Once upon a time (at least in the past decade I have been living in Toronto), Toronto’s downtown was a thriving hub — filled with workers and pedestrians, and alive with the energy that only a dense, vibrant urban core can bring. In fact, in every other North American city I have visited, I was filled with pride and joy knowing my home is Toronto. Today, it feels like a shadow of its former self.
Empty Offices, Empty Streets
The pandemic temporarily changed how we work, but it’s time to recognize that we can’t stay in a remote model forever. Downtown Toronto’s offices once drew in hundreds of thousands of commuters daily, fuelling coffee shops, restaurants, and retail. Hybrid and fully remote work policies have emptied office towers, leaving businesses struggling and teams disconnected.
WFH may have been necessary in the short term, but it’s bad for business in the long run. Collaboration, team building, and innovation thrive in shared spaces, not over endless video calls. Returning to the office is essential to reinvigorate downtown and restore its economic vitality. Empty offices don’t just harm businesses; they shake the entire ecosystem, from transit ridership to local shops that depend on foot traffic. If we want a strong downtown, we need to bring people back.
The Commute Crisis
At the same time, commuting in and to Toronto has become a daily struggle, with gridlock choking major streets and an underfunded transit system failing to meet the needs of a growing population. Years of piecemeal investments in transit have left the city with inadequate service. At the same time, bike lanes, which provide a sustainable and affordable alternative for thousands of commuters, are now under threat from short-sighted calls to remove them.
What Toronto needs is bold, transformative investment from all levels of government in public transit and active transportation. Expanding and modernizing transit infrastructure—while protecting and enhancing bike lanes—isn’t just about easing commutes; it’s about building a resilient city that works for everyone. Without it, we’re stuck in traffic, wasting time, money, and opportunity.
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Priced Out and Pushed Away
Toronto’s downtown is unaffordable now, and it will get worse as not enough stock is built. Housing construction has slowed dramatically due to construction costs and crippling development charges, and high interest rates were the last nail in the coffin. These challenges make it nearly impossible for developers to bring new housing stock to market, exacerbating an already severe shortage.
The result? Prices remain out of reach, and people who want to live downtown — young professionals, newcomers, families, and students — are forced to look elsewhere. Many leave the city altogether, seeking affordability in other regions. This isn’t just a housing problem; it’s an economic problem. Without new stock to house its workforce, Toronto risks losing its competitive edge and its vibrant, diverse population.
Development Charges: A Growth Killer
Toronto has made developing downtown an increasingly expensive endeavour. Development charges — fees developers must pay to fund infrastructure like transit and parks — have surged. While the need for infrastructure could be real and acute, these fees are often poorly targeted and disproportionately high.
The result? Projects are stalled, and developers are taking their investments elsewhere. At a time when downtown desperately needs new housing to bring people back, we’ve created barriers that ensure fewer homes get built.
The Aftermath
The combination of these factors has created a feedback loop of decline. Fewer residents and workers mean fewer businesses can survive downtown. In turn, a hollowed-out downtown makes it less attractive for people to live or work there.
Without intervention, this downward spiral could lead to a downtown that’s less vibrant, less livable, and less economically significant. And Toronto, the city that prides itself on being world-class, can’t afford that.
