Andrew Robertson

Markham

A modern development on the edge of town.


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Downtown Markham is a cutting-edge development that seems to be in the middle of nowhere. Easily visible as a sprouting of high buildings next to the 407ETR near Unionville, Downtown Markham is set to double in size in the upcoming years (that’s what all the fields are for). Despite this, Downtown Markham feels rather nice.1

Downtown Markham is completely unlike any of the other downtowns that I’ve visited: it’s completely new, and completely artificial. Now that’s not a bad thing. Downtown Markham is pretty cool. There are lots of wonderful mixed-use residential buildings in the area, which means that people should be able to walk about. The high-rises have condos on top and shops in the bottom. One of them is a mall-like thing that includes a movie theatre. Another one swaps out the condos for a hotel. I like this, and would like to see more such development in the future. Unfortunately, in places like Toronto, condo developers are incentivized to pack as many residential units in as possible, leaving little room for commercial units. This creates the “condo city” sadly devoid of life and vigor. But enough about that!

Downtown Markham has numerous shops to look at as you wander around. There are also other cutting-edge developments in the area, too, like a dedicated bus street for a BRT. Downtown Markham is a pretty neat place to be. With the new York University campus going in next door (eventually, thanks Ford), this should also help students feel less isolated from the community (like at Keele). This should provide a nice walking area from the Downtown to Unionville nearby (right now it’s mostly empty fields and so feels rather hostile).

Sadly, the area around Downtown Markham is not so nice. North of the Downtown is a neighbourhood that perfectly epitomizes the cookie-cutter home concept. For such a modern development, this is a startling regression. Long, curving streets that are easy to get lost in, rows and downs of identical beige houses… it just feels desolate. It would be a great set for a sci-fi scene. There is a nice park with a historic house in the middle (the “core” ooooh ) which is nice.


Downtown Markham might not be worth the trip now, but it’ll be interesting to see how it develops in the upcoming years and decade. Right now, it definitely shows promise and I hope it continues on the same trajectory. If you’re in the area, check it out; it’s definitely neat and a great example of current urban planning in action in Canada.2


  1. Note, this visit was done early in the pandemic, so places were pretty sparse. 2m distancing and masks were worn appropriately. I imagine now, what with the province entering Stage III, that it is more lively.  

  2. And at night, it’s lit up brilliantly with all the retail signs!