Recognizing the Economic Role of Strip Plazas Through Sidewalks to Skylines - by Councillor Parthi Kandavel, seconded by Councillor Josh Matlow

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The decision

2026-05-20 · Toronto City Council · adopted

As filed

City Council on May 20 and 21, 2026, adopted the following: 1. City Council request the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture, in collaboration with City Planning and other relevant City divisions, to incorporate the findings and any emerging directions of the PlazaPOV Strip Plaza Study or related policy work, into the Sidewalks to Skylines Economic Action Plan, including future updates to its actions and

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work plans, and to report back by the end of the second quarter of 2027 on the outcomes of integrating the PlazaPOV findings into the Sidewalks to Skylines Economic Action Plan.

On the agenda

As the city filed it

The PlazaPOV study was launched to better understand the role strip plazas play as economic, social, and community hubs across Toronto's neighbourhoods, particularly in the inner suburbs. City Planning identified more than 400 strip plaza sites city-wide, with the majority located in Scarborough, and noted their important role in supporting small businesses, ethnic retail and services, food access, local employment, and culturally diverse communities.

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The study also highlighted redevelopment pressures facing many plazas, particularly near higher-order transit, and is intended to help inform future policy interventions, programs, and initiatives to support and improve their role in Toronto's economic and community landscape while helping mitigate displacement pressures. At the same time, Sidewalks to Skylines establishes a long-term framework for inclusive economic growth, neighbourhood vitality, entrepreneurship, and local economic resilience. As the City advances work on the future of plazas in suburban communities, there is an opportunity to ensure the insights and emerging directions from PlazaPOV help inform future economic development initiatives and strengthen recognition of the economic and community value these spaces provide, while supporting their appropriate adaptation and evolution over time. The following motion would identify opportunities for coordination between City Planning's PlazaPOV Strip Plaza Study and the City's 10-year economic action plan, Sidewalks to Skylines.

Staff recommended

Councillor Parthi Kandavel, seconded by Councillor Josh Matlow, recommends that: 1. City Council request the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture, in collaboration with City Planning and other relevant City divisions, to incorporate the findings and any emerging directions of the PlazaPOV Strip Plaza Study or related policy work, into the Sidewalks to Skylines Economic Action Plan, including future updates

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to its actions and work plans, and to report back by the end of the second quarter of 2027 on the outcomes of integrating the PlazaPOV findings into the Sidewalks to Skylines Economic Action Plan.

On the record

The item as the City filed it

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