About This Article
Changes to planning and zoning regulations can feel technical and hard to follow — especially when they affect
homes, neighbourhoods, and real investment decisions.
This article is designed as a practical reference, not a legal document. Its goal is to explain recent planning and
zoning updates in clear language, highlight what has changed, and help readers understand why those changes
matter in practice — including where they may create new development opportunities in Toronto.
Before reviewing recent updates, it is useful to align on the planning framework that guides development
decisions in Toronto:
Official Plan: The City’s long-term policy direction that guides where growth and intensification are
encouraged.
Zoning By-law: Property-specific regulations that determine what can be built on a given site (permitted uses,
unit counts, height, setbacks, lot coverage, etc.).
Recent planning changes reflect a coordinated relationship between the two: policy updates in the Official Plan
are often followed by zoning amendments that enable new permissions on the ground.
The sections that follow summarize these updates and highlight their practical implications for residential
development. Always confirm site-specific requirements using the most current City information
- What Has Changed
In recent years, the City of Toronto has implemented a series of coordinated Official Plan and Zoning By-law
amendments intended to increase housing supply and promote intensification and infill within the existing urban fabric.
City of Toronto 4 Recent Planning Changes
(≈20223-2025)
A. OFFICIAL PLAN (policy: where and how growth is directed)
Official Plan conclusion:
The Official Plan has changed within the past two years and now clearly supports intensification, infill and
missing-middle housing, particularly in neighbourhoods, along major streets, and near transit.
B. ZONING BY-LAW 569-2013 (regulation: what can actually be built)
Zoning By-law conclusion:
Zoning By-law 569-2013 was amended in the past two years to directly implement
Official Plan policies by allowing more units on existing lots through multiplexes,
accessory dwellings, and targeted pilots.
A. Official Plan — Recent Updates
The following Official Plan updates were identified through a review of materials published on the City of
Toronto’s official website (toronto.ca), including Official Plan amendments, consolidation updates, and City
Planning reports. No third-party sources were used.
Verified Official Plan Changes (Policy-Level)
Multiplex housing permissions (2023)
The Official Plan was amended to explicitly permit duplexes, triplexes, and fourplexes (“multiplex housing”) on
properties designated neighborhoods across the city.
These policies introduce missing-middle housing forms within low-rise residential areas while maintaining
compatibility through built-form criteria related to height, scale, setbacks, and massing.
Garden suites (2022)
Official Plan policies were updated to support the introduction of detached accessory dwelling units in rear yards
(“garden suites”) across most low-rise residential areas.
Garden suites are positioned as a gentle intensification tool that increases housing supply without altering streetfacing built form or neighbourhood structure.
Neighbourhood intensification and infill confirmation (2024–2025 consolidation)
The consolidated Official Plan confirms that low- and mid-scale infill development — including multiplexes,
accessory dwelling units, and small multi-unit buildings — is appropriate within Neighbourhoods, provided that
new development fits within the existing and planned context.
This consolidation reinforces that neighborhoods are not static and may evolve through gradual, context-sensitive intensification.
Growth focus areas (Avenues, Major Streets, and corridors)
Official Plan policies continue to emphasize intensification along Avenues, Major Streets, Mixed Use Areas, and
Regeneration Areas.
Recent updates under the Expanding Housing Options in Neighbourhoods (EHON) initiative further support
gentle intensification along major corridors located within Neighbourhoods, shifting from policies that previously
discouraged growth in these locations.
Transit-oriented intensification (Major Transit Station Areas)
The Official Plan incorporates updated policies for Major Transit Station Areas (MTSAs) and
PMTSAs), directing higher residential densities, mixed-use development, and increased building heights near
rapid transit stations. These policies support increased housing supply in transit-served areas while reducing
reliance on automobile-oriented growth.
Overall Policy Effect
Taken together, these Official Plan changes establish a coordinated city-wide policy direction that supports
incremental intensification, missing-middle housing, and increased residential density within existing urban areas,
while retaining context-sensitive design controls.
Agricultural and Vacant Land Considerations
A review of the City of Toronto Official Plan did not identify policies that encourage the development of
agricultural or farm land, as such lands are not designated growth areas within the city.
The Official Plan also does not include provisions that promote development based solely on land being vacant.
Instead, development potential is determined by land use designation (e.g., Neighbourhoods, Mixed Use Areas,
Regeneration Areas), regardless of whether sites are vacant or previously developed.
Development Based on Lot Size (City of Toronto)
None found. A review of the City of Toronto Official Plan did not identify provisions that permit development
based specifically on minimum or reduced lot size where the same type of development was not previously
permitted. The Official Plan establishes development permissions through land use designations and built-form
policies, not through lot-size thresholds; lot size requirements and relaxations are addressed through the Zoning
By-law, not the Official Plan.
