Willowdale East

My Neighborhood - An Analysis

Singh, Diksha

April 21, 2021

Willowdale East is a neighborhood located in North York, Toronto. It is located between Finch Ave W in the North, Yonge Street in the West, Bayview Ave in the East, and bordered by the 401 highway in the south.

Willowdale East is an established, affluent, and extremely livable community. In fact, its livability score is 79, which is considered as an exceptional score.

This image showcases Willowdale East's Livability Score of 79

This score ranks Willowdale East #144 in Toronto and #815 in Ontario; ranking better than 97% of areas!

The above image shows how Willowdale East's livability score ranks in comparison to other neighborhoods, the city of Toronto, and the province of Ontario.

So what exactly makes Willowdale East so liveable? The livability score takes factors such as amenities, cost of living, crime, employment, housing, and schools into account. However, there is so much more to this community.

Firstly, containing major intersections, Willowdale East gets a huge nod for accessibility.

Buses run frequently and connect you to all subway lines, with both the Young and Sheppard lines at the heart of the neighborhood.

Viva, GO, and York Region transits also serve Willowdale.

On these main roads, large amounts of commercial use buildings can be found. Ranging from a large number of ethno-cultural restaurants, particularly on Yonge Street

Such as 'Bake Code', a new Taiwanese Bakery open on Young Street.

To larger stores such as Loblaws, Shoppers Drug Mart, Staples, Michaels, and Cinemex Theatres in small malls, such as Sheppard and North York Centre.

In these busy areas, most live in relatively new and modern high story condominiums.

Conversely, the majority of the neighborhood belongs to peaceful areas of medium to large residential homes, with large and maintained lawns and backyards.

These areas feel extremely safe, with easy walkable and bikeable routes

It is very common to find open spaces such as parks and playgrounds, including Avonshire and Glendora park,

and highly-rated schools within walking distance. Such as Avondale Alternative School, with a perfect fraser score ranking number 1 in elementary schools in Toronto; making it an ideal neighborhood for families of all sizes.

Overall, Willowdale East is a balanced neighborhood which provides a sense of community.

Below is a land use map of Willowdale East (legend on lower left of map)

Willowdale East Land Use Map

Connections to Physical Geography

Willowdale Easts physical landscape has significantly impacted today's design of the neighborhood.

First off, areas with higher elevations clearly correspond with green spaces, since buildings cannot be effectively built on top of steep hills.

Topography Map (left) vs Land Use Map (right) As shown above, the yellow regions (higher elevation) corresponds with the green spaces in the South West of Willowdale East.

Thus, the neighborhood wisely used these areas as open green spaces to promote sustainability. In fact, Willowdale East took great advantage of the hill at Glendora Park; there is now a tennis court at the top of the hill and the rest is commonly used as a dog park or for sledding purposes during winter seasons.

Above is an image of the hill at Glendora park from a birds eye view. The tennis court sits at the very top of the elevation.

In addition to elevation, the green spaces in Willowdale East are located where Mud Creek Stream used to flow.

This stream became one of Toronto's 'lost rivers' when it was buried underneath Lytton Park and the underside of King's 401 Highway.

Due to this river, nothing could be built on it in the past. Therefore, these regions are now occupied as green spaces

Which is why the parks in Willowdale East seem to be connected in a linear pattern, much like Mud Creek River.

The right shows lost rivers of Toronto, the river highlighted in red is Mud Creek River in Willowdale East. The left is a map of Willowdale East. Observe how the green spaces correspond with the Mud Creek River.

This map, again, shows how the flat landscape allows for a grid pattern in the streets of Willowdale East.

As for the majority of the neighborhood, the landscape is topographically very flat. For this reason, Willowdale East took advantage of these areas for a grid-like street layout; allowing multiple buildings to be built, most commonly for residential and commercial use.

Overall, the physical geography of Willowdale East, if not any neighborhood, substantially influences the design of a community

Demography of Willowdale East

Population Growth and Age

Since 2001, there has been a major boost in Willowdale Easts total population. This increase in population has occurred most prominently in those of working age (15 - 64).

This graph showcases the drastic growth in Willowdale East's population since 2001

In fact, Willowdale East’s population has grown by a rate of 12%, compared to Toronto’s growth rate of only 4.5%!

This graph compares Willowdale Easts and Toronto's Population change (second row)

Immigration

The recent rapid increase in Willowdale East’s population has most definitely occurred from immigration.

