Toronto is holding public consultations on Major Transit Station Areas (MTSAs) and we need your help. After more than 3 years of waiting, the Ontario Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing approved Official Plan Amendments for 120 Major Transit Station Areas in Toronto. The MTSAs will allow for a significant increase in transit oriented development in the city - some new high-rises but also low-rise and mid-rise apartments off of main arterials. This is one of the most important changes to housing policy in Toronto in the past decade. These final steps should be a simple implementation of the approved Official Plan policies but, given the high stakes, it could still use a push over the finish line.
What is an MTSA?
In 2019, the Province of Ontario introduced the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe. This required cities in Greater Golden Horseshoe, including the City of Toronto, to prepare plans to allow for increased growth and population density around subway, light rail, and GO stations. These areas are collectively known as Major Transit Station Areas. Each municipality was required to submit plans for increased density around their MTSAs for approval by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing by 2022. The plans were required to meet minimum density targets depending on the type of transit station.
The City of Toronto approved Official Plan Amendments for 134 MTSAs and submitted them to the Ministry for approval, and is drafting another 9 for future transit stations. In August 2025, the Minister approved 120 of the MTSA plans. Importantly though, the Minister also revised the plans to include higher densities than what Toronto had originally proposed, using a set of rules based on distance and current land use.
The MTSAs will allow significant density, up to 30 storeys in Mixed Use and Apartment Neighbourhood areas immediately surrounding transit stations. But they are not just about towers. They will also allow a wider range of missing middle and midrise housing within several hundred metres of the stations, including in the low-rise Neighbourhoods, the so-called “Yellow Belt” which has long been prevented from growing. For those interested in the gritty details of the MTSA policies, they can be found on the City of Toronto’s website.
It’s a bit complicated but there are definitely more housing options here
What’s Left for Toronto to Do?
Toronto has to pass the zoning rules to implement the policies described in the Official Plan Amendments. If they do this within a year, as the mayor plans, the zoning will not be appealable and more as-of-right housing permissions will be available in major transit station areas. If the zoning is not passed within a year, it will be delayed until after the municipal election and possibly until the new Council gets up-to-speed and through their first budget, well into 2027.
As part of this process, City Planning is required to hold public consultations. At these meetings, you can learn more about the changes in your specific area and ask questions. Importantly, you can express your support for new housing options near transit, and ask that these changes pass Council before the 1-year deadline in August 2026.
How Can You Help?
You don’t need to read any background or have any special knowledge to attend the City Planning consultations. They are for learning and asking questions, so you just need to show up to one of the virtual or in-person options between January 21 to February 9, which you can find under the Meetings & Events tab on the City page or at the links below. We expect these changes to get pushback from some residents, so stating the reasons that more housing options near transit matter to you is helpful. Virtual town halls don’t always get to every speaker but you can leave questions and supportive comments in the Q&A and staff will note them down.
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Virtual city-wide town hall, Jan 21, 6:30-8:30 pm (City Registration link)
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In-person Toronto and East York Open House, Jan 27, 6-7:30 pm, West End Alternative School, 777 Bloor St W (add to your Google calendar)
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In-person Etobicoke-York Open House, Jan 29, 6-7:30 pm, Etobicoke Collegiate Institute, 86 Montgomery Rd (add to your Google calendar)
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North York Open House, Feb 3, 6-7:30 pm, North York Memorial Community Hall, 5110 Yonge St. (add to your Google calendar)
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Scarborough Open House, Feb 9, 6-7:30 pm, Scarborough Civic Centre, 150 Borough Dr. (add to your Google calendar)
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In-person city-wide town hall, Feb 12, 6:30 -8:30 pm, City Hall Council Chambers, 100 Queen St. W (add to your Google calendar)
If you spot a volunteer in a More Neighbours shirt at one of the in-person events, feel free to say hello. We will be collecting an informal group to grab food and chat afterward.