City of Toronto MTSA and PMTSA Update: Official Plan Redline and Background
As a further update to our previous blog post on the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (“MMAH”) approval of 120 MTSAs and PMTSAs, Overland LLP has compiled a redline showing the modifications made to the proposed amendments to Chapter 5 and the newly created Chapter 8 of the City of Toronto Official Plan (“City OP”) that were adopted by City Council as follows:
· OPA 524 (approved with modifications) – 16 PMTSAs in the Downtown;
· OPA 537 (approved without modifications) – 1 PMTSA and the Keele-St.Clair Secondary Plan.
· OPA 540 (approved with modifications) – 23 PMTSAs and overarching policies for MTSAs and PMTSAs;
· OPA 544 (approved with modifications) – 6 PMTSAs and 3 MTSAs, deferral of Rouge Hill MTSA;
· OPA 570 (approved with modifications) – 49 PMTSAs; and deferral of Guildwood GO, Long Branch, Scarborough GO, Exhibition, East Harbour, Gerrard Carlaw, Scarborough Centre and Yonge-Steeles.
· OPA 575 (approved with modifications) – 22 MTSAs, deferral of McCowan, Science Centre, Milliken.
A copy of the redline prepared by Overland is downloadable here.
We note the following:
• The amendments made to Chapter 5 were approved as adopted by the City, although the Minister implemented these amendments through OPA 540 as opposed to OPA 524. The underlaying base text to the redline previously existed as part of the City of Toronto Official Plan.
• While the Minister’s modifications to Chapter 8 are illustrated as part of the redline, all of the policies and text in Chapter 8 are newly created (i.e. they did not exist prior to Council’s adoption, and the Minister’s approval as modified).
As previously circulated, the City of Toronto updated their Official Plan Review page to reflect the MMAH approved OPAs, accessible here.
As a result of the MMAH’s approval of the PMTSAs noted above, inclusionary zoning requirements as set out in Zoning By-law 941-2021 are now operative for lands within these areas, subject to the legislative caps included in the amendments to O. Reg. 232/18 that were recently approved in May 2025 (5% of the total dwelling units or 5% of the GFA for all dwelling units for no longer than 25 years). Our previous blog post summarizing these amendments can be accessed here.
Modifications to Chapter 5 and the New Chapter 8 of the Toronto Official Plan
Taken as a whole, the approved official plan amendments introduce a policy framework for, and the delineation of, PMTSAs and MTSAs, while generally reinforcing the policy direction to promote growth in these Areas. The amendments to the Official Plan are limited to Chapter 5 (Implementation) and the newly created Chapter 8 (Major Transit Station Areas and Protected Major Transit Station Areas). The following are key points contained in the approved text:
PMTSAs and MTSAs are areas where growth is to be directed, in addition to the Centres, Avenues, Employment Areas and the Downtown.
Secondary Plans (as set out in Chapter 6) and Site and Area Specific Policies (as set out in Chapter 7) continue to apply to lands within PMTSAs and MTSAs, however in the event of a conflict with the policies contained in Chapter 8, whichever policies provide greater densities will prevail.
The City is required to review Chapter 8 policies and minimum density policies as part of its regular Official Plan review or as part of local infrastructure reviews to ensure that they meet the intended purpose to plan for and manage growth and to create complete communities, including the delivery of necessary infrastructure.
Priority is to be given to matters of health, safety, accessibility, sustainable design, protection of the natural environment, watershed and water resource systems and the protection of adjoining lands over any other development criteria policies.
Population and employment targets are a cumulative measure of planned density across the entire delineated PMTSA and MTSA area, while individual developments within the area are not required to meet the population and employment targets.
Minimum development densities for PMTSAs represent the minimum FSI or minimum unit count to be achieved within the identified areas. These minimum development density targets are separate and apart from the planned density targets (residents and jobs per hectare)
For lands within a PMTSA or MTSA that are designated Apartment Neighbourhoods, Mixed Use Areas and Regeneration Areas, “City-initiated zoning” will permit the following:
8 FSI or more for lands that are within 200 metres of an existing or planned transit station; or
6 FSI or more for lands that are within 200-500 metres of an existing or planned transit station.
Zoning for a site that can accommodate three or more towers will permit:
Building heights of up to 30-storeys within 200 metres of an existing or planned transit station;
Building heights of up to 20-storeys within 200-500 metres of an existing or planned transit station;
Additional building height without an amendment to the Official Plan if a block context plan is provided demonstrating elements such as new public streets, new parks, publicly-accessible open spaces, mid-block connections, public art, and a mix of building types and heights.
Development permissions for lands designated Neighbourhoods within PMTSAs and MTSAs have been increased to permit multiplexes and apartment buildings that are either:
Up to four storeys;
Up to six-storeys within 200 metres of an existing or planned transit station;
Up to six-storeys with frontages on a major street shown on Map 3 (Right-of-Way Widths Associated with Existing Major Streets, map reproduced below).
The Minister’s decision approves the delineation of 120 MTSAs and PMTSAs with associated site and area specific policies, while deferring a determination on a number of PMTSAs and MTSAs as noted above, and identified in the table of contents to Chapter 8 included in the Overland redline.
For landowners with lands within approved PMTSAs and MTSAs, we recommend a closer review of the general policies summarized above in conjunction with the site and area specific policies that apply to the delineated PMTSA or MTSA.