TorontoPlanning ApplicationsPlanning guidelines

Townhouse and Low-Rise Apartment Guidelines

Published by City of Toronto

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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

Overview

Townhouse and Low-Rise Apartment Guidelines is the City of Toronto's urban design guideline, dated January 2018, for townhouse, stacked and back-to-back townhouse, low-rise hybrid and low-rise apartment development. A main volume and a separate appendices file of case studies together run 78 pages. Chapters cover site context, building types, site organization, building design, pedestrian realm, demonstration plans, case studies and a glossary, and it applies alongside the City's other design guidelines in planning review.

What it covers

Introduction
Definitions
Key Issues and Objectives
Purpose of the Guidelines
How and Where the Guidelines Apply
Guiding Principles
1.0 Site Context
2.0 Building Types
Stacked Townhouse
Back-to-Back Townhouse
Low-Rise Hybrid Building
Low-Rise Apartment Building
3.0 Site Organization
4.0 Building Design
Fit and Transition
Facing Distances and Setbacks
Primary Entrances
Private Outdoor Amenity Space
5.0 Pedestrian Realm
Stormwater Management
6.0 Demonstration Plans
7.0 Case Studies
8.0 Glossary

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