Toronto in Transition: Housing, Transit, and Policy Shifts Shaping Fall 2025

RIISE
Oct 16
2 min read

Toronto is once again at a turning point. This fall brings a wave of new developments — in housing, transit, and public policy — that will directly shape how the city grows, moves, and builds over the next decade.

🏘️ Housing Innovation Gains Ground

After years of slow progress, Toronto’s housing landscape is finally showing signs of acceleration.The Build Canada Homes initiative recently announced its first major Toronto project in Downsview, delivering more than 500 new homes, 40% of which will be affordable. This signals renewed federal and municipal alignment around tackling the city’s housing shortage.

Meanwhile, the City of Toronto and CreateTO have broken ground on a transit-oriented community in Scarborough Southwest, adding 256 affordable rental units integrated with future transit access. This marks a notable shift toward building density around public transportation — a key step toward sustainable, connected communities.

Toronto is also leading on materials innovation with its first public mass-timber affordable housing project at 11 Brock Ave. Designed to open by 2026, it’s a promising sign that sustainability and affordability are finally being treated as compatible goals rather than competing priorities.

🚇 Transit Testing and Growing Pains

After years of delay, the long-anticipated Eglinton Crosstown (Line 5) is now in its 30-day full test run phase — a critical milestone toward opening. Once complete, Line 5 will reshape commuting routes, reduce pressure on the TTC, and spark renewed interest in residential and commercial developments along the corridor.

Still, project fatigue is real. Toronto’s ongoing infrastructure delays highlight the importance of transparency, communication, and better coordination between developers, contractors, and public agencies — something the entire industry continues to push for.

🚦 Policy Debates Over Safety and Autonomy

Another issue making headlines: the Ontario government’s plan to ban automated speed cameras. The move has sparked pushback from municipal leaders, including Mayor Olivia Chow, who argue the cameras play a vital role in keeping school zones and residential streets safe.Supporters of the ban see it as a step toward reducing over-enforcement, while critics warn it could reverse years of progress in road safety.

Regardless of where the debate lands, it underscores a growing theme in Ontario politics — the ongoing tension between provincial control and local autonomy in managing community safety and urban policy.

💡 The Takeaway

Toronto’s story this fall is one of renewal and recalibration. The city is experimenting with new building methods, finally testing long-awaited transit lines, and grappling with policy choices that will influence how its residents live and move.

As builders, planners, and residents look ahead, one thing is clear: progress in Toronto depends on collaboration — between all levels of government, the private sector, and the communities who call the city home.

Toronto is changing fast — in policy, in infrastructure, and in how we build.