Ontario allows more density, building height near Toronto transit

Ontario’s housing minister says the province has approved a plan for Toronto to allow higher and denser buildings near transit stations.

Rob Flack says the changes to Toronto’s official plan will allow for 1.5 million more homes throughout the city over the next 25 years.

He says that having more people living near transit will also help to ease gridlock pressures on city streets.

Mayor Olivia Chow says the former mayor submitted a similar plan to the province five years ago that would have only allowed for 500,000 more homes, and these changes will now facilitate three times that amount.

Chow says the plans would still be subject to city council approval.

The plan would increase density and maximum heights near 120 transit stations across the city, and the province says it will continue working with Toronto on plans for 14 other transit station areas.

The announcement comes as the province falls behind the pace of residential construction needed to hit its own goal of building 1.5 million homes across the province by 2031, with just 94,753 started last year, including long-term care beds, retirement home suites and post-secondary student housing beds.

Source: Global News