Ontario approves taller, denser development near Toronto transit

Key Takeaways:

• Ontario has approved official plan changes for 120 Toronto transit stations, paving the way for 1.5 million new homes over the next 25 years.
• The initiative is tied to historic transit investments, including a $70-billion subway expansion, and is designed to reduce gridlock and connect more residents to rapid transit.
• The plan will also activate Toronto’s inclusionary zoning framework, requiring affordable housing in certain new developments near protected transit areas.

The Whole Story:

The Ontario government has approved sweeping changes to Toronto’s official plan that will allow taller and denser housing developments near 120 transit stations across the city.

The amendments, announced Monday, are expected to enable the construction of more than 1.5 million homes over the next 25 years. Provincial officials say the changes will also create jobs, attract investment and help ease gridlock by encouraging more people to live near public transit.

“I commend Mayor Chow for partnering with us on a bold, shared vision, one where more people can work, live and raise their families right here in Toronto,” said Rob Flack, Ontario’s Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

Mayor Olivia Chow welcomed the move, saying it will help address Toronto’s housing crisis by cutting red tape and building new homes near transit. “By building near transit stations, we are providing new residents with convenient and reliable transit options – ultimately getting drivers off the road, reducing gridlock and getting Toronto moving,” she said.

The province says the plan aligns with Ontario’s $200-billion investment in transit and infrastructure, including $70 billion earmarked for the largest subway expansion in Canadian history. In June, the City of Toronto received $67.2 million from Ontario’s Building Faster Fund, which rewards municipalities that hit at least 80 per cent of their provincially set housing targets.

Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria said the initiative will put more residents within walking distance of rapid transit, helping to connect neighbourhoods and strengthen the city’s economy.

The government added that the official plan changes will also trigger the rollout of Toronto’s inclusionary zoning framework, requiring affordable housing as part of certain new residential developments near major transit hubs.