The City of Toronto’s Street Furniture Program includes approximately 25,000 elements such as transit shelters, benches, and litter bins that are installed and maintained through a 20-year partnership with Astral Media. Over its term, the program has provided significant public realm infrastructure while generating significant financial value for the City. Under the agreement, Astral receives exclusive advertising rights on select transit shelters and information pillars. In return, the City benefits from free installation and maintenance of furniture, along with a share of advertising revenue. Collectively, the program has contributed over $1 billion in value through capital investment, ongoing maintenance, guaranteed revenues, and community benefits. With the agreement set to expire in August 2027, the City now has an opportunity to reimagine how street furniture can better advance key City goals and priorities such as accessibility, equity, safety, cleanliness, and sustainability.
In March 2026 Executive Committee adopted Item 2026.EX29.5 which:
The City of Toronto delivers its street furniture through a partnership with Astral Media, who installs and maintains street furniture elements at no cost to the City in exchange for advertising rights.
Street furniture elements include:
The Street Furniture Program and its partnership with Astral provide a range of benefits, including:
Funding for scholarships and summer student employment opportunities Overall, the program delivers extensive public infrastructure and services at no direct cost to the City.
Furniture designs were originally approved at the start of the program through a review process; however, ongoing efforts to improve aesthetics, functionality and ergonomics have resulted in a number of design refinements. The City continues to work with Astral Media to improve the design of street furniture elements.
Equally important to design quality is the care and attention to detail in locating furniture on Toronto streets to enhance and improve the overall pedestrian realm. The guidelines are established in the Vibrant Streets Guidelines.
For more information see street furniture elements.
The City manages publication box licenses on city streets. Within this program, publishers apply for permits to install and maintain publication boxes within the public right-of-way.
| Description | Application Fee | Maintenance Fee | Maintenance Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Permission to place publication dispensing boxes within the public right of way | $114.14 + HST per box | $44.87 + HST per box per location (for the 1st 100 boxes) | $179.30 + HST (for each additional box after 100 boxes) |
| Permission to place publication kiosks within the public right of way | $124.50 + HST per kiosk | $510.62 Per Sq. M. / year |
The Street Furniture Program contributed approximately $1 billion in value to the City over the 20-year agreement:
Between February 11 and April 2, 2026, the City conducted an online survey that received over 14,000 responses from the public. Feedback focused on opportunities to reimagine street furniture in ways that better support accessibility, equity, safety, cleanliness, and sustainability.
From Fall 2025 to Winter 2026, the City met with a range of community interest groups to gather feedback on how street furniture can better reflect and respond to the needs of Toronto’s diverse communities.
Insights from public feedback, along with technical and policy considerations, will be used to inform staff recommendations and City Council decision-making.
In 2007, the City entered into a 20‑year agreement with Astral Media (2007–2027) to supply, install, and maintain street furniture, funded through advertising in the public right‑of‑way at no cost to the City.
A 10‑year review conducted in 2017 confirmed the program’s effectiveness in delivering consistent and accessible street furniture, generating significant non‑tax revenue, and supporting public realm and capital initiatives such as wayfinding, beautification programs, and Bike Share Toronto. The review also established a baseline of public sentiment that informs ongoing program evaluation.
As the agreement approaches its 2027 expiry, the City launched a public opinion survey, program valuation, and industry review, alongside targeted engagement with interest groups and City divisions to inform future directions and options for the program.
Contact 311 to submit a service request for street furniture maintenance or damage, or to request the installation or relocation of a street furniture element.