Quayside/Sidewalk Toronto
Quayside is a 12 acre (4.8 Ha) parcel of land on Toronto’s Waterfront, located at Queens Quay East and Parliament Street. Sidewalk Toronto is the name given to the joint effort of Waterfront Toronto and Sidewalk Labs to design a new community on these lands. Sidewalk Labs is a New York-based company that describes itself as an urban innovation firm.
Waterfront Toronto and Sidewalk Labs are in the process of preparing a Master Innovation and Development Plan or MIDP. This will outline a vision for the Quayside site and make specific proposals in the areas of affordable housing, mobility, buildings, sustainability, public realm, community facilities, digital governance and data applications.
The City of Toronto is not a party to the Plan Development Agreement between Waterfront Toronto and Sidewalk Labs and will not be an author of the MIDP. City Staff are working with the two organizations to encourage the development of proposals that are consistent with applicable City policy and regulations.
Waterfront Toronto and Sidewalk Labs are expected to present a draft MIDP to the public in early 2019 and to submit a final MIDP to the City in spring 2019. On receipt of the draft MIDP, City staff will review the plan and consult with the public and stakeholders, and will then report to Committee and City Council with an analysis of the plan and associated recommendations. Public deputations will be heard at Committee.
The MIDP is anticipated to be a vision document, concept plan, and business case, not a formal planning application. City Council’s consideration of the MIDP represents one step in a larger review process, which, if pursued, would include various application and evaluation processes, each with their own opportunities for public input and requirements for Council approval. A determination of required regulatory processes will be part of the evaluation of the MIDP when it is submitted.
Quayside Ownership Map
- 12 acre district located along Queens Quay East, from Bonnycastle Street to the east of Parliament Street
- Land is largely owned by Waterfront Toronto, though approximately 1.5 acres of small irregular-shaped parcels, including the Parliament Street right of way, are in municipal ownership. Ports Toronto and two private land owners also own portions of the project area.
- The City’s planning framework for Quayside is a product of many years of community engagement and research. The Central Waterfront Secondary Plan, TO Core Downtown Plan, East Bayfront Precinct Plan, Keating Channel Precinct Plan, and applicable Zoning By-laws establish a planning framework for Quayside as a mixed-use, medium density district.
- Quayside is envisioned as a sustainable and liveable district that will include affordable housing, family-sized residential units, a public park, community facilities, and public art.
City Council Reports
Relevant Documents
- East Bayfront Precinct Plan, 2005
- East Bayfront Zoning By-law, 2006
- Toronto Waterfront Revitalization MOU, 2006
- Keating Channel Precinct Plan, 2010
- PW11.1 – March 31, 2016: Gardiner Expressway and Lake Shore Boulevard East Reconfiguration Environmental Assessment (EA) and Integrated Urban Design Study – Evaluation of Preferred Design
- Port Lands Planning Framework
Waterfront Toronto and Sidewalk Labs are currently engaged in consultations to inform their planning. For information on these consultations please visit Waterfront Toronto’s Quayside project page.
In future, information about City of Toronto-led public feedback opportunities will be posted here.
On January 24, 2018, EX30.9 – Sidewalk Toronto – was presented to the Executive Committee for information. The following recommendation was adopted:
Investigate the feasibility of establishing a democratically representative residents’ advisory group with a responsibility to look after residents’ digital interests with the following goals:
- All data collection should be anonymous by default;
- All data handling must comply with Ontario’s municipal privacy law and federal commercial privacy law;
- All software which accesses Quayside data should be available under a free open source license in a public repository;
- Basic digital services should be universally accessible and affordable to all Quayside Residents; and
- The security of the data, software, and physical infrastructure should be maintained by sufficiently robust means.
Further information about the recruitment process and the Advisory Group Terms of Reference will be posted here when available.
Relevant City Initiatives
