Overview: Midtown in Focus

Midtown in Focus was an inter-divisional initiative led by City Planning in response to the rapid intensification and change underway in parts of the Yonge-Eglinton Secondary Plan area. An era of sustained development in Midtown has been underway since the early 2000s. The study aimed to address the challenges from this intensification by ensuring that growth positively contributes to the vitality and quality of life in one of Toronto’s most dynamic neighbourhoods.

The Midtown in Focus study was a comprehensive response to these opportunities, outlining a clear and compelling vision and detailed plan for the continued evolution of the community. This study built on the direction of the 2014 Midtown in Focus: Parks, Open Space and Streetscape Plan to address other key contributors to a livable community.

The review informed the development of up-to-date planning policies and identified key capital upgrades needed to improve the area’s parks, public realm and other local infrastructure.

Map showing Yonge-Eglinton secondary plan boundary, Yonge-Eglinton Centre boundary, and boundaries for wards 16, 22 and 25.The Yonge-Eglinton Secondary Plan area is situated in Midtown Toronto, focused around the intersection of Yonge Street and Eglinton Avenue and extending across six square kilometres.

The Secondary Plan area is generally bounded by Briar Hill Avenue and Blythwood Road to the north, Mount Pleasant Cemetery to the south, Bayview Avenue to the east, and Chaplin Crescent and Latimer Avenue to the west. The area includes the Yonge-Eglinton Centre, one of four Centres identified in the City of Toronto’s Official Plan and an Urban Growth Centre in the Province of Ontario’s Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe.

The area is represented by City Councillors for Wards 16 (Eglinton-Lawrence), 22 (St. Paul’s) and 25 (Don Valley West).

The study includes the following activities:

  1. Built Form Study and Growth Analysis – analysis of the area’s character and development trends and creation of new policy directions to guide the location, scale and form of future development. Population and employment estimates generated through this analysis are informing the associated infrastructure assessments.
  2. Cultural Heritage Resource Assessment – an archaeological assessment, documentation of the area’s history and identification of properties of cultural heritage value for listings and designations. The cultural heritage analysis provides key inputs for the built form vision for Midtown’s character areas.
  3. Community Services and Facilities Strategy – identification of priority projects across multiple service-providing sectors, informed by analysis of existing community facilities and programs and an assessment of needs and opportunities in the context of future growth and demographic change.
  4. Midtown Parks and Public Realm Plan – proposals for Midtown and Davisville Public Realm Moves and identifying opportunities for parkland expansion and acquisition in order to meet the needs of a growing population.
  5. Transportation Assessment – assessment of the local transportation network and key problem areas and the identification of priority projects to safely move people in and around the area and support the shift to active and sustainable travel modes.
  6. Municipal Servicing Assessment – analysis of the performance and capacity of existing water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure and identification of infrastructure gaps in the context of future growth.