This community consists of a low number of Canadian born residents, but rather those who have immigrated from 1981 - 2016. Immigration rates surely surpass those of the city of Toronto

The graph above shows immigration status and period for immigration in Willowdale East

Nearly 80% of those who immigrate to Willowdale East are for economical purposes, a much higher statistic in comparison to Toronto as a whole.

Above showcases the admission category for immigrants in Willowdale East

In addition, 72% of immigrants in Willowdale East are first generation, contrasting to Toronto’s percentage of 51%. Meaning most of Willowdale Easts immigrants came recently; resulting in a population boost.

the graph above showcases the generation status for immigrants in Willowdale East

The graph below showcases the places of birth of recent immigrants. I can confidently say I’ve noticed people with ethnicities from Iran, China, India, and South Korea immigrating to Willowdale East recently.

The graph above showcases top selected places of birth in recent immigrants

Once again, Willowdale East surpasses the city of Toronto, this time at 75% for visible minorities compared to Toronto’s 51%. This statistic represents how dramatically immigration has impacted the neighborhood's population.

Most people in Willowdale East are from East/SouthEast Asia, Europe, West Central Asia/Middle Eastern, and South Asia. As you can tell, Willowdale East consists of many different cultures.

The above statistics and facts truly represent the diversity of Willowdale East and how it continues to grow.

Individual Income

Of the large number of workers in Willowdale East, 25% have a total individual income of under $10 000 (including loss), 7% higher than the city of Toronto. In the graph below, observe how rates are not drastically different but the general trend is lower incomes.

In addition, rates of living with income below half of the Canadian after tax household income median are higher by around 10% for all age groups (low income measure); following the same trend of lower incomes as in the previous example.

The graph above showcases low income measure after tax

One would assume in a neighborhood with a high age of working population (15-64), these statistics would not exist. I think this might be because of a lack of money circulating around the neighborhood's economy due to few locally owned commercial use buildings.

Housing and Mobility

Due to the recent rise in population over the past 2 decades, WIllowdale East’s period of Construction contrasts with the city of Toronto and peaked from 1991 - 2016 (as shown below).

The graph above showcases the period of construction for housing in Willowdale East

This has resulted in modern infrastructure and buildings, such as 5+ Condominiums and Apartments, which take up 72% of private dwellings; 28% higher than Toronto!

The above graph showcases the high number of 5+ storey apartments in Willowdale East

Education

Education wise, 68% of the Willowdale East population has a Bachelor’s degree or higher. Meaning Willowdale East is more educated than Toronto by 24%.

Crime

Lastly, it is important to note Willowdale East has an A+ on the liveability scale for crime; the community's rates are 23% lower than the National Average!

Urban Issues in Willowdale East

Un-affordable Housing

Demand is high in Willowdale East, which is reflected in its real estate prices. Although both rental and owning prices have a fairly broad range, prices are rising day by day. Nearly all custom-built houses now list in the $2-million to $3-million range!

I have walked past the house shown above, currently it is listed at $3,580,000!

As housing prices rise, lower income people are gradually starting to leave the neighborhood as they cannot afford the homes; lowering economical/income diversity.

As incomes become higher, the look of Willowdale East changes as well. High income home buyers are tearing down old homes to build new fancy homes. This is taking away from the culture of Willowdale East, and nearly all residential areas are starting to look identical, with no uniqueness.

Above is an image of a house under construction, the house to the right shows what the house would've relatively looked like before it was torn down.

It is very often I see this process occurring with my own eyes. In fact, on my short neighborhood walk near my home, I saw two homes under construction!

In willowdale East, the middle ground for real estate seems to be missing. We have a wide range of condos and individual houses, but 0% of semi-detached homes and very few townhouses. This factor decreases the range of housing choices for households of different ages, sizes, and incomes. Making the neighborhood less complete.

Traffic

At Willowdale East, traffic accumulates along the main sections of the neighborhood, and ongoing construction at Sheppard Centre worsens this issue.

The image shows a resident who has seen traffic increase

A resident living near the Young St. and Sheppard Ave. area since 2005 says traffic has gotten worse due to intensification, more erratic driving, and traffic navigation apps.

“No one is technically against development, not on our board anyway, but the development that’s taking place, the infrastructure to support that development has not kept up pace,” said Zarkadas, chair of traffic issues with the West Lansing Homeowners' Association.

