Long-Term Vision, Plans & Strategies

Climate Action & Environment Protection

The City is committed to fighting climate change and preparing the government, its ecosystems and communities, especially the most vulnerable communities, for a changing climate. The following strategies and plans contribute to the City’s climate action and environment protection goals:

• TransformTO Net Zero Strategy triggers new and accelerated implementation actions to drive down community-wide emissions, particularly in the short term, and establishes the trajectory needed to reach net zero by 2040.
• Electric Vehicle Strategy supports increased electric vehicle adoption in a way that is equitable and realizes the co-benefits through improved air quality and economic opportunities achieved by shifting to zero-carbon energy transportation.
• Ravine Strategy guides future ravine management, use, enhancement and protection.
• Wet Weather Flow Master Plan protects the environment and water quality in the Lake, rivers, streams and other water bodies from the rain and melted snow (stormwater).
• Long Term Waste Management Strategy provides a road map for the way waste will be managed in Toronto over the next 30 to 50 years.
• Renewable Natural Gas Strategy to convert the biogas generated at the City’s organic processing facilities into renewable natural gas (RNG), reducing the City’s greenhouse gas emissions.
• Circular Economy Road Map will accelerate Toronto’s Circular Economy transition by identifying new actions that can enable sustainable consumption and circular outcomes.
• Biodiversity Strategy describes biodiversity in the city, what Toronto is already doing to support biodiversity and additional actions that can be taken to protect and restore biodiversity.
• Pollinator Protection Strategy identifies additional actions that can be taken by the City and the community to protect, enhance and create habitat for Toronto’s pollinators, such as bees and butterflies.
• Resilience Strategy sets out a vision, goals, and actions to help Toronto survive, adapt and thrive in the face of any challenge, particularly climate change and growing inequities.
• The Sustainable City of Toronto Fleets Plan provides an overview of the City Fleets’ objectives in addressing climate mitigation and adaptation with strategies for transitioning City Fleets to sustainable, climate-resilient and low-carbon operations.

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

The City strives to create and sustain equity in government, including how we measure our impact, financial decisions and deliver services. The following strategies and plans contribute to the City’s commitment to realizing equitable outcomes for our residents:

• TO Prosperity: Poverty Reduction Strategy is a 20-year plan that focuses on housing stability, access to services, transit equity, food access, the quality of jobs and incomes, and systemic change.
• SafeTO: Toronto’s Ten-Year Community Safety and Well-Being Plan drives 26 priority actions across seven strategic goals.
• Action Plan to Confront Anti-Black Racism responds to the priorities identified by Toronto’s diverse Black communities.
• Newcomer Strategy guides the City as we intensify our efforts to ensure that our programs and services are accessible to newcomers and help to improve their lives.
• Seniors Strategy commits to all seniors having equitable access to City services and programs.
• Youth Equity Strategy identifies 28 key issues faced by youth most vulnerable to involvement in serious violence and crime that the City and its partners must address.
• Multi-year Accessibility Plan identifies, removes and prevents accessibility barriers across the organization by committing to specific initiatives and outcomes.
• Community Benefits Framework focuses on ways to maximize the use of City levers (such as procurement, real estate transactions, or financial incentives for specific sectors and uses) to create inclusive and equitable economic opportunities.
• Strong Neighbourhoods Strategy is an action plan for building partnerships in Toronto’s neighbourhoods so they can succeed and thrive.
• Access to City Services for Undocumented Torontonians ensures that Torontonians, regardless of immigration status, have access to City services without fear of being asked for proof of status.
• End Trafficking TO Toronto City Council condemned the horrific crime of human trafficking and is committed to working with all stakeholders, including other orders of government, to eradicate human trafficking in Toronto.

Financial Sustainability

The following strategies and plans contribute to the City’s commitment of making informed financial decisions and effectively managing resources for Toronto’s future:

• Long-Term Financial Plan identifies and considers immediate and long-term opportunities to address the City’s fiscal challenges.
• City Asset Management ensures the sustainability of municipal services through the effective stewardship of assets and the management of risk, while optimizing asset value.
• City-Wide Real Estate Portfolio Strategy provides an overall framework to optimize the City’s real estate portfolio.

Housing

The following strategies and plans contribute to the City’s commitment to ensuring that families and individuals live in safe, stable and affordable housing with respect and dignity:

• HousingTO  2020-2030 Action Plan proposes a number of actions to address critical needs across the housing spectrum including emergency shelters and transitional housing, social and supportive housing, market and affordable rental housing and homeownership.
• Tenants First implements improvements to Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCHC).
• George Street Revitalization transforms Seaton House men’s shelter into a world-class facility providing specialized care for vulnerable populations.

