not experiencing higher infection rates than their spread out counterparts. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) is also increasingly recognizing that intensification, or creating denser communities, can play a positive role in addressing not only housing affordability but other challenges — such as access to services, health status, and climate change — that factor into where people choose to live. Here’s how.

ACCESS TO SERVICES

This story is from the January/February 2021 edition of The Walrus.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the January/February 2021 edition of The Walrus.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM THE WALRUSView All
Invisible Lives
The Walrus

Invisible Lives

Without immigration status, Canada's undocumented youth stay in the shadows

time-read
3 mins  |
JanFeb 2024
My Guilty Pleasure
The Walrus

My Guilty Pleasure

"The late nights are mine alone, and I'll spend them however I damn well please"

time-read
3 mins  |
JanFeb 2024
Vaclav Smil Is Fed Up
The Walrus

Vaclav Smil Is Fed Up

The acclaimed environmental scientist is criticizing climate activists, shunning media, and stepping back just when we need him most

time-read
10+ mins  |
JanFeb 2024
It's Time for a Birth Control Revolution
The Walrus

It's Time for a Birth Control Revolution

What the pill teaches us about the failure - and future - of women's health care

time-read
10+ mins  |
JanFeb 2024
Would You Watch a Play about Hydro Electricity?
The Walrus

Would You Watch a Play about Hydro Electricity?

How documentary theatre struck a chord in Quebec

time-read
10+ mins  |
JanFeb 2024
Still Spinning
The Walrus

Still Spinning

One record chain has bet big on a new appetite for physical media

time-read
8 mins  |
JanFeb 2024
Just So You Know, I Love My Mother
The Walrus

Just So You Know, I Love My Mother

In many ways, multi-generational living makes sense. But that doesn't make it easy

time-read
10+ mins  |
JanFeb 2024
Art of the Steal
The Walrus

Art of the Steal

Why are plundered African artifacts still in Western museums?

time-read
10+ mins  |
JanFeb 2024
Canada in the Middle
The Walrus

Canada in the Middle

What role can we play in easing the war in Gaza?

time-read
6 mins  |
JanFeb 2024
The Walrus

Canadian Multiculturalism: A Work in Progress

As we mark fifty years since the adoption of Canada’s federal multiculturalism policy, human rights advocate AMIRA ELGHAWABY celebrates its merits and reflects on the work that is yet to be done when it comes to inclusion, acceptance, and fighting systemic racism in our country.

time-read
7 mins  |
January/February 2022