Ontario

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.

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.

‘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.

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.

Toronto Housing Supply Outpacing Population Growth, but Costs Remain High
According to new census data, housing production is exceeding demand in many Canadian cities.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Toronto Reconsidering its Parking Requirements
Parking reform is reaching new frontiers.

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.

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."

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.

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.

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.

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.

Condo for Cars Planned in Toronto
Car condos are coming to North America's largest cities—first New York and now Toronto.

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?
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