Toronto made a bylaw to crack down on Airbnb and other short-term renters

Air BnB office in Toronto

The sales rep on the phone is reassuring. He works for a property management company that specializes in short-term rentals, and he says Toronto’s bylaw is easy enough to get around.

Yes, you need to register if you want to list your place on Airbnb now, and you need to say that you live in the condo, he says.

But if you don’t, all you have to do is change the address on your driver’s licence.

Don’t Be Shocked By (Even More) Condos in (Even More) Toronto Neighbourhoods

Toronto City skyline at night

Density is the name of the game when it comes to the Greater Toronto Area’s (GTA) urban planning agenda – especially in areas surrounding current and upcoming public transit hubs. With new provincially-passed legislation as a driving force behind it, these neighbourhoods are in store for a drastic transformation in the not-too-distant future.

“Not another condo,” exclaim countless Toronto residents daily, as they throw up their arms and shake their heads in disbelief at news of yet another towering new development.

ABCRA Winter Newsletter

Check out our new website

Welcome to ABCRA’s Winter 2023 newsletter. In this edition, we want to share updates and news from the neighbourhood, upcoming events and opportunities to get involved in your City.

What have we been up to? Lots! First off – there’s our new website (you’re looking at it) and and we hope you’ll take it out for a thorough test drive and let us know what you think.

Finally, a plan for Avenue Road

Avenue Road proposed interventions

In a significant development last month, the City of Toronto unveiled new designs for Avenue Road at an open house event, signalling progress in addressing the long-standing issues. The designs aim to transform Avenue Road into a more pedestrian-friendly, people-friendly environment, prioritizing safety, comfort and connectivity.

1080-1088 Yonge Street development

1080-1088 Proposed condo development

We are writing to express our opposition to the 1080-1088 Yonge Street – Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendment Application and request a deferral on the item. We have been in negotiations with the Developer and acknowledge the good steps that have been taken in reducing the massing on the west side of the site, but are of the opinion that more work needs to be done.

Eye-popping 11-storey tower proposed for site of historic Toronto homes

171 Lowther proposal submitted to City of Toronto

A row of homes dating back almost 125 years could be transformed by an impressive 11-storey tower, if a new development application is approved by the city. Not surprisingly, local residents have questions about the growing intensity in a quiet section of one of the city’s oldest neighbourhoods where a number of proposals to increase density are piling up.

Torontonians who care about the environment must support six storey apartment buildings in existing neighbourhoods

6-storey building on Queen St.

From now until December 15th, the City of Toronto is conducting public consultation on Environmental Defence’s proposed change to how housing can be built in existing neighborhoods. This change would allow apartments up to six storeys and 30 units on the major streets that fall within the “Neighborhoods” designation of the City’s Official Plan.

The Bloor-Yorkville Cultural Heritage Resource Assessment (CHRA) FINAL Context Statement

Penny Farthing coffee house 1963

City of Toronto Heritage Planning utilises Cultural Heritage Resource Assessments (CHRAs) to document and analyse an area’s history and ensure that properties of potential cultural heritage value or interest are appropriately identified, understood and conserved. In December 2020, Heritage Planning engaged Common Bond Collective to prepare the Bloor-Yorkville Cultural Heritage Resource Assessment (CHRA) as part of, and coordinated with, the Bloor-Yorkville Secondary Plan Study. The Bloor-Yorkville Cultural Heritage Resource Assessment (CHRA) FINAL Context Statement is now completed.

Winners Announced for the 2023 Heritage Toronto Awards

Albert Campbell Branch Library

Canadian architects and urbanists were at the helm of five projects that were among the winners of the the 2023 Heritage Toronto Awards. The Heritage Toronto Awards bring together leaders, innovators and emerging professionals from across cultural, development, and policy-making sectors to celebrate achievements in Toronto’s heritage. The event is also Heritage Toronto’s major fundraiser of the year and raises monies in support of its public programming.