The Missing Middle Podcast

Why is housing so expensive? Parking might be part of the answer.

In this episode of DemograFix, Cara Stern talks to Henry Grabar, author of Paved Paradise: How Parking Explains the World, about how parking minimums, parking costs and car dependency have shaped our cities and made housing more expensive.

We discuss why developers build so much parking, how parking requirements can delay or block new housing, what happens when cities eliminate parking minimums, and whether making parking harder is actually a good way to get people out of their cars.

Plus: why are there at least three parking spaces for every car in America?

Pick up Henry's book, Paved Paradise: How Parking Explains the World, wherever you get your books.

#Parking #Housing #urbanplanning 

Chapters:

00:00 Parking vs. Housing: The Real Cost
01:28 The "Free Parking" Fallacy
03:18 Ridiculous Zoning Laws
05:15 How Parking Drives Up Your Rent
07:58 Why SimCity Left Out Parking
11:09 Why NIMBYs Fight New Housing
15:33 Why Carrots Don't Work on Drivers
18:33 The Dark Side of Parking Fines
20:29 How Parking Kills Small Towns
24:43 Why American Cities Look Empty

Research/links:

Paved Paradise
http://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/634461/paved-paradise-by-henry-grabar/9781984881151

Henry Grabar
https://www.henrygrabar.com/

Not-So-Free Parking
https://www.harvardmagazine.com/2023/08/paved-paradise-grabar

America, Land of the Free Parking
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/10/books/review/paved-paradise-henry-grabar.html

The Edmonton Exception
https://2067journal.ca/the-edmonton-exception/

Credits:
Mike Moffatt 
https://twitter.com/MikePMoffatt
https://bsky.app/profile/mikepmoffatt.bsky.social

Cara Stern 
https://x.com/carastern
https://bsky.app/profile/carastern.bsky.social

Meredith Martin 
https://twitter.com/meredithmartin
https://bsky.app/profile/meredithmartin.bsky.social

Sean Foreman
@seanegertonforeman
https://bsky.app/profile/seanforeman.bsky.social

Canadian Civil
youtube.com/CanadianCivil

Co-op Student
Francis Gabriel Carmona
Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux
Produced by Meredith Martin
Edited by Sean Foreman and Canadian Civil

In this episode of Classonomix, Sabrina Maddeaux and Mike Moffatt break down what actually makes a home “family-friendly,” and what a survey of 4,000 Canadians reveals about whether townhomes, strawberry-box bungalows, and apartment towers are truly fit for raising kids. They unpack the developmental science behind childhood outcomes, introduce the “kitchen window test” for fostering independent play, and explain why the family-friendly courtyard apartments popular across Europe remain effectively illegal to build under Canadian zoning and building codes.
Chapters:
00:00 The Great Family Exodus
00:58 Defining Family Friendly Homes
05:15 Rating Canadian Homes: Suburbs to Condos
10:05 The Low-Rise vs. High-Rise Trap for Kids
14:38 What Science Says About Raising Kids in Suburbs
18:05 Why Public Parks Fail Young Families
19:23 The "Kitchen Window Test"
20:15 The European Courtyard Alternative
22:41 Why It’s So Hard to Build Family Housing

Research:
Social housing: A key part of past and future housing policyhttps://www.oecd.org/content/dam/oecd/en/publications/reports/2020/10/social-housing-a-key-part-of-past-and-future-housing-policy_ef96d6d9/5b54f96b-en.pdf
Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux
Produced by Meredith Martin
Edited by Sean Foreman and Canadian Civil

How did hundreds of millions of dollars in Ontario student aid end up at the centre of a major funding scandal, and why did it take so long for the government to act?

In this episode of DemograFix, Cara Stern sits down with Alex Usher, president of Higher Education Strategy Associates and author of the annual State of Post-Secondary Education in Canada report, to investigate the OSAP funding scandal and the Ontario Provincial Police’s criminal probe into alleged fraud at private career colleges.

They unpack how Ontario’s student aid system went wrong, what the investigation means for students and taxpayers, and what this scandal reveals about the flaws in Canada’s post-secondary funding system. 

They also explore the growing generational divide: why Gen Z is facing more debt, fewer opportunities, and a tougher path to financial security than previous generations.

Subscribe for more conversations about Canada’s economy, demographics, and the policies shaping our future.

