Toronto, Vancouver much less dense than other comparable major U.S., international urban centres

Urban Population Densities in Canada and Abroad—an Update

Canadian News, Opinion | June 25, 2024

VANCOUVER—Canadian cities—including Toronto and Vancouver, which are experiencing high and increasing housing costs—can accommodate much more housing supply as they have much lower population densities than other major comparable urban centres around the world, finds a new study by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank.

“Compared to their international peers, Canadian cities have much lower levels of density, which means there’s an opportunity to expand the supply of housing and perhaps make housing more affordable, too,” said Steven Globerman, Fraser Institute senior fellow and co-author of Urban Population Densities in Canada and Abroad—an Update.

The study, which compares population densities in 30 metropolitan centres in high-income developed countries, finds that Canadian cities are among the least-dense.

Even Vancouver—Canada’s densest major city with 5,750 people per square kilometre—ranks 13th out of 30, and is significantly less dense than San Francisco (6,656 people per square kilometre), a comparable west coast city.

In Toronto, there are 4,552 people per square kilometre. In fact, Toronto’s population could double and the city would still be less dense than New York City (10,712).

And crucially, Toronto and Vancouver are significantly less dense than many other major cities around the world, including London (10,663) Tokyo (15,531) and Paris (20,360).

“Some of the most desirable, liveable cities in the world have much higher population densities than Canada’s biggest cities,” Globerman said.

“Canadian cities can become significantly more dense, and possibly more affordable, without necessarily sacrificing living standards.”

Media Contact:
Steven Globerman, Senior Fellow Fraser Institute

To arrange media interviews or for more information, please contact:
Drue MacPherson, Fraser Institute
604-688-0221 ext. 721
drue.macpherson@fraserinstitute.org

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