Canada

'Boomers' drive downtown development boom

Downtown Edmonton is experiencing a boom in residential development, much of it generated by aging "baby boomers" who are moving from the suburbs back to the core of the city.

Hundreds of new condos, town homes and duplexes are being built. For the first quarter of the year, the downtown led the rest of the city in residential development.

Gregg Christianson, the developer of "Railtown," a six square block area of garden homes, adult condos, and retail space says people like to get closer to where the action is.

The city has also had a big role in spurring the development boom. It has offered developers $4,500 for every new unit they build in the downtown.