Toronto – A city revitalised

28 November 2016

Explore how Toronto's smart urban design and social programmes have transformed the city into a vibrant, inclusive place for all.

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Toronto is recognised for its oustanding social integration strategies, and the rejuvenation of its city core and waterfront through good urban design. Here's a visual walk-through of what makes Toronto tick for its people.

Canada’s largest and most prosperous city

Toronto is Canada’s largest and most prosperous city. Its location on Lake Ontario connects it to the Great Lakes watershed, which contains 20% of the entire Earth’s fresh water supply, so it is blessed with a resource scarce in many other places.

Illuminated Toronto sign at night in front of two curved towers of City Hall lit in purple.

Toronto City Hall © Damien Woon

Diverse city

Toronto is one of the most diverse cities in the world, with non-native Canadians making up 49% of its 2.8 million population. Toronto residents comprise over 230 ethnic origins and 45% of the population identifies their mother tongue as distinct from Canada’s two official languages.

A bright indoor atrium with arching white steel and glass roof, people walking through a wide corridor.

Brookfield Place in Toronto © Damien Woon

Toronto is growing

Toronto is the fastest-growing large city in North America, with 80,000 – 100,000 new residents arriving to the metro area per year. There are currently 147 buildings over 20 storeys under construction.

Two modern glass high-rise buildings with geometric lattice tops face each other under a clear blue sky.

A residential development in Toronto © Damien Woon

Toronto Public Library

The Toronto Public Library system was created with the formation of Greater Toronto in 1998, bringing together seven separate library systems into one. The library has created equitable access to world class library programmes, spaces, and collections to all corners of the city.

People sitting at computer workstations in a large library or computer lab with red carpet and fluorescent lighting.

Toronto Public Library © Damien Woon

Welcoming newcomers to the city

A newcomer to the city often makes their first stop to the local library, where a person – often once a newcomer themselves – at a dedicated desk provides the settlement information that they need.

A man sits at a table reading "Newcomers to Canada Settlement Information" with a YMCA of Greater Toronto banner behind him.

Welcoming newcomers to the city at Toronto Public Library © Damien Woon

Toronto Waterfront

Toronto transformed its waterfront from industrial port lands that cut off public access to the waters into a well-designed, publicly accessible, and attractive district.

People walking along a brick waterfront promenade lined with autumn trees, with a river and ships in the background.

Toronto Waterfront © Damien Woon

Complete Streets

Toronto places emphasis on ‘Complete Streets’ in the design of its Waterfront district – streets that support all modes of transportation equally.

A cyclist rides along a dedicated bike lane bordered by young trees, benches, and tall city buildings.

Toronto's complete street strategy © Damien Woon

Good urban design

The city recognised that crowded downtowns would need to make the most of small spaces. The Wavedecks as seen in this photo create exciting new places on former industrial slips that had never been designed with public gathering or recreation in mind.

People walk on a wide wooden waterfront boardwalk with curved metal railings, buildings and marina visible behind them.

Sugar Beach

Sugar Beach is a whimsical new park that transformed a surface parking lot in a former industrial area into Toronto’s second urban beach at the water’s edge. The park’s brightly coloured pink beach umbrellas welcome visitors to the new waterfront neighbourhood of East Bayfront.

Sandy beach with pink umbrellas and white lounge chairs along a waterfront boardwalk under a sunny blue sky.

Sherbourne Common

The water features in Sherbourne Common are designed to attract visitors as well as educate them about water quality, and how the water is collected, treated and made usable again.

Urban park with green lawn, concrete steps, a water channel, modern buildings, and a city skyline under a blue sky.

PATH underground system

Toronto has over 40 years of experience developing the PATH underground system, originally intended to accommodate rush-hour demands of downtown commuters and direct underground connection between Union Station and 4 other subway stops. Today, it has evolved into a well-used pedestrian network that offers convenience and year-round climate controlled comfort space for both commuters and residents alike. The Brookfield Place designed by Spanish Architect Santiago Calatrava (pictured above) is one such place that the PATH network connects to.

Two people walk through a modern atrium with tall white branching columns and a glass arched ceiling.

Celebrating the city spaces

Festivals such as Nuit Blanche bring people onto the streets to enjoy the many public spaces in the city.

Crowds gather at night around a lit circular plaza with a large Toronto sign, surrounded by city skyscrapers.