Toronto/CMEDIA: After reportedly the approval of 120 major transit station areas and protected major transit station areas across Toronto, steps are being taken by the Totonto city to quickly advance implementation to help increase housing and contribute to the provincial target of 285,000 new homes in the city by 2031.
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow was joined today by City of Toronto staff to provide an overview of the policies as well as next steps for the 25 Major Transit Station Areas (MTSAs) and 95 Protected Major Transit Station Areas (PMTSAs) that were recently approved by the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing on Friday, August 15.
“The approval of transit station areas across Toronto…thank the Province for their partnership and look forward to working with City Council and staff, as well as with the development industry, to get more housing built,” Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow said.
Generally representing a 10-minute walking radius around an existing or planned higher order transit station, MTSAs are required to meet provincially mandated minimum density targets for number of residents and jobs per hectare.
Minimum development density is required by the PMTS for buildings and structures to facilitate municipalities to implement Inclusionary Zoning, which requires affordable housing in new residential developments.
Included in the staff work plan for the implementation of MTSA and PMTSA policies are updating the City’s zoning bylaws to implement the new policies to be presented to the Planning and Housing Committee on Thursday, Sept 25 and to move quickly on developing the implementing zoning for Toronto City Council’s consideration by late spring or early summer of 2026.
The full report can be accessed on the City’s website.
Implementation of the MTSA and PMTSA zoning is one of eight initiatives approved by City Council under the federal Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) through which the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) has committed $471.1 million in funding to support the City’s housing targets.
More information on MTSAs and PMTSAs, including density and Inclusionary Zoning requirements, is available in the backgrounder.
