Barriers to Mid-Rise Development in Toronto

In 2005 the Ontario Provincial Government introduced the Greenbelt Act, a piece of legislation that essentially capped Greenfield development in the Greater Toronto Area. In response to this policy some developers began to “leap-frog” the Greenbelt and secure development land north of the protected area, while others began to look inward to the built urban and suburban centres for intensification opportunities. Although supported by Provincial and Municipal interventionist policies there has been little intensification in the urban core. The City of Toronto's 2010 Avenues &ly ten projects have been completed. This paper, through a literature review including international sources and case studies and current policies, will examine the barriers to intensification. In addition, a qualitative key informant study of Greater Toronto Area developers and other professionals involved in midrise development will be pursued in order to establish what are the barriers to intensification. KEY WORDS: City of Toronto, Mid-Rise, Avenues, Intensification, Zoning, Places to Grow, Policy, Infill, Urban, Development