Building Family Friendly Condos

Five recommendations for builders to ensure a positive condo environment for growing children

By Jeanhy Shim, President, Housing Lab Toronto

1. Bike racks/storage/lockers for more than one bike (which is the current City requirement). Most condo rules do not allow bikes inside the building (i.e., in suites or on balconies), so there’s a need to provide a viable solution. I know in my building, the condo board had to find spaces in our underground to squeeze in as many bike racks as possible and encourage parking spot owners to purchase vertical bike racks as well. Assume at least two to four bikes per ‘family’ unit.

2. Large ‘usable’ balconies or terraces for family apartments to provide functional spaces for kids to play outdoors when they are younger (i.e., before they are old enough to play unsupervised). These balconies/terraces should be large enough to accommodate a small sandbox or splash pool or playhouse, etc. Further, outdoor spaces are also great for gardening, plants, etc., which are important for young kids to be exposed to.

The Urban Yards of the Rockport Group's George Condos in Leslieville provide safe places to play with extra deep recessed balconies.

3. An in-suite storage room or oversized walk-in front hall closet to also store strollers, tricycles, wagons, push bikes, sandbox toys, water toys, etc. I remember in our first condo—a 700 sq.ft. 1B+D—when my daughter was born, we stored the huge stroller in the kitchen/den right at the front door, since there was no entry foyer or even a closet. An alternative is a common stroller/gear storage room on every floor that’s accessible by residents on that floor only to store oversized gear.

Menkes was among the first to incorporate dedicated child-friendly amenities with The Eglinton in midtown Toronto, designed with input from child development experts.

4. An outdoor amenity area with real grass that is dog-free and with benches and lots of natural shade, gardens, etc.—a place where families with young kids can relax outside on a picnic blanket in the grass. Maybe adjacent to a BBQ area. There’s a tendency these days to ‘hardscape’ or ‘landscape/plant’ everything for ease of maintenance and to make everything so ‘perfect.’ But private common-area open green spaces and natural/wild spaces are important for kids to just run around all year long. Easy access to amenity washrooms is also a must-have so that families don’t have to run upstairs to their units.

The outdoor playground and track at Menkes Developments' Harbour Plaza.

5. Swimming pools! One of the key life skills that most parents want their kids to learn is water safety and swimming. Sure, they can take kids for lessons, but having access to a pool is not only great for kids but also overall family health. And they don’t have to be Olympic-sized scale or quality—just one depth and large enough for a bunch of kids/ families to splash around and enjoy.

Tridel's Bloor Promenade Condos is a kid-friendly project, but also adult-friendly given it's proximity to Islington Subway Station.