Toronto’s Major Streets By-law

The Major Streets By-law creates more opportunities for housing along the city’s major streets. The policy is part of the City’s broader Expanding Housing Options in Neighbourhoods (EHON) initiative, which aims to increase the supply and variety of housing while supporting the growth of complete communities.

The Major Streets By-law allows for more housing and greater residential density along appropriate major streets, particularly on properties that are well-connected to public transit and other services. The goal is to make better use of existing urban infrastructure and provide more homes in locations where residents can conveniently access transportation, shops, schools, parks, and other amenities.

The policy can make it easier to develop multi-unit housing and other forms of gentle density on major-street properties. Rather than concentrating all new housing in high-rise buildings and designated downtown areas, the approach encourages a wider range of building types.

At the same time, new development must respond to the surrounding neighbourhood. New buildings must consider factors such as building height, setbacks, landscaping, access, and the relationship between new development and existing homes. The intention is to increase housing opportunities without creating abrupt or incompatible changes to established neighbourhoods.

General Development Standards

• The by-law permits townhomes and small-scale apartment buildings of up to six storeys on designated major streets and removes maximum Floor Space Index (FSI) calculations from these properties.
• Depending on the zoning map area, the by-law caps apartment buildings at 30 to 60 dwelling units.
• Maximum building height is generally 19 metres but is dependent on the local zoning map and street.

The Major Streets By-law applies as of right, meaning a permit does not require a dedicated zoning by-law amendment to proceed. The policy only applies to properties that touch a road explicitly drawn on Map 3 (Right-of-Way Widths) of Toronto’s Official Plan.

Design and layout standards are not uniform across all major streets. Lot-level requirements still apply, such as site frontage, depth, and spatial orientation, which dictate whether a property can meet the by-law’s performance standards and transition rules.

Important to Know

Before proceeding, property owners should use the City of Toronto’s Interactive Zoning By-law Map to confirm the zoning and applicable regulations.

Visit the Major Streets Study for more information.  

For questions or clarification, contact the City of Toronto – Expanding Housing Options in Neighbourhoods City Planning Division at EHON@toronto.ca.