An update to Toronto's Tall Building Design Guidelines seeks to address problems with the seven-year-old planning document, while strengthening the protections afforded historic properties, key sightlines, and local context.
"Toronto is more than ever a city of skyscrapers, and so it is prudent they don’t scrape anybody the wrong way," writes Katie Daubs. "A new set of guidelines call for tall buildings to coexist with the rest of the city, by preserving certain views, honouring neighbourhood context and pedestrian experience — and, this one’s small one — but important: by suggesting that balconies have at least 1.5 metres of space and a rectangular persuasion for dining and seating, thank you very much."
"The latest effort come after six years of watching what worked and didn’t work in the past," she explains. "The general content is similar to existing planning documents, with more specific language and changes based on feedback from developers, ratepayer’s groups and citizens. One of the changes is a call for shorter base buildings," says Councillor Peter Milczyn, (Etobicoke-Lakeshore), chair of the planning and growth management committee.
"[Toronto’s director of urban design Robert Freedman] says the guidelines are 'not a checklist' and there is not likely a tower in the city that meets all of them. The idea is that when staff review an application, they should be looking to see if the 'applicant met the spirit and intent of the guidelines.'”
FULL STORY: New Toronto tall building design guidelines aim to protect views of sky, sun, heritage
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Balancing Bombs and Butterflies: How the National Guard Protects a Rare Species
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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service