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Retail Design Manual

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: Dec 2019
Also called: The Retail Design Manual
For: designer
Building types: All building types
Pages: 56

Overview

Retail Design Manual, a 56-page City of Toronto best practices manual dated December 2019, produced by City Planning with Economic Development and Transportation Services. It gives guidance on ground floor retail for developers, architects, designers, City staff and property managers. Its sections cover the building (massing, materials, canopies, storefront width to depth, ceiling heights), the street and retail frontage (sidewalk interface, entrances, display windows, signage) and the retail space, with principles, glossary and images cited. It is read with Toronto's built-form guidelines.

What it covers

Introduction
The Building
Building Massing and Geometry
Material Differentiation
Canopies, Overhangs and Awnings
Storefront Width to Store Depth
Ceiling Heights
The Street & Retail Frontage
Sidewalk Interface
Hierarchy of Retail Frontages
Contiguous Retail Frontage
Entrances
Display Windows
Identity, Branding and Signage
The Retail Space
Lighting
Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing
Shipping, Receiving and Loading
Columns
Appendices
Principles for Successful Retail Development
Retail Design Terms and Glossary
Images Cited

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