tall-buildings

Performance Standards relating to the base conditions, the tower
portion of tall buildings, and to contextual fit.
Key objectives behind developing Downtown Tall Building
Guidelines included enhancing the pedestrian environment;
minimizing shadowing of sidewalks, parks, and public squares;
protecting landmark views and heritage resources; and improving
the quality of life (access to natural light, sky view, and privacy)
for people living and working in the city’s core.
Together, the study vision and performance standards were
designed to assist with the review of new tall building applications
within the Downtown study area boundary, encompassing
portions of Wards 20, 27 and 28 as bounded by Bathurst Street
on the west, Dupont Street on the north, the Don Valley Parkway
on the east and Lake Ontario on the south, (but excluding areas
within this boundary that are subject to existing Secondary Plans).
DOWNTOWN TALL BUILDINGS: VISION AND
SUPPLEMENTATRY DESIGN GUIDLINES
As part of the 2012 approval, City Council directed that the
Downtown Guidelines be consolidated with the city-wide
Guidelines. The outcome of this consolidation is as follows:
• all Downtown tall building performance standards with
city-wide applicability have been integrated into the
updated city-wide Tall Building Design Guidelines;
• location-specific aspects of the Downtown Guidelines,
namely the Downtown Vision and the Tall Building
Typologies with all associated mapping and tables, as
well as all area- or site-specific performance standards
unique to the Downtown study area, remain as-adopted
by Council in a consolidated, companion guideline
renamed the "Downtown Tall Buildings: Vision and
Supplementary Design Guidelines;" and
• the city-wide Tall Buildings Design Guidelines will be
used together with the consolidated "Downtown Tall
Buildings: Vision and Supplementary Design Guidelines"
to evaluate all new and current tall building development
applications falling within the Downtown study area
boundary. Secondary Plan Areas within the Downtown
study area boundary continue to be excluded from the
Downtown Supplementary Design Guidelines.
As a result of this consolidation, the updated Tall Building Design
Guidelines contained herein establish a unified set of performance
measures for the evaluation of all tall building development
applications city-wide, including all areas within the Downtown.
The consolidated and renamed "Downtown Tall Buildings: Vision
and Supplementary Design Guidelines," is now a chapter within
the Council-approved District- or Area- Based Urban Design
Guidelines.
For convenience purposes, cross-references to the Downtown
Supplementary Design Guidelines are listed within the Related
Standards, Guidelines & Studies at the bottom of relevant sections
within these Guidelines and within a summary table in Appendix B.
ORGANIZATION OF THE GUIDELINES
The Tall Building Design Guidelines are organized into the
following sections:
Introduction
1.0 Site Context
2.0 Site Organization
3.0 Tall Building Design
4.0 Pedestrian Realm
Glossary; References; Submission Requirements;
and Appendices
Individual design guidelines with supporting illustrations, photos,
rationales, and related references, such as to Official Plan policies,
TGS performance measures, and the Downtown Tall Buildings
Supplementary Design Guidelines, are provided for each aspect
of tall building development identified within sections 1.0 through
4.0. These sections provide an easy to follow workbook, which
is concluded by a supporting framework of related Submission
Requirements to help lead applicants, City staff and others through
an effective tall building development review process.
INTRODUCTION | TALL BUILDING DESIGN GUIDELINES
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