Chapters:

00:00 – "I Did Everything Right" (Why Gen Z is Struggling)
01:51 – What is a Career College?
02:38 – The $1 Billion OSAP Fraud Scandal Exposed
05:13 – Why Ontario Cut Student Grants Instead of Stopping Fraud
06:25 – Hundreds of Colleges Are About to Go Under
10:32 – Cover-ups, Lawsuits & Freedom of Information
11:05 – Is a College Degree Still Worth It in 2026?
12:16 – The Truth About "Credential Inflation"
14:51 – Do We Really Need 4-Year Degrees Anymore?
18:47 – Net-Zero Tuition: How Student Aid Actually Works

Research:
The Contemptible OSAP Cover-Up
https://higheredstrategy.com/the-contemptible-osap-cover-up/

How Doug Ford’s OSAP changes are forcing Ontario students to make a choice: Go deep into debt or drop out
https://www.thestar.com/news/ontario/how-doug-fords-osap-changes-are-forcing-ontario-students-to-make-a-choice-go-deep-into-debt-or-drop-out/article_3cdce5f9-fec7-4faf-95f9-a79592f487a0.html

Court records show Ontario's 'serious concerns' about three career colleges
https://www.thetrillium.ca/news/education-and-training/court-records-show-ontarios-serious-concerns-about-three-career-colleges-12851478

This Ontario career college has suspended classes. Here’s why
https://www.cp24.com/politics/queens-park/2026/10/18/this-ontario-career-college-has-suspended-classes-heres-why/

$385M in OSAP grants sent to students at 7 career colleges last year, documents show
https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/article/385m-in-osap-grants-sent-to-students-at-7-career-colleges-last-year-documents-show/

The State of Post-Secondary Education in Canada, 2026
https://higheredstrategy.com/the-state-of-post-secondary-education-in-canada-2026/

Credits:
Cara Stern https://x.com/carastern
https://bsky.app/profile/carastern.bsky.social

Meredith Martin 
https://twitter.com/meredithmartin
https://bsky.app/profile/meredithmartin.bsky.social

Paige Saunders
https://site.canadiancivil.com/profiles/

Sean Foreman
@seanegertonforeman
https://bsky.app/profile/seanforeman.bsky.social

Mike Moffatt https://twitter.com/MikePMoffatt
https://bsky.app/profile/mikepmoffatt.bsky.social

University Of Ottawa Co-op Student
Francis Gabriel Carmona

Brought to you by the Missing Middle Initiative https://www.missingmiddleinitiative.ca/
Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux
Produced by Meredith Martin
Edited by Sean Foreman and Canadian Civil

Why is it getting so hard to afford a night out? From $200 dinners and sky-high concert tickets to the disappearance of cheap bowling alleys and dinner parties, having fun is becoming a luxury. In this episode of Classonomics, Sabrina Maddeaux and Mike Moffatt break down how soaring housing costs, stagnant wage growth and rising entertainment prices are changing the way we socialize. As affordable third spaces disappear and young Canadians spend more time alone, are we facing a loneliness crisis fuelled by the cost of living? And what happens when we can no longer afford the everyday experiences that bring us together?

Chapters:

00:00 - Why Having Fun Got So Expensive
00:49 - The Data Behind the Loneliness Epidemic
03:10 - Rent, Wages & Skyrocketing Ticket Prices
07:16 - Splurge Culture: Concerts vs. Real Life
10:34 - What Happened to Cheap Hangout Spots?
13:55 - How the Housing Crisis Killed Dinner Parties
22:15 - The Rise of the "Alone Economy"
25:17 - The Hidden Cost of Living Alone

Research:

NetNewsLedger - Funflation is raising concert, sports and streaming costs for Canadians:
https://www.netnewsledger.com/2026/07/16/funflation-is-raising-concert-sports-and-streaming-costs-for-canadians/

Bloomberg Opinion (Allison Schrager) - Why Bowl Together When You Can Scroll Alone? (Lucky Strike, league decline, third places):
https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2026-10-04/why-bowl-together-when-you-can-scroll-alone

The Atlantic (Derek Thompson) - Why Americans Stopped Throwing Dinner Parties (42% to 12% hosting monthly):
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/10/americans-socialization-dinner-decline-hosting/688846/

Pollstar - 2025 Year-End Business Analysis (average ticket $96.17 in 2019, $132.62 in 2025; stadium average $216.13, up 18.3%):
https://news.pollstar.com/?p=1214179

City of Toronto staff report (July 2026) - grassroots music venues: ~5% own their buildings, ~30 lost 2014 to pandemic, 50% property tax cut:
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2026/ec/bgrd/backgroundfile-289602.pdf

