Toronto is no stranger to a crane or two. In fact, according to Stephen Velasco, a Future Model Toronto Planner, there are currently around 225+ construction cranes in the city. Toronto is North America’s fastest growing city and can expect an estimated 3.5 million people living in the city by 2030. With the countless cranes and 100+ high-rises under construction and 300+ high-rises proposed, it isn’t shocking to discover that Toronto is the also the high-rise construction capital of North America.

Why Toronto?

Toronto has always been the choice as a metropolitan area in Canada for many. Immigrants and Canadians can’t deny the magnetizing pull Toronto has. People from all over the world flock to the city as it’s known for its opportunity, entertainment, and social standing. Not only Canada’s most diverse city, with nearly half of its habitants being born outside of Canada, but also the economic and trading hub of the country. Home to several well-known and reputable post-secondary schools, the city also attracts thousands of students from all over the country and world each year.   

What does this mean for Toronto?

With an increase in population, there is the ever demand for housing. And to accommodate this enormous need, the solution is to focus on urban density. Hence, an increase in condo and apartment style high-rises throughout the city. Toronto will shift focus in urban centres to a high-density development plan to cater for this expectant growth. Leaning on urban densification to cater to these needs, we can expect to see taller and slender buildings and more building clusters. We can also expect to see the start of super skyscrapers gracing the city skyline. Super skyscrapers are builds that exceed 300meters in height. We’ll see developers best utilizing space as it will become quite the premium through the densification process over the next decade or so. Of course, this high-density growth is going to impact the Toronto skyline as we continue to see more and more high-rise buildings popping up.  

Big changes on the horizon

Based on current proposals there is a lot of buildup favouring the Entertainment District, Yorkville, the Younge Street Corridor, and Toronto’s East Waterfront. We can expect to see higher development in various pockets of the city. Particularly areas that are accessible via public transportation or are on a popular transit route. As well as more core neighbourhoods that cater to a lot of businesses and entertainment.

 A few notable changes we can expect to see to the city’s skyline include:

SkyTower – Located in the heart of the city at 1 Younge St, will be comprised of three skyscrapers with the tallest being an astonishing 95-storeys. This super skyscraper will join The One as it towers above the city.

Midtown Focus – With the Eglinton Crosstown LRT, Eglinton Ave has become one of the main transit routes in the city. This extremely convenient and accessible transit route will make Midtown an ideal spot for urban densification.

2150 Lake Shore – A complete transformation of Humber Bay Shores on Lake Shore Blvd W. This 28-acre property is set to be redeveloped into a vibrant mixed-use community for living and working and will bring dramatic change on Lake Shore and to the city.  

North York City Centre – Proposed development in the North York City Centre will have the current skyline almost double in length in this pocket of the city as developers capitalize on current underutilized space.

 It’s safe to say that the skyline of Toronto is set to undergo some pretty massive changes in the next decade or so. With the population set to rise and the demand for housing only increasing we will see developers lean heavily on urban densification as a solution. We can expect to see taller slender builds clustered on the skyline and even more super skyscrapers. As Toronto continues to evolve and grow we can only expect the skyline to densify and adapt with the needs of the city.