1. A Sustainable Action Plan for TORONTO

2. A Sustainable Action Plan for TORONTO
Location & History
Previous Planning Efforts
Current Planning Efforts
Growth
Future Needs
A New Plan for Toronto

3. Location & History
Toronto is located in the Great Lakes Region of Southern Ontario, Canada
Founded as the Town of York in 1793
Surpassed Montreal as Canada’s largest city in the 1980s
Regional Municipality amalgamated in 1997 to become 5th largest in N America

4. Location & History

5. Previous Planning
For past 50 years, regional land use planning and transportation have been coordinated by the Province
Metropolitan Toronto Planning Area – 1953
MTARTS – Choices for a Growing Region – 1967
Design for Development – 1968
Toronto-Centred Region Plan – 1970
Central Ontario Lakeshore Urban Corridor – 1975
Central Ontario Smart Growth – 2002
Places to Grow – 2004

6. 1960s Plan for Development

7. Today’s Urban Areas v. 1960s Plan for the Future

8. Current Planning Official Plans Oak Ridges Moraine Plan
Each Regional Government’s Plan for Development within their Municipality
Oak Ridges Moraine Plan
Niagara Escarpment Plan
Greenbelt Plan
“Places to Grow”

9. Greater Toronto Area YORK PEEL DURHAM CITY of HALTON TORONTO
Lake Simcoe
Niagara Escarpment
Oak Ridges
Moraine
YORK
PEEL
DURHAM
CITY of
TORONTO
HALTON
Lake Ontario

10. Greenbelt Plan A broad band of protected countryside that
Provides for a diverse range of rural communities, agriculture, tourism, recreation, and resource uses
Gives permanent protection to the natural systems, and
forms an environmental framework around which major urbanization in Ontario will be organized
complements existing Niagara Escarpment Plan and Oak Ridges Moraine Plan
is not a “park” – permits existing uses, promotes agricultural and rural uses, and limits urban uses to existing Settlement Areas

11. Greenbelt Plan

12. “Places to Grow” where & how we should grow
critical infrastructure needs
what we need to protect
includes reference to:
“Smart Growth” work,
the proposed Greenbelt Plan,
the Greater Toronto Transportation Authority, and
the GO Transit Expansion Plan

13. “Places to Grow” key themes
30 year planning and infrastructure strategy
focus on strategic investment, growth in “Priority Urban Centres”, “Emerging Urban Centres”, and “Future Growth Areas”
minimum 40% growth to be accommodated through intensification
greater investment in transit and economic corridors for goods movement
streamlining environmental assessment process

14. “Places to Grow”

15. Growth GTA growth rate is 2nd only to Dallas
Golden Horseshoe growing by 110,000 annually (equivalent to Guelph)
attracts 55% of Canada’s immigration.
Ontario has “exhausted” its infrastructure capacity put in place during the 1960s-1980s

16. Growth The problems facing Ontario today are similar to the late 1960s
Strong economic growth and high immigration levels
Planning/investment for infrastructure
Environmental protection (Niagara Escarpment/Oak Ridges/Greenbelt)
Solution was comprehensive super-regional planning.

17. Future Needs Year Population Housing Units Employment 2001 5 600 000
2031

18. Future Needs
Population Growth Shares

19. Future Needs
Employment Growth Shares

20. Future Needs
To accommodate the population growth of ( ), new residential units will be required.
units will be in new urban areas. (15% high density, 25% medium density, and 60% low density)
Assuming 15 units to the gross hectare, this will require hectares of new residential lands

21. Future Needs
Over the next 30 years, growth forecasts indicate that new jobs will be created in areas that we have traditionally called business parks or industrial areas
At 50 jobs per hectare, with a vacancy rate of 20%, hectares of new employment lands will be required

22. Vacant Land in GTA

23. Future Needs
Given projected growth rates, hectares of new land is required
hectares is available within 40 kilometres of Pearson Airport
9970 hectares is available beyond 40 kilometres of Pearson Airport
Which leaves a shortfall of hectares

24. A New Plan for Toronto Courses of Action Implementation Procedures
Costs
Benefits

25. Courses of Action EXAMPLE – need many!
Current plans only call for 40% of growth to built in existing urban areas (intensification)
Vancouver 70%
United Kingdom 60%
Sydney 60-70%
Increase in intensification required

26. Implementation How to intensify? Transit improvements
Environmental assessment streamlining
Financial tools
Revisit Greenbelt Plan areas

27. Costs Costs of intensifying $ for transit improvements
$ for environmental assessment streamlining
$ for financial tools
$ for revisiting Greenbelt Plan areas

28. Benefits Benefits of intensifying Transit improvements
Environmental assessment streamlining
Financial tools
Revisit Greenbelt Plan areas