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As January wraps up, and one month of 2024 is down with eleven to go, Toronto finds itself enveloped in a cloak of gloomy weather that scarcely allows the sunshine through. Yet, despite the lack of sunlight, the city's urban development landscape is anything but dim. Master-planned, transit-oriented, and multi-building projects continue to light up the horizon, looking towards a future where community, connectivity, and innovation can function in tandem. Along with the usual heavy-hitters like The One and The Well, readers were interested in the Thorncliffe Park and Gerrard-Carlaw South Transit-Oriented Communities, as well as master-planned communities proposed for Jane and Finch Mall and redevelopment of Brampton's Apple Factory Lands.
Let's take a closer look at our top stories, database files, and threads for January, 2024.
Our Top 10 Most Read News Stories:
Taking a look at our most popular news stories, we start the top 10 at #15, with the Hospital for Sick Children's Peter Gilgan Family Patient Care Tower. This initiative aims to modernize and expand the infrastructure to meet the growing needs for advanced pediatric healthcare. By focusing on creating a state-of-the-art environment, the project ensures that SickKids can continue to offer world-class care and support to its patients and their families, reinforcing its status as a leading institution in children's healthcare.
15. SickKids Advances Massive Patient Care Tower Redevelopment
January's top news stories highlight an increase in master-planned and Transit-Oriented Community (TOC) projects, reflecting a growing trend towards creating integrated, accessible urban environments. These developments take the top 4 spots, along with the Jane and Finch Mall Redevelopment at #6 and Thorncliffe Park TOC at #8. These developments, spanning from Vaughan to Oakville and across Toronto's neighbourhoods, aim to blend residential, commercial, and public spaces seamlessly, enhancing community connectivity and sustainable living. Major updates include groundbreaking ceremonies, unveilings, and proposals.
10. Steelcraft Lands Redevelopment Proposes 13 Towers in Waterloo
9. Best of 2023: Winners of the 10th Annual UrbanToronto Year-End Poll
8. Transit-Oriented Community Program Unveiled at Thorncliffe Park Station
7. Yonge Street Heritage Walls Unveiled at The One
6. Jane and Finch Mall to be Redeveloped as Master-Planned Mixed-Use Community
5. Ground Broken on Affordable Housing at Valhalla Village in Etobicoke
4. Mixed-Use Plans for Apple Factory Farm Market in Brampton's Mount Pleasant Neighbourhood
3. Transit-Oriented Community Program Unveiled South of Gerrard Station
2. Master-Planned Development Proposal Urbanizes Oakville's Palermo Area
1. Master-Planned Development Proposed Across From Vaughan Mills Outlet Mall
Our Top 10 Most Searched Database Files:
The top 10 database files starts at #13, Aqualuna at Bayside, developed by Tridel and Hines, which showcases the architectural prowess of 3XN. This waterfront property, notable for its distinctive wave-like design, is rising to a height of 14 storeys. Its modern architectural style emphasizes luxury and innovation, making it a standout addition to the East Waterfront area.
Outside of the master-planned and TOC projects, The One has predictably claimed the top spot, followed by 101 Spadina and The Well respectively. Projects like Cloverdale Mall's redevelopment and the Lower Don Lands offer glimpses into the future of sustainable and community-focused urban planning.
10. Forma
9. M2M Condos
7. Lower Don Lands Redevelopment
6. Cloverdale Mall Redevelopment
5. CIBC SQUARE
3. The Well
2. 101 Spadina
1. The One
Our Top 10 Busiest Threads:
Entering the top 10 list at #12 is 160 Front West (aka TD Terrace), developed by Cadillac Fairview and designed by AS + GG Architecture. This uniquely shaped building design was recently celebrated with a ribbon cutting. The building is now being outfitted for its primary tenants, TD Bank and the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan. It stands as the seventh tallest building in the city, soaring to a height of 239.87m.
12. 160 Front West
The top 10 list continues to feature many of our usual top performers from last year, with with newcomer East Harbour sitting at #9. The development is notably Canada's largest planned commercial project. The One retained the #1 spot with photographs and discussions about its continued construction and ground-realm heritage walls. At #3, The Well continues to open its commercial spaces, with the 70,000 ft² Wellington Market and more planned for 2024. Transit also continued to be a topic of discussion, with the Finch West LRT, Ontario Line 3, and Eglinton LRT taking spots #10, #7, and #4 respectively.
10. Finch West LRT
9. East Harbour
8. Union Station Revitalization
7. Ontario Line
6. CIBC SQUARE
5. Lower Don Lands Redevelopment
4. Eglinton Line 5 Crosstown LRT
3. The Well
1. The One
We will be back at the beginning of March for a recap of February's top news stories, Database files, and Forum threads!
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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.
