As a follow up to the findings of Poverty by Postal Code 2: Vertical Poverty, the Centre for Urban Growth and Renewal (CUG+R) and United Way Toronto are pleased to release a new report entitled Strong Neighbourhoods and Complete Communities: A New Approach to Zoning for Apartment Neighbourhoods.

The aim of this report is to identify existing policy barriers and consider policy alternatives to enable Toronto’s hundreds of apartment neighbourhoods to reach their potential as healthy, vibrant, and more complete communities.

Through an extensive review of existing policies and zoning by-laws that govern apartment properties, this report catalogues specific policy and process barriers that prevent neighbourhood investment, local economic development, and community initiatives. It then moves on to present an initial framework for a new approach to zoning in apartment neighbourhoods, one that will enable positive neighbourhood change moving forward.