Mobility

The City is committed to delivering safe, affordable and accessible transportation choices for people and goods. The following strategies and plans contribute to the City’s goal of advancing mobility for all:

• Vision Zero Road Safety Plan focuses on reducing traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries on Toronto’s streets.
• Cycling Network Plan is a 10-year plan to connect, grow and renew infrastructure for Toronto’s cycling routes.
• RapidTO: Bus and Streetcar Priority Plan guides the planning, implementation, operation, maintenance and monitoring of transit priority measures.
• Congestion Management Plan maximizes the safety, efficiency, reliability and sustainability of the transportation network for all users while reducing the impact on the environment.
• Automated Vehicles Tactical Plan outlines how the City should prepare for automatic vehicles and how it can influence the local introduction of the technology in these early stages.
• Vehicle-for-Hire provides regulations for taxicabs, limousines and private transportation companies, such as Lyft and Uber.
• Freight and Goods Movement Strategy provides an integrated and adaptable goods movement system that promotes safe, reliable and sustainable freight operations.

People & Neighbourhoods

The following strategies and plans contribute to the City’s commitment to protecting and improving the quality of life (including safety, health and social and economic well-being and inclusion) of all Torontonians:

• Official Plan is intended to ensure that the City evolves, improves and realises its full potential in areas such as transit, land use development, and the environment.
• Parkland Strategy guides long-term planning for new parks and expansion and improved access to existing parks.
• Parks and Recreation Facilities Master Plan guides investment in parks and recreation facilities such as community recreation centres, ice rinks, and sports fields.
• Children’s Services Service Plan guides the planning and delivery of early learning and child care services.
• EarlyON Action Plan guides EarlyON Child and Family Centres to support families and promote healthy child development.
• Mental Health and Addictions Strategy (Toronto Drug Strategy) offers a comprehensive approach to how the city responds to and addresses mental health and substance use, with actions aimed at improving mental health and well-being for the population of Toronto, including those who use substances.
• Overdose Action Plan prevents and responds to overdoses, building on the work that is already taking place in the community, and by governments and other institutions.
• Downtown East Action Plan addresses a number of complex challenges in the area related to poverty, homelessness, housing, community safety, mental health and substance use, particularly opioid-related overdoses.
• Public Art Strategy sets out a 10-year plan to enhance the City’s commitment to public art.
• Action Plan for Toronto’s Economy accelerates economic growth and job creation in Toronto.
• Action Plan for Toronto’s Culture Sector guides cultural services, policy and programming.
• Toronto Music Strategy aims to maximize the tremendous potential of Toronto’s music sector.
• Sport Plan aims to keep pace with the demands of a growing population and to encourage greater participation in sports and recreation.
• Skateboard Strategy provides tools and recommendations to the Parks and Recreation Facilities Master Plan for guiding future investment in skateboarding infrastructure.
• Recreation Service Plan aims to increase overall participation in recreation, decrease financial barriers to recreation and improve local geographic access.
• Parks and Trails Wayfinding Strategy aims to produce a signage and information system that is consistent, accessible and predictable.

Truth, Justice & Reconciliation

Toronto has the largest Indigenous population in Ontario and has the fourth largest Indigenous population of any city in Canada. The following strategies contribute to the City’s commitment to advance truth, justice and reconciliation.

• Reconciliation Action Plan guides the City’s actions to advance truth, justice and reconciliationfrom 2022 to 2032.
• Commitments to Indigenous Peoples In 2010, the City adopted the Statement of Commitment to the Aboriginal Communities of Toronto.
• Toronto Indigenous Health Strategy informs the ways Toronto Public Health and Ontario Health Toronto Region work toward improving Indigenous health outcomes in the city.

A Well-Run City

The City is committed to providing simple, reliable and connected services that anticipate changing customer needs, and to building trust and confidence in local government through a committed, engaged and diverse workforce. The following strategies contribute to the City’s commitment to advance these goals:

• Digital Infrastructure Strategic Framework provides guiding direction for digital infrastructure initiatives at the City.
• Open Data Master Plan provides a strategic framework and roadmap for the City to advance Toronto’s vision for open data.
• Toronto’s Emergency Plan details the methods in which the City mobilizes its resources during a crisis and ensures all City organizations, emergency response services, and key agencies are fully aware of their respective roles and responsibilities during an emergency.
• Framework for Working with Community-based Not-for-profit Organizations contains principles, commitments, and actions to facilitate a more consistent, strategic, and deliberate relationship with the community-based not-for-profit sector to support shared city-building goals.
• Workforce Equity and Inclusion Plan accelerates progress towards the City’s goal of diverse representation at all levels of the organization to reflect the diversity of the population the City serves, as well as building a more inclusive workplace culture.