Study Background
The Dupont corridor has been and continues to be under significant development pressure. The Annex Residents' Association (ARA), the Dupont BIA and other community associations began working on the problems and opportunities facing Dupont Street in October 2011. At a meeting with Councillors Vaughan and Layton, a working group of RAs along both sides of the CP rail line was formed to begin a 'visioning' study for the corridor. They got the support of Toronto City Council in December of 2013, when Council directed staff to undertake a study of the lands in the Dupont Street corridor in Wards 19 and 20. The study was to look at the following:
- Appropriate land uses
- Potential streetscape improvements
- Urban design and built form guidelines
- Transportation options
- The function and design of Dupont Street
- The impact of the rail corridor on potential development options
- And the possibility of utilizing a development permit system.
Following a strategic planning process formulated by ARA's Planning and Zoning committee (as it was called at the time) a team of architecture students from Ryerson University began initial work, focusing on the heritage and urban design issues. In the meantime, ARA’s Planning and Zoning Committee designed an inventory of all properties within the corridor. In the summer of 2012, members completed the inventory in the Annex portion of the Dupont corridor, and entered the data on to a Geographic Information System that allows for spatial analysis and mapping. The Planning team from Ryerson then completed the inventory along the Dupont strip from Avenue Road to Ossington Ave. The team also analyzed demographic changes using 2006 census data and traffic volume. All of this material was turned over to the City Planning team.
Study Results
The final report of the study was adopted by Council in August 2014. Subsequently some aspects of the study were appealed to the Ontario Municipal Board. In early 2017 the OMB issued two decisions approving. For more information on the study, please visit the City’s Dupont website.