Overview
The Official Plan, which has been in force since June 2006, is subject to a mandatory five-year review.
In order to assess the present policies for Downtown and the Centres, it is necessary to understand more about the housing needs and quality of life issues of people living in these areas of the City. In 2011, the Living in Downtown and the Centres Survey was conducted to learn more about those who live in these areas. The survey provides a unique view of Downtown and Centre residents including:
- Who lives in Downtown and the Centres.
- Why people choose to live in Downtown and the Centres.
- Why they chose their current residence.
- Where they lived previously.
- How long they intend to stay in Downtown or a Centre and where they would move to next.
- Where they work and how they get there.
- Opinions of the quality of life in the Downtown and the Centres, particularly in terms of the services available and the public realm.
Highlights
- Compared with the rest of the City, Downtown and the Centres have:
- more adults in their twenties and thirties;
- more single person households; and
- fewer families with children.
- 75% of Downtown and Centre residents moved to their current homes from another location within the City of Toronto.
- Access to public transit was the number one reason given by residents for choosing to live in a Centre. For Downtown residents, being close to work was the most important reason.
- For Downtown and Centre residents, the most important reasons for a future move to a new home involve improving their housing more space, more affordable, or to own. Most will move within their local area or stay within the City of Toronto.
- Over 35% of residents in each Centre use transit to get to work or school, with this level rising to over 50% in North York and Yonge-Eglinton. Walking is easily the most popular mode of travel for those living Downtown.
- Downtown and Centre residents enjoy living close to various amenities such as shopping, community and cultural facilities, transportation networks and services.
- Downtown and Centre residents see housing affordability and traffic congestion as the most common negative aspects of their areas.
- Overall, Downtown and Centre residents tend to be very satisfied with the areas in which they live offering an average satisfaction rating of 8.1 (on a scale of 1 to 10).
Further Information
For a copy of this survey bulletin and the previous survey bulletin conducted in 2006, please contact Hailey Toft at City Planning by telephone at 416-392-8343 or by email at cityplanning@toronto.ca.
