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Let's build the Toronto we know is possible. A @buildcanada.com project 🏗️🇨🇦

buildtoronto.com
This memo proposes:

1️⃣ Created a define Senior City Service with performance-linked contracts and real authority

2️⃣ Give each division one objective scorecard with 1-3 measurable targets

3️⃣ Delegate routine decisions to staff and set stable citywide targets in law so leaders can actually deliver
December 11, 2025 at 4:21 PM
Contrast this with a place like Singapore, where senior public leaders are paid at levels competitive with the private sector. High compensation is paired with clear, objective performance expectations, and the authority to make changes to meet them.
December 11, 2025 at 4:21 PM
Toronto caps senior-staff bonuses at 20-25 percent and allows them only in agencies. This is too small to motivate performance and unavailable to most municipal public leaders.
December 11, 2025 at 4:21 PM
Toronto should take a similarly pragmatic approach to exempt small unit buildings from condominium application process meant for large towers: buildtoronto.com/memos/multip...
Free Multiplexes from Big Condo Ownership Rules
Toronto should make it easier to build, sell, and own multiplex housing by exempting small buildings from the city’s cumbersome condominium process and allowing ownership conversions as-of-right.
buildtoronto.com
November 27, 2025 at 5:14 PM
This isn't the case elsewhere. British Columbia introduced new Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing reforms that have enabled ownership for sixplexes. That means that it's easy for multiple families to own units in the same building.
November 27, 2025 at 5:14 PM
These steps adds friction, cost and uncertainty to what should be a straightforward process. This means that while multiplexes are now permitted to build, they are difficult to sell to end users.
November 27, 2025 at 5:14 PM
And if you own an older multiplex with rental units that you want to convert to ownership, you have to get additional special permissions.
November 27, 2025 at 5:14 PM
If you build a multiplex and want to sell individual units in the building, you have to complete a full condominium application. The same process used for a 200-unit tower – with multiple reviews and thousands of dollars in fees – is used for a 4-unit building.
November 27, 2025 at 5:14 PM
4. Measure and report results – publish results to ensure accountability to the public
November 18, 2025 at 3:54 PM
3. Create a joint funding model – a City-Province partnership fund can ensure every intersection is upgraded without overburdening city budgets.
November 18, 2025 at 3:54 PM
2. Adopt clear technology standards – leverage the global standard of camera-based detection
November 18, 2025 at 3:54 PM
This memo proposes:
1. Modernize Toronto's traffic signals – move from outdated fixed-time plans to intelligent and adaptive signals
November 18, 2025 at 3:54 PM
Similar systems in China saw trip time reductions of ~20% after using adaptive traffic systems.
November 18, 2025 at 3:54 PM
The system adapts to the reality on-the-ground rather than a fixed schedule. This means it'd be able to respond to construction detours, traffic surges when a Leafs game ends, or to unexpected incidents on the Gardiner.
November 18, 2025 at 3:54 PM
It doesn't have to be this way. In the Netherlands, signals are designed to be responsive. Pedestrian walk phases are only triggered when a person is actually waiting. Vehicle and bicycle detection systems shorten or lengthen greens based on the traffic that has actually arrived.
November 18, 2025 at 3:54 PM
This is because most intersections run on fixed plans written years ago, unable to adjust to modern or real-time needs.
November 18, 2025 at 3:54 PM
What's more, they can look to identify and invite opportunities for new partnerships, such as Riverdale Park, Hanlan's Point, or sections of the Waterfront.

buildtoronto.com/memos/conser...
Using Conservancies to Build Great Public Spaces
The Bentway shows how public-space conservancies can combine public ownership with independent care, unlocking better programming, maintenance, and design.
buildtoronto.com
October 30, 2025 at 3:57 PM