Item - 2023.PH2.6

The Planning and Housing Committee:

1. Requested the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, to advance West Annex Phase 2 Heritage Conservation District with a focus on the Spadina Road component between Bloor Street and Dupont Street and update the item's status to "active" in Attachment 3 to the report (February 10, 2023) from the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning on City Planning.

The Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning gave a presentation on City Planning Division - Study Work Program Update.

This report provides the City Planning Division's annual update on its Study Work Program. It outlines the Division's 84 completions and approvals in 2022, highlighting a broad range of city building work across Toronto. The report also provides a forecast for the Division's 2023 Study Work Program.

The Study Work Program Update highlights City Planning initiatives that are creating conditions for the delivery of new housing (both market and affordable) as an integrated part of mixed use, complete communities that include services and infrastructure to support daily life. The Division's work is aligned with the Housing Action Plan priorities, as directed by City Council, and supports the delivery of more housing across the city, with an emphasis on expanding opportunities and requirements for safe and affordable housing to better meet the needs of existing and future residents, including newcomers, young people, and Black, Indigenous and equity deserving communities who are disproportionately impacted by the housing affordability crisis.

Through its housing initiatives and other projects, the Division continues to examine how its city building work can advance social equity and economic inclusion; encourage appropriate kinds of growth and development across Toronto; and guide investment in community improvements and infrastructure. The Division also actively aligns its Study Work Program with the City's Corporate Strategic Plan's four Strategic Priorities, including affordable housing, mobility, quality of life, and climate change and resilience.

In 2022, City Planning delivered topic-specific reports on Expanding Housing Options in Neighbourhoods (EHON), final delineations for Protected Major Station Areas (PMTSA) where inclusionary zoning can be implemented, and approvals for Housing Now and Modular Housing. The Division also delivered planning frameworks and implementation strategies to guide future investment and development approval across the city, including Mount Dennis, Keele – St. Clair, Yonge Street North, Sheppard Willowdale, Midtown, and Liberty Village; and, topic and area-specific zoning, such as Zoning By-law amendments to implement the Scarborough Subway Extension and Ontario Line.

City Planning continued to advance the Official Plan Growth Plan Conformity and Municipal Comprehensive Review (MCR) exercise, with final policy updates addressing environment and climate change, and employment areas and conversions. Key research and analysis included the Land Needs Assessment (LNA) required as part of the Municipal Comprehensive Review, and the Toronto Employment Survey. The Division also completed the first phase of the Transit Design Guide, intended to inform design excellence for new transit infrastructure.

A substantial amount of work was advanced in response to ongoing legislative changes made by the Province that have impacted local planning, development review and growth funding in recent years, with more changes expected in 2023. Deliverables in 2022 included the new Community Benefits Charge By-Law; an implementation strategy for transforming the development review service to reduce processing timelines and improve outcomes; and, submissions on the More Homes Built Faster Act, 2022 (Bill 23). In responding to the ever shifting legislative landscape, the Division continues to promote the City's and public interest, and manage uncertainties and risks to its Study Work Program as new demands are placed on finite resources. The Division will continue to prioritize resources to deliver on its city building agenda, and update and advise Council on the impacts of legislative change.

Looking ahead to 2023, the Study Work Program captures a range of city building activities under the Corporate Strategic Plan's four Strategic Priorities, with an emphasis on those that will support an increase in the supply of housing, including more affordable housing, as part of an integrated approach to building complete and inclusive communities.

Affordable Housing and More Housing Options - the Division will accelerate its work to facilitate new housing across Toronto through the roll-out of improvements to the development review service, and initiatives such as Housing Now, Expanding Housing Options in Neighbourhoods, and reviews of the zoning by-law, design guidelines and waterfront plans to optimize density. These initiatives are aligned with directions for the Housing Action Plan, which will be brought to Executive Committee in March 2023.

Keeping Toronto Moving - mobility is a foundational component for a growing, liveable city, and involves integrating large-scale and local connections across modes, in the public realm and through development. The Division will continue to articulate and advance city building objectives around the Province's priority transit projects and future station areas, including along the Ontario Line and Scarborough Subway Extension. The Division will also advance the City's own priority transit expansion projects, such as the Waterfront East LRT (WELRT), and area-based mobility planning and policy implementation.

Investing in people and neighbourhoods – the Division will continue working in areas experiencing change, with final reporting on Update Downsview, the Little Jamaica Initiative, and other area studies; and progress reports on ongoing studies such as Our Scarborough Centre. In addition, City Planning will advance a range of planning initiatives along the waterfront, and cultural heritage studies across the city. In undertaking this work, the Division will continue to centre equity in city building conversations and expand its community partnerships to strengthen collaborative study processes. Study outcomes will establish clear objectives and requirements for growth that delivers a range of new housing options, alongside a mix of uses and supporting community infrastructure that makes our city a desirable place to live, invest and do business.

Taking Action on Climate Change and Building Resilience – the Division will continue its leadership role in tackling climate change and building a more resilient city, including by advancing the uptake of near-zero emissions for new development with implementation of a Toronto Green Standard (TGS) Communication Strategy, and addressing embodied carbon. As an outcome of Bill 23, City Planning will continue to work with the Province to develop regulations under Section 108.1 of the City of Toronto Act to allow the City to develop a new Green Standard By-Law.