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In researching and writing the book Building Toronto's Skyline: Toronto Condominiums Through the Decades, I was fascinated by the exponential rise of condos over the past 20 years since UrbanToronto was founded. From their humble beginnings early in the 20th Century as affordable apartments for the working class in cities, to the introduction of modern high-rise condos in the mid-20th Century, these buildings have shaped and reshaped Toronto’s skyline. They have also evolved to address the changing needs and diversification of buyers.
Our condo culture shifted dramatically in 1991, when a court ruling cited adult-only buildings as unconstitutional under the Human Rights Code. Once the go-to for seniors and empty-nesters, condominiums became available to all segments of the marketplace, from professional singles to families. In response, builders and developers designed larger units to accommodate families, including traditional and stacked townhomes with condominium components. Even cottage country jumped on the bandwagon with condo resorts. As people got busier, the appeal of having major maintenance handled for them through a condominium corporation was enormous, and still is.
Another situation that contributed to the condo craze was Ontario’s protection of the Green Belt and other sensitive areas. This essentially cut down on the available land for development. The answer was to build up instead of out—and intensification became the target. Developers were encouraged to build condominiums in urban locations close to amenities and public transit. Between 2010 and 2018, 165,828 condo units were finished, and from 2002 to 2018, 186,000 condo units were registered, accounting for 72 per cent of the city’s growth. By 2020, condominiums became the preferred way to accommodate Toronto’s growth.
As the years went on, improvements in construction technology, metallurgy, and resource management enabled developers to build high-rises at more feasible costs. Over the past few years, with the pandemic and dramatic cost rises, condominiums have enabled many buyers to enter into homeownership, but it has also brought challenges for residents. To name a few, there maybe a lack of areas where children can play; some balconies may be unusable because of high winds; and high-rises that are clustered along the street limit the sunlight that gets through.
Regardless, condominiums are here to stay, and as we go forward, we need more research on how intensification affects infrastructure and services, how people use spaces, as well as post-occupancy assessments to guide policies for future design. After all, Toronto’s skyline is one of the things that define us as an international city.
Nick Ainis is Founder & CEO of Fusioncorp Developments, a boutique construction management company and general contracting organization specializing in multi-unit residential condominiums.
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UrbanToronto has a research service, UrbanToronto Pro, that provides comprehensive data on construction projects in the Greater Toronto Area—from proposal through to completion. We also offer Instant Reports, downloadable snapshots based on location, and a daily subscription newsletter, New Development Insider, that tracks projects from initial application.
