Toronto Official Plan 2002/2019
Core idea
Avenues, centers, transit
Why it matters
Guides Canada’s largest city growth
Description
The statutory Official Plan for Toronto, adopted in 2002 and substantially updated through to 2019, prepared by the City of Toronto following amalgamation. It directs growth to designated centres, to Avenues, the arterial corridors identified for mid-rise intensification, and to areas well served by transit, while protecting established residential neighbourhoods and coordinating land use with regional growth management.
Significance
The plan guides the growth of Canada's largest city and is a leading North American example of corridor-based intensification tied to transit investment. Its Avenues-and-centres strategy has shaped two decades of mid-rise and tower development, while persistent debates over protected 'yellowbelt' neighbourhoods, housing affordability and the pace of transit delivery have made it a focal point in Canadian planning reform discussions.
What shaped it
- Transit-oriented development (TOD) (1993)
- The Next American Metropolis / Charter of the New Urbanism (1993 / 1996)
- The compact city (1973-1990s)
- The master plan (early 20th c.)
Plans it influenced
Sources
- https://www.toronto.ca/city-government/planning-development/official-plan-guidelines/official-pl
- https://www.moreneighbours.ca/news/analysis/avenues-for-change