The Missing Middle in Toronto's Housing Debate
The Globe and Mail, October 2018

In October of 2018, Blair Scorgie and Sean Hertel spoke with The Globe and Mail's Alex Bozikovic on the need to increase housing supply, affordability and diversity throughout Toronto's Neighbourhoods. The article addresses concerns over the steralization of growth across much of the City, and identifies the social and economic consequences of inaction. The article highlights the need for Toronto to begin re-thinking its approach to municipal land use policies and regulations, and introduces the concept of Transition Zones as one part of a broader solution to addressing the housing crisis.

​External Links:     Full Article

A Strategy for Significantly Increasing the Supply of "Missing Middle" Housing in the City of Toronto
​Centre for Urban Research and Land Development, February 2019

The Toronto Real Estate Board commissioned the Centre for Urban Research and Land Development at Ryerson University to study how best to expand the supply of what is now called "missing middle" housing throughout the City of Toronto. The report, which serves as the result of this research, explores the role of "missing middle" housing in the Toronto market (both past and present), and the reasons for the limited production of new "missing middle" housing units relative to demand. Furthermore, it provides recommendations for significantly increasing the supply of these types of housing units.

Firstly, the report identifies the need to ultimately broaden the type of housing permitted in all Neighbourhoods to include townhouses, stacked townhouses, duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes and other low-rise style homes. It goes on to state that this process could be implemented in stages, and that the introduction of Transition Zones, on the edges of Neighbourhoods, should be considered.

​Secondly, the report identifies the need to facilitate the production of "missing middle" housing units along the portions of the Avenues, where and when these housing forms are economically feasible. In doing so, the report identifies ways to strengthen the financial feasibility of development sites along Avenues and other major streets, which are some distance away from the Downtown. It goes on to state that a key contribution municipal planners could make in this regard is to pre-zoning lands along both sides of the Avenues and other major streets for the development of "missing middle" housing, and to create  Transition Zones between the Avenues and adjacent Neighbourhoods. 

Finally, the report identifies the need to provide "missing middle" housing units through the densification of Toronto's Neighbourhoods. In doing so, it cites the research and recommendations of Blair Scorgie and Sean Hertel, and specifically identifies Transition Zones as a method for densifying the edges of Neighbourhoods, by extending opportunities for low-rise intensification from the Avenues and other major streets a specified distance (e.g. 100 - 200 metres) in to the core of adjacent Neighbourhoods.

External Links:     Full Report     |     Presentation

Market Year in Review and Outlook Report: Envisioning Housing Options and Supply for Liveable Communities
Toronto Real Estate Board, March 2019

The Toronto Real Estate Board's 2019 Market Year in Review and Outlook Report focuses on envisioning housing options and supply for liveable communities. The report states that there is no question that building more housing is key to alleviating affordability pressures in Toronto and across the Greater Toronto Area. It endorses the research findings and recommendations of the Ryerson Centre for Urban Research and Land Development, in their report A Strategy for Significantly Increasing the Supply of "Missing Middle" Housing in the City of Toronto, specifically highlights the potential for Transition Zones to form a key component of the solution, and recommends that Toronto City Council establish and monitor targets for the production of "missing middle" housing in Toronto. 

External Links:     Full Report

Transition Zones: Recasting Neighbourhoods
NRU Publishing, April 2019

In April 2019, Blair Scorgie and Sean Hertel spoke with NRU Publishing's Rachael Williams about the case for Transition Zones. Amid calls for the City to accommodate a greater degree of intensification in low-rise residential neighbourhoods, the article highlights the opportunity for Toronto to lead the process of implementing Transition Zones between the edges of Avenues and the interior of adjacent Neighbourhoods. In doing so, the City would need to identify and review preliminary study areas based on a pre-determined set of evaluation criteria; establish a classification system to serve as the foundation for determining the desirable form, type and extent of development within each study area; introduce a new Urban Structure designation, update Neighbourhood Land Use policies; and introduce area-specific Zoning By-law Amendments to encourage a gradual transition in the scale and type of development.

The article describes Transition Zones as an invaluable city-building tool, and a key strategy for helping cities build vibrant and compact communities within walking distance of transit - specifically citing the potential role of Transition Zones in the development of Major Transit Station Areas, including Transit Corridors and GO Stations.

While municipalities are encouraged to take a proactive approach to implementing this vision, the article also highlights the potential role of the Province of Ontario in introducing language within the Growth Plan and Provincial Policy Statement, which encourages the use of Transition Zones.

