More than Letter Swaps: how to shift from TODs to TOCs? By Scaling Down
Transit Oriented Developments (TOD) were initially introduced to optimize land use around transit nodes, creating a model for transportation and land use integration. These developments are situated near higher-order transit, with streets mainly lined with mid-rise and high-rise buildings. They offer a mix of uses, public spaces, and amenities, undoubtedly aiding the shift away from […]
The Story of Rental Apartments in Toronto
The ongoing discourse around rental housing, propelled by a chorus of professional experts, policymakers, and advocates, happens in response to past choices, from rent control measures to the imperative of rental replacement, the risk-averse structure construction is financed today, and of course, the recent announcement by the federal government of GST rebate for new purpose-built […]
Due Diligence and Acquisition Checklist
Success in real estate acquisition starts with thorough preparation. Our Due Diligence & Acquisition Checklist, meticulously crafted to address the specific considerations of reviewing development sites. Our checklist covers environmental, zoning, and historical considerations that impact the development potential of the site. Sounds like a great tool? It is! Download it here: Here are […]
Infill Opportunities in Affordable Housing
Are you a Not-for-Profit Housing Provider? Do you currently own a site? I look forward to exploring opportunities together. Fill this form and we will get in touch Get the Deck!
Our Urban Design Roundtables
Urban Design Roundtable Series Winter Cities: Planning & Design Embrace the magic of winter and discover the secrets to creating vibrant, functional, and beautiful winter cities. We will cover key principles and innovative strategies for making cities come alive during the colder months, learning from 3 other (colder) Canadian cities: Montreal, Winnipeg, Edmonton. Our expert […]
Our Webinars
Our Next Webinar Is PAC the new Rezoning? Dec 19, 2023 11 a.m. EST Map showing current Community Planning Development Applications in Toronto. Image courtesy: Ratio.City A major shift happened in the Pre-Application Consultation process (PAC). What used to be an optional stage in the approval process has now become a mandatory requirement. This change […]
OPPI Adaptation Transformation
Hey, are you attending the OPPI Conference in Ottawa? I look forward to showing you the city I love and fortunate to call ‘home’. You can catch me at room 211 on September 20, 2023 where I will present our Scaling Down Approach: A People-First Tall Neighbourhood Case Study Get the Deck!
When street retail can’t work, bring back the Plaza
Introducing Car-free, Community-Oriented Commercial Spaces at the heart of Transit-Oriented Neighbourhoods. Client: Private OwnerLocation: Waterloo RegionScale: BlockSize: ~1.5 M SFTransit: 250m from a new LRT stopProject Duration: 2022- At Smart Density we tackle the dominant issue of housing affordability with the provably most sustainable strategy, that benefits everyone: creating well-designed, human scale, pedestrian-friendly, high-density developments […]
Urban Future
Hey, are you attending the Urban Future conference in Stuttgart, Germany? I look forward to showing you 3 case studies from Toronto, the city I love and fortunate to call ‘home’. You can catch me on June 21st at 2 p.m. at “Redevelopments: Get Inspired from top-of-the-class projects” Get my Deck! If we haven’t yet […]
Observations from Warsaw
Observations from Warsaw Not a typical European city Warsaw is not a typical European city. The city was almost fully demolished in 1944 by the Germans to destroy the Polish national identity. The Poles put enormous effort into rebuilding their capital, but because of limited resources and a different vision of urban design, only the […]