Resilience in Suburban Toronto Suburban Renewal in the Face of Future Uncertainties

This thesis envisions a new suburban approach based on future uncertainties in environmental, economic and social conditions. The review of responses suggest that resilience building is a viable option for such uncertainties and therefore, focus has been placed on Toronto's suburban housing stock, despite criticism for its fragility and inability to function or change in a future without cheap energy. Although it is often argued that low density neighbourhoods will be unsustainable in a future of environmental uncertainty and that they will not endure the coming crises of peak oil and climate change, Toronto's suburban building stock is ideal for resilience building and will in fact be a vital aspect of Toronto's durability in an uncertain future. This thesis examines different aspects of resilience building in regards to environmental, social and economic uncertainty including: localisation over globalisation, economies of well-being, an ecological systems approach, and rethinking zoning regulations and by-laws. This new vision for the suburbs serves not to replace them with dense urban models, but to maintain and add to suburban qualities while also provoking new ideas for introducing resilience into our built environment.