External Links:     Full Article

House Divided: How the Missing Middle will Solve Toronto's Housing Crisis
​Coach House Books, June 2019

Housing is increasingly unattainable in successful global cities, and Toronto is no exception - in part because of zoning regulations which protect "stable" Neighbourhoods with high property values. The book serves as a citizen's guide for changing the way housing can work in big cities. Using Toronto as a case study, this anthology unpacks the affordability crisis and offers innovative ideas for creating housing for all ages and demographic groups. With charts, maps, data and policy prescriptions, House Divided poses difficult questions about the issues that will make or break the global city of the future. 

Within the book, contributing authors Blair Scorgie and Sean Hertel  introduce Transition Zones as a means of re-establishing historic neighbourhood populations, while accounting for modern lifestyles. It states that Transition Zones will encourage development in proximity of commercial main streets, frequent and reliable public transit and other amenities, while maintaining the stability of Neighbourhoods. It goes on to state that they will allow us to diversify the housing stock and cater to a greater diversity of housing needs. In doing so, Transition Zones will make our communities more vibrant and resilient, while allowing us to optimize the use of existing services and infrastructure. 

​External Links:     Official Website

Conquering the Yellowbelt
NRU Publishing, July 2019

In July 2019, Blair Scorgie and Sean Hertel spoke with NRU Publishing's Rachael Williams about Toronto City Council's recent decision to explore opportunities to provide a greater variety of housing options in the City's residential neighbourhoods. The motion, put forward by Mayor John Tory and approved at the June 17 Council meeting, recommends that the Chief Planner and Executive Director of City Planning report back to Planning and Housing Committee with recommendations and a timeline for increasing housing options and planning permissions in areas of Toronto designated as Neighbourhoods in the City's Official Plan. 

In the article, Sean explains that opening the yellowbelt will allow for a more diversified housing stock in previously homogeneous areas which would, in turn, provide a greater number of housing options for young or multi-generational families, seniors or residents looking to upgrade from smaller apartment units. Blair elaborates that such a move would help re-balance neighbourhood populations, while allowing for the greater use of public infrastructure, making our neighbourhoods more resilient and flexible to change, and creating a critical mass of population to help support small and independent businesses. Lastly, Blair adds that such changes could open the door to a new breed of land developer, which specialize in small to mid-sized projects, while allowing for the expansion of modular and pre-fabricated building practices.  

External Links:     Full Article

The Missing Middle and the Case for Transition Zones
Spacing Magazine, September 2019

In September 2019, Blair Scorgie authored an article in Spacing Magazine, which provides an overview of the issues and challenges facing Toronto's neighbourhoods, and introduces the concept of Transition Zones as one potential part of a broader solution. The article highlights historic growth patterns, similar local policy initiatives, national and international best practices, recent local case studies, and opportunities to build upon recent local policy amendments. It concludes with a summation of the potential opportunities and benefits associated with Transition Zones. 

​External Links:     Full Article

Facing the Challenges of the Housing Crisis
Y Magazine, January 2020

In January 2020, Blair Scorgie spoke with Y Magazine's Carolyn Camilleri about the housing challenges facing communities across Canada, and how best to face them head on. Interviewed alongside Arlene Etchen, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation's Knowledge Transfer Consultant in Ontario, and Tony Irwin, President and CEO of the Federation of Rental-Housing Providers of Ontario, Blair provides an overview of Transition Zones, and explains how the proposal could serve as one piece of a broader solution to the housing crisis. 

In the interview, Blair explains that the proposal has been put forward to counter the problems associated with neighbourhoods which are in decline, while areas targeted for growth and intensification begin to approach their carrying capacity. He adds that Transition Zones serve as an expansion upon the existing approach municipalities use to govern growth and density, representing the low hanging fruit of potential land use policy interventions. 

External Links:     Full Article

Density Done Right
Ryerson City Building Institute, April 2020

In April 2020, Blair Scorgie and Sean Hertel were featured for their work on Transition Zones in the Ryerson City Building Institute's landmark report "Density Done Right: How Distributed Urban Density can Support Healthy, Livable Neighbourhoods, Housing Affordability and the Environment". The report outlines the need to accommodate distributed density in order to make our communities and region more healthy, livable and affordable for residents, while saving energy, protecting our natural environment and agricultural land, and helping to mitigate climate change. Within the broader context of other opportunities to achieve distributed density surrounding major transit stations, through the redevelopment of large mall and plaza sites, and along major corridors, the report highlights Transition Zones as a key opportunity to achieve gentle density at the neighbourhood scale, a move the report states can help accommodate population growth and provide a range of housing options and tenures to meet the diverse needs of residents, while preserving the overall look and feel of neighbourhoods. 

By updating Zoning regulations to allow for gentle density in residential neighbourhoods, the report states that opportunities exist to add a significant number of units, while making housing project more attractive to developers, by increasing certainty over outcomes.

External Links:     Full Report