2024.PH12.3
Expanding Housing Options in Neighbourhoods: Major Streets Study - Final Report
Background
“Increasing built form permissions to permit a full set of building types along the major streets that form the edges of the neighbourhoods will contribute to spreading opportunities for intensification across the city, in a form that will be more gradual than has been developed in Toronto for many years. Density within built up areas supports low carbon transportation choices, such as walking, cycling, and public transit. Intensification in Toronto also reduces the need for sprawl to accommodate our housing need in the region, helping to protect agricultural lands, water resources and natural areas. Increasing density in built up areas maximizes the use of existing infrastructure, which avoids carbon-intensive infrastructure built elsewhere.”
Source: City of Toronto
Item Description
With a variety of amendments and exceptions, this bill reduces barriers to creating townhouses and other small-scale, multi-unit dwellings on major streets. This was enabled by the amendment of the Official Plan to permit these buildings along major streets in neighborhoods across the city. Importantly, these notices expand the definition of neighborhood to include major street low-rise housing options—planning to provide more diverse densification options that fit into the Council’s vision of ‘complete community.’
Source: City of Toronto
Proposed by
Planning and Housing Committee
Result
CarriedVotes
Additional Details
This policy had a number of significant attempted amendments, notably:
- Failed amendment by John Burnside to exclude Sloane Avenue dwellings. It was supported by Paul Ainslie, Jon Burnside, Vincent Crisanti, Paula Fletcher, Stephen Holyday, Parthi Kandavel, and James Pasternak
- Another successful amendment by Paul Ainslie supported a study to investigate Guildwood Parkway as a major street. This was undertaken after a failed attempt to exclude Guildwood Parkway from the policy altogether
- Vincent Crisanti proposed a motion to exclude a large number of areas from this densification, supported only by Jon Burnside, Vincent Crisanti, Stephen Holyday, and James Pasternak
- A failed motion to defer the item entirely by Stephen Holyday was supported by Vincent Crisanti, Stephen Holyday, Nick Mantas, Anthony Perruzza