The view beyond downtown luxury towers: Diversity of condominium developments in a contemporary mid‐sized city

Abstract

Key Messages• Rather than the typical association with downtown luxury towers, condominiums are found across a range of housing styles, locations, and price points. • Existing theorizing surrounding the role of government and developers working under neoliberalization does not fully explain Halifax's distinct condominium development patterns. • Local conditions and consumer demand among other factors are essential for understanding the complex role of condominiums within housing markets and urban development processes.A proliferation of condominiums is fundamentally changing the built, social, and economic fabric of Canada's cities. While developments may be found throughout the urban landscape of cities large and small, most of the contemporary research focuses on luxury towers in the urban cores of Toronto and Vancouver. The following study examines the complete inventory of all condominium units in Halifax, Nova Scotia, revealing spatial and temporal patterns in their development. Nearly 60% of Halifax's condominium units are found in the suburbs, with only 20% in the downtown. Condominium units built since 2010 command the highest prices, surpassing the median single detached house price in the city, while older units from the 1970s and 1980s remain largely affordable. Recent developments can be found in gentrifying neighbourhoods; however, they remain a minority as many more units are found in middle-class suburbs and wealthy inner-city neighbourhoods. Owing to their varied manifestations, the predominant associations of condominiums with a downtown, luxury housing format needs expanding to include locations throughout the metropolitan area, distinct building types, and wide range of prices.Au-delà des tours luxueuses du centre-ville : la diversité des développements de condominiums dans une ville contemporaine de taille moyenne La prolifération de condominiums change de façon fondamentale le tissu bâti, économique et social des villes canadiennes. Bien que l'on puisse retrouver des développements de ce type dans le paysage urbain de villes petites et moyennes, la plupart des recherches contemporaines mettent l'accent sur les tours luxueuses que l'on remarque à Toronto et à Vancouver. La présente étude fait l'inventaire complet de tous les condominiums à Halifax, en Nouvelle-Écosse. Celle-ci révéle des modèles spatiaux et temporels diversifiés dans leur mise en place. Ainsi, près de 60% des condominiums d'Halifax se trouvent en banlieue alors que seulement 20% The Canadian Geographer / Le Géographe canadien 2020, 64(2): 280-293 de ceux-ci se localisent dans le centre-ville. De plus, les condominiums construits à partir de 2010 atteignent les prix les plus élevés, dépassant le prix moyen des maisons unifamiliales à Halifax. Par ailleurs, les unités de condos des années 1970 et 1980 demeurent très abordables.On peut également trouver des développements récents de condos dans des quartiers en voie d'embourgeoisement, mais ils demeurent une minorité puisque l'on observe plus d'unités dans des banlieues de classe...

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