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In the U.K., where there’s an ongoing housing crisis, . At least the British are having an honest conversation about it. .

, where floods and subsequent disease have devastated the city. The terrible treatment of Hurricane Katrina’s victims in New Orleans is a continuation of an enduring history of racism.

Research also describes how in the  is related to a higher risk of flooding and lower preparedness to deal with floods.

In ,  has left millions of the poor living in such dangerous low-lying areas that China’s president has called in the army.

Public space can be climate-adaptive

Today, most North American coastal cities are in danger of climate-related sea level elevations and storm surges.  because they became victims too. It didn’t matter whether you were .

In wealthy south Florida, saltwater rises not only directly from the sea, but also up through , so Miami cannot use the same climate adaptation approaches as in some other cities, like adding green space. 

Toronto could turn its remaining waterfront space into parkland, instead of housing developments, as a protective barrier.

 around the lower part of Manhattan, and add a park. The Dutch are using public space to absorb floodwater.  to double as reservoirs for floodwaters, on the advice of the Dutch.

Toronto’s recent floods a wakeup call

Toronto has had a few waterfront floods over the years, including  and last, . The city faced  with violent winds and flooding downtown. , but others live within limited space affected by the aftermath of catastrophes. .

Meanwhile, new Toronto lakefront condominium developments  in the Quayside and Portlands neighbourhoods, near the Islands, on .  is a required part of the plan.

Will Flessig, former Waterfront Toronto CEO, says that middle-income professionals are expected to settle in the waterfront condominiums so that they can be closer to where they work.

But no one in Toronto is talking about the flood plains, . Based on a plan developed in 2007, the  so that the water safely flows into Lake Ontario.

However, the waterfront area still remains a flood plain, and is still affected by storm surges associated with climate change.

Building on flood plains has serious consequences, including future  buildings as insurance companies anticipate they won’t be able to afford the payouts. A single major flood causes a great deal of damage and requires insurance companies to pay all at once. With a higher frequency of catastrophic floods and the corresponding required payouts, the pool of insurance premiums collected to cover the losses dries up, 

Before that happens and buildings are left derelict, people and property are endangered. We recently saw  in Toronto, and there are limited rescue personnel .

Simultaneously, damage to personal property can be overwhelming — for example, to cars and contents within condominium lockers in underground parking garages. In Toronto, we have also seen  recently with people trapped inside.

Fixing the damage therefore adds costs to public transit. Water quality and disease concerns are also heightened as storm . Over the longer term, .

Hard to manage water levels

On a broader scale in the Great Lakes region, the ability  conditions is reduced. That’s because the ability of water officials to manage water levels is much more difficult when condominiums and other housing is built on flood plains.

For example, water flows are somewhat controlled in the  watersheds through an international agreement called Plan 2014. If buildings are in the path of water flow, this complicates and limits the range of adjustment options.

We know now what we’re confronting. Let’s learn from past mistakes. In the best interests of homeowners, the public and climate adaptation, what’s left of Toronto’s waterfront should be public parks, not condominiums billed as “workforce housing.”