Suburban Canada Dreams of Density

As one of North America's largest suburbs, Mississauga is joining some of its neighbors in the Greater Toronto Area in planning an unprecedented effort to replace its suburban roots with something more urban.

2 minute read

August 23, 2012, 7:00 AM PDT

By Andrew Gorden


Like much of North America, Canada's suburbs have long sprawled in the form of residential subdivisions and automobile-friendly commercial strip development. Now, several suburbs outside of Toronto, including Vaughan, Markham, and Mississauga, are looking to transform their centers into distinctive, walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods.

"What these municipalities are trying to do is unprecedented on this scale in North America. The idea – placing mini-downtowns in far-flung locations, separated from inner-city Toronto by vast stretches of tract housing – runs counter to the traditional model of urban growth," says Adrian Morrow, of The Globe and Mail. "Not everyone is convinced it will work."

Some think bringing downtown-like development to the suburbs is the wrong model. "'To me, it's mildly insane – it's like building more subdivisions,' says Robert MacDermid, an expert in municipal politics at York University. 'Instead, you should be intensifying from the core [of Toronto] outward.'"

Still, many see densification as a necessity. As Morrow notes, "simply sitting back and allowing development to happen where it will – the post-war paradigm in this country – is not an option for those who want to build better cities."

"'We're directing growth where it needs to happen -- not just where the market takes it. That's how you get quality development at the end of the day. We want to take the time to get it right,' says Marilyn Ball, Mississauga's director of development and design. 'We are writing the book on a suburban municipality's shift to a vibrant city.'"

Saturday, August 18, 2012 in The Globe and Mail

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Close-up of "Apartment for rent" sign in red text on black background in front of blurred building

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program

Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

April 21, 2025 - Housing Wire

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 23, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Ken Jennings stands in front of Snohomish County Community Transit bus.

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series

The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

April 20, 2025 - Streetsblog USA

Yellow electric school bus with preteen students exiting.

California Invests Additional $5M in Electric School Buses

The state wants to electrify all of its school bus fleets by 2035.

30 minutes ago - Associated Press

City Hall building in Austin, Texas.

Austin Launches $2M Homelessness Prevention Fund

A new grant program from the city’s Homeless Strategy Office will fund rental assistance and supportive services.

1 hour ago - Spectrum Local News

Brick school building with mid-sized tree on front lawn.

Alabama School Forestry Initiative Brings Trees to Schoolyards

Trees can improve physical and mental health for students and commnity members.

2 hours ago - Governing