News Release
May 11, 2021

The City of Toronto is reviewing its Official Plan to develop a revised vision for city planning over the next 30 years, through to 2051. The City is calling this Official Plan review process “Our Plan Toronto” because it is a plan for everyone and requires input from all.

The Province of Ontario’s “A Place to Grow: Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe” came into effect on May 16, 2019. All municipalities, including the City have until July 1, 2022 to update their Official Plans to align with the 2019 Growth Plan.

Our Plan Toronto presents an opportunity to address, through planning policy, a number of the growth-related challenges facing Toronto today and in the future. These challenges include housing affordability, climate change, mobility, public health and more that will help inform the City’s ongoing response to, and recovery from, the COVID-19 pandemic.

Over the next 30 years Toronto will continue to grow and change. It is expected that by 2051 another 700,000 people will move to the city and call Toronto home. Over that same time period, an additional 450,000 jobs will be created for people to work in Toronto. In total, by 2051 it is predicted that Toronto will grow to a population of 3.6 million and have a job market with more than two million jobs.

The City is launching a virtual public engagement campaign across various platforms to consult with community members over the next several months. The City will explore key questions, such as:

  • What does this growth mean for the city?
  • Where will these people and jobs be located?
  • How can communities across Toronto grow while also supporting the people who live and work here today?

Our Plan Toronto will identify how the city will direct and manage this growth in a healthy and sustainable way. Part of the review includes an intensification strategy intended to direct and prioritize growth where transit and other infrastructure currently exists or is planned, including in Major Transit Station Areas, Urban Growth Centres, and other Strategic Growth Areas. These areas will be informed by local area studies that are currently being undertaken or have recently been completed and adopted by City Council.

An integral component of the City’s economic health are the 8,100 hectares of lands designated as Core Employment Areas and General Employment Areas in the city. These two land use designations account for 13 per cent of all lands in Toronto. As part of Our Plan Toronto, the City will review the land use policies for these areas and develop an employment lands strategy and explore the future of work for Toronto. The plan will also result in updated environment policies in the Official Plan.

As a major undertaking that will direct the future growth of the City for the next 30 years, Our Plan Toronto will include engagement opportunities for all Torontonians, businesses, and stakeholders, including First Nations and Métis communities. Engagement opportunities will include online consultation, surveys, interactive mapping and virtual meetings. The dates and times of these future engagement opportunities will be announced on the project webpage and on the City’s social media channels.

To learn more, visit Our Plan Toronto and follow @CityPlanTO on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

The Official Plan review process is mandated by the Province of Ontario to satisfy growth planning requirements set out by the Province in A Place to Grow: Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe (Growth Plan 2019). The Official Plan review process is technically referred to as the “Municipal Comprehensive Review” and Growth Plan conformity exercise.

Quotes:

“The review of the City’s Official Plan is a Provincially-mandated review that looks at how the city will grow and change in the future. I know it’s difficult to sometimes see how these documents impact our daily lives, but the Official Plan guides where and how the city will grow, and its policies have a direct impact on how our residents, businesses and visitors engage, experience and live in our city. I hope people will learn more about it and get involved in the public engagement campaign.”

– Mayor John Tory

“We know that as the impacts of the pandemic begin to lessen, Toronto will continue to experience significant growth and experience increasing prosperity that must be shared by all. ‘Our Plan Toronto’ is a roadmap outlining how and where that growth will take place. This is an important project for the future of our City, and everyone is encouraged to get involved to share their views and ensure that as a City we are moving in the right direction.”

– Deputy Mayor Ana Bailão, (Davenport), Chair Planning and Housing Committee

Toronto is home to more than 2.9 million people whose diversity and experiences make this great city Canada’s leading economic engine and one of the world’s most diverse and livable cities. As the fourth largest city in North America, Toronto is a global leader in technology, finance, film, music, culture and innovation, and consistently places at the top of international rankings due to investments championed by its government, residents and businesses. For more information visit the City’s website or follow us on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.

Media Relations