B. Zoning By-law — Recent Updates
The following zoning updates were identified through a review of materials published on the City of Toronto’s
official website (toronto.ca), including Zoning By-law 569-2013, Council-adopted zoning amendments, and City
Planning reports. No third-party sources were used.
The most direct and immediate changes to residential development potential arise from amendments to Zoning
By-law 569-2013, primarily implemented through the City’s Expanding Housing Options in Neighbourhoods
(EHON) initiative. These amendments translate Official Plan policy into as-of-right permissions that determine
what can be built on individual residential lots.
B.1 Zoning By-law Amendments that Permit Intensification
Secondary suites
Zoning By-law 569-2013 permits secondary dwelling units within existing residential buildings, including
basement apartments and interior units, in detached, semi-detached, and townhouse dwellings city-wide. These
permissions allow additional units within existing building envelopes, increasing residential density without
altering lot configuration or built form.
Laneway suites
City-wide zoning amendments permit detached residential units on properties that abut a public laneway,
subject to performance standards related to height, setbacks, separation distances, servicing, and access.
Laneway suites add discreet housing units to existing residential lots while maintaining the primary dwelling and
street-facing character.
Garden suites
Zoning amendments adopted under the EHON Garden Suites initiative permit detached accessory dwelling units
in rear yards across most low-rise residential zones (including RD, RS, RT, and RM zones). The by-law establishes
detailed performance standards governing setbacks, separation distances, lot coverage, height, and relationship
to the principal dwelling. Recent refinements address corner lots and irregular parcels to improve feasibility.
Multiplex housing (up to four dwelling units)
Zoning By-law 569-2013 was amended to allow up to four dwelling units per lot city-wide in low-rise residential
zones. Multiplex housing is regulated primarily through envelope-based controls (such as height, depth, and
setbacks) rather than traditional floor space index (FSI) and storey limits, enabling additional units while
maintaining compatibility with surrounding low-rise development.
Five- and six-unit permissions (pilot and ward-based amendments)
In selected pilot areas and specific wards, most notably Ward 23 (Scarborough North), zoning amendments
permit detached residential buildings with up to five or six dwelling units. These
permissions expand upon city-wide multiplex zoning and are being evaluated as part of a broader review of
scalable missing-middle intensification in low-rise neighbourhoods.
Major Streets — increased low-rise intensity along corridors
As part of the Neighbourhoods: Major Streets Study, zoning amendments permit additional low-rise residential
forms, such as townhouses and small-scale apartment buildings, on properties located along designated Major
Streets within Neighbourhoods. These changes increase residential intensity along corridors while maintaining
low-rise built-form controls.
B.2 Development Charge Exemptions and Deferrals Supporting
Intensification
In addition to zoning permissions, the City has adopted development charge (DC) measures that reduce or defer
costs for certain forms of small-scale residential intensification.
Development charge exemption for up to four dwelling units
City materials indicate that residential lots developed with up to four dwelling units are exempt from development charges for the second, third, and fourth units. This exemption applies regardless of unit
configuration (within the main building or accessory units) and directly supports the financial feasibility of
multiplex, secondary suite, and accessory-unit development.
Development charge deferral for ancillary secondary dwelling units
Through the Laneway and Garden Suites Initiative, the City offers a Development Charges Deferral Program for
ancillary secondary dwelling units, including laneway suites and garden suites. Under this program, development
charges may be deferred and are only payable if a new lot is created within a defined period following
construction, reducing upfront costs for eligible projects.
Provincial development charge exemptions
City reports also reference provincial exemptions under the Development Charges Act, 1997, which remove
development charges for certain ancillary dwelling units in accessory structures, subject to prescribed criteria.
These exemptions further reduce financial barriers to small-scale residential intensification.
Overall Zoning Effect
Collectively, these zoning by-law amendments and development charge provisions enable and incentivize
incremental residential intensification across Toronto’s low-rise neighbourhoods. By permitting additional
dwelling units within existing residential lots and reducing regulatory and financial barriers, the zoning framework
supports increased housing supply while maintaining controls over height, massing, setbacks, and neighbourhood character.
Where These Changes Apply
The planning and zoning changes described in Sections 2 and 3 apply broadly across the city, with particular
concentration in the following areas:
- Low-rise residential zones, including RD, RS, RT, and RM zones, where new permissions for secondary suites,
laneway suites, garden suites, and multiplex housing now apply as-of-right. - Areas designated as “Neighbourhoods” in the Official Plan, which are no longer treated as static and may
accommodate gradual, context-sensitive intensification. - Properties located along Avenues, Major Streets, and identified growth corridors, where both Official Plan
policies and zoning amendments support higher residential intensity. - Specific areas subject to ward-based or pilot zoning amendments, such as Ward 23 (Scarborough North),
where expanded permissions for five- and six-unit buildings are in effect. - While permitted unit counts have increased, zoning controls related to height, massing, setbacks, and lot
coverage continue to regulate built form and ensure compatibility with surrounding development.
