For decades, North America’s suburbs have been defined by sprawl: wide roads, single-use zoning, and a built-in reliance on driving for even basic needs. In the 1980s and ’90s, a group of planners and architects launched a response: New Urbanism.

The term missing middle has gained lots of traction in recent years. It refers to the housing gap between detached single-family homes and mid- or high-rise apartments - housing types like duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, courtyard buildings and small walk-ups.

Cities across North America are making important updates to their planning policies. Many are adopting intensification strategies, allowing a wider range of housing types through zoning changes, and beginning to address challenges like exclusionary zoning and reliance on cars.

In Part I of this two-part series, I outlined how development charges discourage the construction of family-sized apartments. But the barriers go beyond economics. In Canada and much of North America, culture keeps families out of apartments.

“Don’t tax what you want more of” they say. Yet, three-bedroom units remain one of the most difficult home types to deliver in the best market conditions, let alone today.

Canada’s housing crisis is the result of a chronic shortage of homes in the locations where people want and need to live. This is not a new problem, nor is it a particularly complex one.

In cities across Canada, government-owned land represents an immense, untapped opportunity to deliver much-needed housing and much more. The lands, often in prime areas near transit and jobs, could be foundations for vibrant new neighbourhoods. 

Many professions evolve over a generation, but few have undergone a transformation as profound as that of architects. The future of architecture isn’t about iconic buildings for the few — it’s about creating affordable, accessible housing that fits real urban life.

When we think about the design of our cities, we typically consider architects and urban planners as the masterminds behind the spaces where we live. We overlook another group of professionals that holds an outsized influence: traffic engineers.

Addressing the challenges of long-term development and creating complete, sustainable communities has been at the forefront of our discussions in the GTA for many years. A new exhibit showcases some of the world's best.

“Toronto is full.” “Toronto is dense enough.” There’s “no more space.” These are assertions I frequently hear as part of my job as an architect and urban planner. But we content there is plenty of room. Here's why.

Toronto’s housing market often overlooks a significant demographic: families. While there's a growing trend towards compact living and urban density, the demand for larger units that cater to families' needs remains largely unmet.

In Toronto, we often point fingers at the federal government for overspending, and at the same time, criticizing it for not stepping in with enough funding and tax programs to support the delivery of affordable housing. 

Toronto will soon update its Tall Building Design Guidelines, which were adopted city-wide in 2013. Although not perfect, they are a crucial tool in shaping our city. Here are some aspects where the guidelines are falling short.

Are planning thresholds "magic" numbers? Why are rates and policies applied across the board for all developments as soon as the "magic" number is hit? Most importantly, is there a better way?

Allow me to share some ideas that could genuinely transform the future urban landscape of Toronto. I realize some of them might be less feasible than others, but hey, it's a hypothetical letter, so why not go big?

Almost every policy begins with good intentions, some of which are genuinely inspiring as they aim to substantially transform our cities. This task is no simple feat. Some are successful, some are not, and some simply become outdated.

In light of an initiative by Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow to facilitate construction of 25,000 additional rental housing units in Toronto, I reached out to 12 leaders within the rental development sphere, spanning the private, governmental, professional and non-profit sectors.

Of all the new homes built during the past decade, only 11 per cent were rental units.  With hundreds of thousands of new Canadians aspiring to call Toronto ‘home’ by 2025, our housing affordability crisis seems to remain as severe as ever.

We are expecting 1.5 million new Canadians by 2025. Almost half of them will settle in Ontario (approximately 42 per cent), but in Toronto less than 30,000 units were completed in the years 2020-2021 combined.

In a culture that sanctifies the backyard in the midst of a housing crisis, as if it is a must-have for everyone, can we truly sacrifice having balconies in multi-unit residential buildings to meet sustainability goals?