Statistics Canada - Survey of Household Spending, 2023 (recreation $5,231; one-person households and shelter share):
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/250521/dq250521a-eng.htm

Statistics Canada - Time pressure and time spent with friends over the last 30 years:
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/250617/dq250617d-eng.htm

Canadian Press - Canadians spending less time with friends:
https://www.ctvnews.ca/lifestyle/article/canadians-spending-less-time-with-friends-especially-those-of-working-age-statcan/

Statistics Canada - Canadian Social Survey: Loneliness in Canada (2021):
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/211124/dq211124e-eng.htm
https://asiatimes.com/2026/09/asias-lonely-economy-of-one/

Statistics Canada - Loneliness as a Quality of Life Framework indicator:
https://www160.statcan.gc.ca/society-societe/loneliness-solitude-eng.htm

Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux
Produced by Meredith Martin
Edited by Sean Foreman and Canadian Civil

With election day approaching across Ontario, are mayoral candidates offering real solutions to the housing crisis, or just slogans?
Cara Stern and Mike Moffatt examine housing platforms from candidates in nine Ontario cities to see which proposals could actually make homes more affordable for middle-class families, renters, and first-time homebuyers.
They break down the policies that could make a difference, the promises that need more scrutiny, and the municipal decisions that are shaping the future of housing in Ontario.
In this episode:
What's missing from candidates' housing plans? Why concrete targets, timelines, and realistic funding matter.
Mississauga's property tax proposal: Would allowing seniors to defer property taxes help homeowners, or create new costs for taxpayers?
Toronto's land transfer tax: Could cutting the tax help families move into homes that better suit their needs, and how would the city replace the lost revenue?
Windsor's fourplex debate: What happens when municipal leaders oppose policies that could allow more homes to be built?
Oshawa and Guelph's housing plans: Can faster approvals, lower development charges, and more flexible zoning improve affordability?
The case for family-sized homes: Why building more housing means more than hitting unit targets, and why young families need more options.
What good housing policy looks like: Mike shares the municipal reforms he would prioritize, from streamlining approvals to making starter homes cheaper to build.
The big question: Can good housing policy win elections, and are municipal politicians willing to make the changes needed to help the next generation afford a home?

Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction: Analyzing Ontario’s Municipal Housing Platforms
00:50 - What to Look For in a Middle-Class Housing Plan
02:23 - Initial Reactions & "Where’s the Beef?"
03:04 - Property Tax Deferrals for Seniors: Good or Bad Policy?
06:30 - Land Transfer Taxes: Removing Barriers to Moving
08:46 - Strong Mayor Powers & The Fourplex Veto Debate
10:34 - Development Charges & Streamlining Approvals in Oshawa
12:31 - Density on Arterials vs. Neighbourhood Infill
14:59 - The Student Housing Crisis in Southwestern Ontario
16:35 - Core Principles for a Real Municipal Housing Vision
18:50 - Key Policies: Form-Based Zoning, AI Approvals, & Tax Reform
21:37 - Does Good Housing Policy Actually Win Elections?

Research/links:

https://www.thestar.com/real-estate/why-toronto-s-next-council-could-be-decided-by-renters/article_24997d4c-28a5-4250-ab38-e5c7203c8252.html

https://www.alvintedjo.ca/affordability

https://chewforguelph.ca/priorities/

https://bradford26.ca/news/brad-bradford-toronto-mayor-will-eliminate-torontos-land-transfer-tax-for-the-average-homebuyer

https://www.ctvnews.ca/windsor/article/dilkens-vows-to-use-strong-mayor-powers-to-block-fourplex-changes-if-re-elected-francis-calls-it-fear-mongering/#:~:text=Dilkens%20vows%20to%20use%20strong%20mayor%20powers,Dilkens%20(right).%20(%20Sanjay%20Maru%2FCTV%20News%20Windsor)

Credits:
Mike Moffatt 
https://twitter.com/MikePMoffatt
https://bsky.app/profile/mikepmoffatt.bsky.social

Cara Stern 
https://x.com/carastern
https://bsky.app/profile/carastern.bsky.social

Meredith Martin 
https://twitter.com/meredithmartin
https://bsky.app/profile/meredithmartin.bsky.social

Sean Foreman
@seanegertonforeman
https://bsky.app/profile/seanforeman.bsky.social

Canadian Civil
youtube.com/CanadianCivil

Co-op Student
Francis Gabriel Carmona
Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux
Produced by Meredith Martin
Edited by Sean Foreman and Canadian Civil