What This Means in Practice
For property owners, real estate professionals, and small-scale developers, these changes represent a shift toward
more flexible use of existing residential land:
- More residential units may be permitted on existing lots without the need for rezoning or land subdivision.
A wider range of housing forms — including secondary suites, laneway suites, garden suites, and multiplex
housing — can now be considered viable options on low-rise residential properties. - Incremental intensification is increasingly possible within established neighbourhoods, particularly on sites
near transit or along major streets. - Despite new permissions, zoning regulations must continue to be reviewed on a site-by-site basis to confirm compliance with height, massing, setbacks, and servicing requirements.
- In certain cases, small-scale residential intensification may also benefit from development charge exemptions or deferrals, further improving project feasibility
One-Page Summary — City of Toronto
Over the past several years, the City of Toronto has adopted a coordinated set of Official Plan and Zoning By-law
changes aimed at increasing housing supply through intensification and infill within the existing urban area.
Rather than expanding outward, these changes focus growth within established neighbourhoods, along major
corridors, and near higher-order transit.
At the policy level, recent Official Plan amendments reinforce intensification as a core growth strategy. The Plan
now explicitly supports missing-middle housing forms, including duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes and accessory
dwelling units, within areas designated as Neighbourhoods. It also continues to direct growth to Avenues, Major
Streets, Mixed Use Areas, Regeneration Areas, and Major Transit Station Areas, where higher densities and a
broader mix of residential forms are considered appropriate.
Together, these policies confirm tha neighbourhoods are expected to evolve gradually through context-sensitive infill rather than remain static.
At the regulatory level, amendments to Zoning By-law 569-2013 implement this policy direction by permitting a
wider range of residential uses as-of-right. These changes allow secondary suites within existing dwellings,
laneway suites on properties abutting public laneways, garden suites in rear yards, and multiplex housing of up to four units on most low-rise residential lots city-wide. In selected pilot areas, zoning amendments also permit
five- and six-unit residential buildings to test broader missing-middle intensification.
In addition to zoning permissions, the City has introduced financial measures that support small-scale
intensification. Certain forms of residential development, including multiplexes of up to four units and ancillary
secondary dwellings such as laneway and garden suites, may benefit from development charge exemptions or
deferrals. Collectively, these planning, zoning, and financial changes lower barriers to incremental residential
intensification while maintaining controls over height, massing, setbacks, and neighbourhood context.
Sources & Disclaimer
Sources
This article is based exclusively on publicly available, official documents published by the City of Toronto,
including:
Official Plan documents published by the City of Toronto, including consolidated editions and Official Plan maps
covering Urban Structure, Avenues, Neighbourhoods, Land Use Designations, and Secondary Plans.
City Planning studies and housing intensification materials, including the Expanding Housing Options in
Neighbourhoods (EHON) initiative, the Multiplex Housing Study (2–4 Units), Neighbourhood Intensification
bulletins, and the Avenues Policy Review.
Zoning regulations and tools published by the City of Toronto, including Zoning By-law 569-2013 and its
consolidated amendments, the Zoning By-law Interactive Map, and guidance materials for secondary suites,
laneway suites, garden suites, and multiplex housing, including pilot zoning amendments for five- and six-unit
residential buildings.
Disclaimer
This article was prepared using AI-assisted research to summarize publicly available municipal information
published by the City of Toronto. While care has been taken to rely on official sources, planning and zoning
regulations are subject to change and may vary by property.
This document is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, planning, or
development advice. Property-specific zoning regulations, development standards, and applicable exemptions
should always be verified directly with the City of Toronto or a qualified professional before proceeding.
Copyright & Attribution
All maps, diagrams, policy text, and zoning regulations referenced in this article are the property of the City of
Toronto and are reproduced for informational purposes only
Concluding Notes
We believe great spaces start with clarity and intention. Architecture is not only about design — it is about
understanding people, places, and the rules that shape them.
We help homeowners, real estate professionals, and developers navigate planning and zoning with confidence.
By translating complex regulations into clear, practical insight, we make it easier to see what is possible — whether
that means adding space, creating new units, or rethinking how a property can grow over time.
This article is designed to be clear, friendly, and useful, offering a concise snapshot of what is new and why it
matters so that conversations about development can start with confidence.
Let’s Talk
We support homeowners, real estate professionals, and small-scale developers understand what’s possible —
and how to move forward with confidence.
If you’re exploring development potential, navigating zoning, or considering your next step, we’d be happy to talk.
Get in touch
Website: www.kalgreens.com
Email & Phone: info@kalgreens.com / 1 (855) 585 8008
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This Article is for reference only. Project-specific zoning and planning permissions should always be verified
with the City of Toronto
