Public Policy at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy | University of Toronto

Since the 1950s, urban development in the Greater Golden Horseshoe has more than doubled, with growth increasing exponentially in the 1990s when the region’s population began to grow by 100 000 – 120 000 people every year. Over time this growth, while positive in many ways, risked becoming unsustainable as urban sprawl threatened farmland, the landscape’s natural geographic features, and environmentally-sensitive areas. In addition, this sprawl resulted in increased traffic congestion, longer commute times, higher infrastructure costs, and other negative impacts on the local, and Ontario, economy.

Consequently, in 2005-2006 the Province introduce two important initiatives that were designed to work together to better manage growth in the Greater Golden Horseshoe and better protect the environment: the Greenbelt Plan and the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe.

The Growth Plan in particular has objective to direct more growth to existing built-up areas through density and intensification targets – particularly to areas served by transit – and has a range of policies designed to create better urban communities, more housing choices, more efficient use of infrastructure, and ultimately to reduce the negative consequences of urban sprawl. The province recently launched a major review of these plans and sought the advice from a panel of experts, chaired by former City of Toronto Mayor David Crombie, and is in the process of recommending changes to improve these plans.

This session will provide an overview of the plans and some of the changes being considered in the facilitation of a discussion on the impact the plans might have on the future prosperity and quality of life in the Greater Golden Horseshoe and the province as a whole.