The York University Secondary Plan was approved by the City of Toronto in 2009 to establish a detailed planning framework primarily for the four ‘edge precincts’ which surround the academic core of the University’s Keele Campus.

 

YUDC worked with the City of Toronto, representing the University’s interests, throughout the five years it took to update the Secondary Plan, which was first enacted in 1991. Anticipating the development impetus likely to be spurred by the completion of the Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension through the campus, York’s goal was to create a planning framework for smart, managed development and community-building on its lands.

 

The 2009 York University Secondary Plan envisions a ‘city-building’ process that will, over time, convert the vacant fields, underutilized parcels and parking lots that lie around the University’s academic core into new, mixed-use urban neighbourhoods. It provides a policy framework for the creation of ‘complete’ neighbourhoods capable of supporting up to 24,500 residents and 21,000 jobs on York’s lands around its academic core, at and around the new Pioneer Village and Finch West subway stations. School sites, community services, parkland and affordable housing are all essential neighbourhood elements which are required by the Plan as development unfolds within the four edge precincts.

 

After the Plan was approved, YUDC conducted a comprehensive consultation exercise for the York community to help shape the principles and goals that would guide the detailed planning and design for the future mixed-use neighbourhoods which we call the Lands for Learning. YUDC also successfully finalized terms with a private sector development partner and secured municipal approvals to deliver a new 800-bed student housing community called The Quad.