Ontario's planning appeal system and the outcome for downtown planning in Toronto

Is planning in Toronto taking shape according to local plans, policies, and visions carefully created to support a cohesive, growing, and vibrant downtown, developed by the City and its citizens, or does the provincial appeal system play more of an active role in planning outcomes than we think? With respect to land use planning in Ontario, the roles of the province and municipality are distinct, yet not without tension. Urban planning policies require a balance between sometimes conflicting policy interests, such as promoting growth and density in core areas and encouraging well-designed built form that is contextually appropriate. This research investigates Ontario’s planning framework and land use appeal system. The study analyzes rezoning development applications that were active in a downtown Toronto neighbourhood between 2006 and 2020 to understand the development review process in the City of Toronto, specifically looking at how a provincial appeal tribunal weighs local and provincial policy interests and whether the City’s leverage in the development approval process has changed over time.