It is important to note Willowdale still has the identical subway line and capacity it did 20 years ago, however, the community now has many more residents living along the subway line. They are all cramming into the subway, and the rest take their vehicles. The more cars that are on the road, the more drivers look for ways to get to their destination in a fast manner, so they cut through neighborhoods such as Willowdale East as a shortcut, often driving too quickly.

There is a non-stop flow of cars, as well as a lack of safe infrastructure and dangerous driving in schools and senior homes. Streets in front of schools are jam packed with cars during morning and afternoon rushes. It is just a matter of time before a child walks out in the middle of the streets and gets injured.

Noise Pollution

This traffic has also led to noise pollution on busy streets. Construction of new homes in residential areas also causes noise pollution

In addition, from personal experience, I’ve seen noise pollution take place at Avondale Public School. The school is located right beside the 401 highway, in fact, there is only a thin wall separating the two regions. This causes constant noise for the students and teachers of this school.

As you can see, Avondale Public School (blue) is very close to the 401 Highway

Urban Density

Thanks to the population boom in Willowdale East, elementary schools along the Yonge St. Corridor near Sheppard Avenue are filled to the brim with students. This includes McKee Public School, with almost 800 students, it has doubled in size and is filled at 110% capacity.

A picture of students at McKee Public School

Students only a 3 minute walk away from McKee, such as 120-unit building west to the playground, cannot attend this school. Instead, they have to travel more than 3 kilometres to the next school. This is due to McKee's full capacity and because many condos opened in 2004, so the children who live in the 120-unit building haven’t been eligible to attend the school steps away from their front door, despite adding portables for all of grade 5.

This is lowering accessibility for families in Willowdale East, of which many move to the neighborhood solely to attend highly rated schools such as McKee.

Willowdale Easts Redevelopment Plan

How can we improve this neighbourhood?

This map highlights some ways Willowdale East can be re-developed to a better and more complete neighborhood.

To limit traffic in Willowdale East, there are many measures we can take. (blue streets)

First off, we can lower speed limits around the neighborhood and near schools to increase the safety of students.

This way, drivers will also avoid going through Willowdales streets as a shortcut due to slower speed.

More traffic calming measures Willowdale East should design are speed bumps and curb extensions to make streets appear more narrow.

I believe Willowdale East should also add photo radars in areas in which traffic accumulates the most (highlighted blue area), these will capture and record cars going over the speed limit. If a driver is to go above the speed limit, they will be given warnings and then a fine.

Hopefully, these measures tell people they have to be prepared for an inconvenience of a minute or two of their ride to make my neighborhood safer.

Adding Bike Lanes and more sidewalks to Willowdale East comes with multiple benefits. (purple streets)

First off, sidewalks increase the walkability of the neighborhood to an even higher extent.

Bike Lanes encourages drivers to switch to alternative uses of travel. Therefore, lowering traffic, decreasing the greenhouse gas effect, and promoting physical exercise for residents.

Adding sidewalks will make Willowdale East safer for kids, especially those who have dense traffic in front of their schools.

This addition makes the community complete.

Currently, the majority of the residential areas look dull and many houses are being transformed into luxury homes.

I believe by adding murals (red areas) to represent the diverse cultures of the residents, Willowdale East, and First Nations will create a sense of community and employ local artists. In my previous neighborhood, there were many murals and they brightened both the neighborhood and smiles of residents.

We can add these in Willowdale Park, Sheppard East Park, Oakburn Crescent garages, and nearby Avondale Public School

In addition, the current farmer markets in the neighborhood do not sell diverse produce from the ethnicities of residents. By setting a base percentage on including unique farmers which grow their traditional produce, Willowdale East will increase its sense of community.

Environmentally, Willowdale East can add many new features to promote sustainability. This includes…

Adding small urban agricultural farms around the neighborhood on rooftops, open spaces, and in parks. (bright green area)

Above is an example of an urban farm

and adding renewable energy, such as solar panels on roofs of homes to promote environmental sustainability. (green area)

Above is an example of what solar panels on residential homes could look like in Willowdale East

Lastly, Willowdale East can turn many of its current parking lots underground to make room for other land uses.

For instance, the parking lot at Avondale Ave and Oakburn Cres can be made underground to create affordable condominiums. These condos will be thin to leave room for green space and a community centre. The apartment building will have vertical forests to create a carbon sink.