TorontoPlanning ApplicationsPlanning guidelines

Mid-Rise Building Design Guidelines

Published by City of Toronto

This is the City of Toronto’s document, as published on its website on 20 October 2026. The municipality may have changed it since: check the current version at the source. Legal notice

Type: Guide
Published by: City of Toronto
Date: 2024 Draft
For: designer
Building types: All building types
Pages: 113

Overview

Mid-Rise Building Design Guidelines, a 113-page City of Toronto document marked 2024 Draft on its cover. It covers the evolution and definition of mid-rise buildings and sets out guidance in sections on site context, site organization, mid-rise building design (height, street proportion and front facade, rear transition, side yard setbacks, building width, balconies, roofs, materials, facade articulation) and the pedestrian realm, with a glossary and sample sun and shadow studies. It is read alongside Toronto's Tall Building Design Guidelines and Mid-Rise Building Performance Standards.

What it covers

Introduction
Evolution of Mid-Rise Buildings in Toronto
Defining Mid-Rise Buildings
Purpose of the Guidelines
Guiding Principles
Site Context
Context Analysis
Cultural Heritage
Site Typology Analysis
Sunlight, Wind, and Comfort
Site Organization
Building Placement and Address
Publicly Accessible Open Spaces
Public Art
Mid-Rise Building Design
Mid-Rise Building Height
Street Proportion and Front Façade
Rear Transition
Side Yard Setbacks
Building Width
Ground Floor Height
Balconies and Projections
Roofs and Roofscapes
Exterior Building Materials
Façade Design & Articulation
Pedestrian Realm
Sidewalk Zones
Streetscapes
Glossary
Sample / Shadow Studies

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