Ontario

The downtown high rises of Hamilton, Ontario are surrounded by greenery and the blue of Lake Ontario on a sunny day.

In Reversal, Ontario Government Could Open Toronto Greenbelt to Development

The Toronto Greenbelt was an urban growth boundary created in 2005 as one of the most obvious political victories for the Smart Growth movement in North America. A new bill would reverse course on the region’s growth policies.

November 27, 2022 - The Narwhal

Red and white Toronto streetcar

How a Broken Traffic Signal Improved Transit

A brief outage of traffic lights at one Toronto intersection inadvertently gave area streetcars more priority, speeding up service for transit users.

November 14, 2022 - blogTO

Toronto

‘Skyscraper Race’ Underway in Toronto

No skyline in North America has changed as drastically as Toronto’s in recent decades. A slate of new skyscraper proposals, called a “skyscraper race” by observers, could continue the trend.

November 13, 2022 - Toronto Star

Gil Penalosa speaking on a stage at Velo-city conference in Seville, Spain, with bicycle in foreground

Urbanist Gil Peñalosa Running for Toronto Mayor

The former parks commissioner for Bogotá, Colombia is throwing his hat in the ring in Toronto’s mayoral race.

July 15, 2022 - Toronto Star

Single-Family Neighborhood

Toronto Housing Supply Outpacing Population Growth, but Costs Remain High

According to new census data, housing production is exceeding demand in many Canadian cities.

March 2, 2022 - The Globe and Mail

Rendering of Leaside Innovation Centre

Sustainable Office Building To Rise in Toronto's Leaside

The mass timber construction, proximity to transit, and bike room make a proposed Toronto building a model for post-pandemic offices.

February 16, 2022 - Treehugger

Row after row after row of single-family residences, with the high rises of the city of Toronto looming far in the background.

Opinion: When Transit-Oriented Suburban Mega-Projects Go Too Far

The architecture critic for the Globe and Mail finds fault with two massive development proposals in the Toronto suburbs.

February 2, 2022 - The Globe and Mail

An aerial view of the Toronto Hunt Club and golf course, located along Lake Ontario amid residential homes in Toronto.

Toronto Searching for a Future for its Public Golf Courses

Amid calls to convert the city's golf courses to other uses, Toronto, Ontario city staff are trying to figure out a middle ground between competing interests.

January 9, 2022 - Toronto Star

An aerial view of Mississauga, Ontario, with Lake Ontario in the background.

Nowhere to Build but Up

An old way of doing municipal business—generating development fees by opening farmland to development—is no longer paying dividends. Mississauga, Ontario serves as a cautionary tale for the bottom line of sprawl.

January 6, 2022 - The Globe and Mail

A man pushes a snow blower to clear the ground of an outdoor parking lot filled with cars.

Toronto City Council Removes Most Minimum Parking Requirements

The parking reform movement has a major new feather in its cap: the Toronto City Council has this week adopted sweeping changes to the parking requirements of the city's zoning bylaws.

December 16, 2021 - Toronto Storeys

A movie studio buildiing located in Old Toronto's Port Lands is fenced off from the sidewalk and protected by a security guard station.

Are Movie Studios 'Highest and Best Use' During a Housing Affordability Crisis?

Toronto's answer to the question posed in the headline is, "yes." One columnist wonders if the city can do more to balance its priorities.

December 2, 2021 - Toronto Star

Toronto Construction

Toronto Reconsidering its Parking Requirements

Parking reform is reaching new frontiers.

November 29, 2021 - CBC News

Green Buildings

Fighting Climate Change With Green Building Standards

Localities in Canada's Durham Region are implementing green building regulations to promote sustainable development and reduce resource use.

November 24, 2021 - durhamregion.com

Street signs at the intersection of Columbia Pike and Highland in Arlington, Virginia.

Arlington County Allows New Ground Level Uses

Arlington County is allowing land use flexibility on ground floors in the hopes of transforming the Columbia Park as more of a pedestrian-oriented "Main Street."

November 17, 2021 - Arlington County Government

Toronto

Toronto Adopts Inclusionary Zoning to Spur Affordable Housing Development

Inclusionary zoning, a policy tool designed to ensure new developments include a required number of affordable housing units, will soon be the land of the land in Toronto, Ontario. Not everyone is a fan of the new policy.

November 17, 2021 - mondaq

CN Tower rises above Gardiner Expressway on Toronto Waterfront

Proposed Toronto Highways Raise Environmental Concerns

Opponents of two new planned highways in greater Toronto argue the construction of new roads is 'short-sighted at best' and would threaten the region's greenbelt areas.

November 14, 2021 - blogTO

A street sign announcing the city of Vaughan.

Council Votes to Allow Development on the York Region's Greenbelt

The York Regional Council took a significant step toward allowing development on a large chunk of the area's greenbelt—a move opponents say will set a dangerous precedent.

November 7, 2021 - The Narwhal

Toronto Waterfront

The Four Design Teams Shortlisted for Quayside Redevelopment

After Alphabet-owned Sidewalk Labs dropped the project, Toronto is evaluating other proposals for redeveloping their waterfront.

November 1, 2021 - The Toronto Star

Parking

Condo for Cars Planned in Toronto

Car condos are coming to North America's largest cities—first New York and now Toronto.

October 31, 2021 - Toronto Star

Bridge Bike Lane

The Post-Bikelash Era?

Building protected bike lanes in Canada isn't as controversial as it once was. Maybe there's hope for the United States?

October 7, 2021 - The Globe and Mail

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

HUD’s 2023 Innovative Housing Showcase

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.