United for Smart Sustainable Cities
Summary
Toronto is Canada’s largest city and continues to grow at a staggering rate (City Planning Division, 1).
In January 2018, the city earned the unique title of having the highest crane count in Rider Levett
Bucknall’s crane index (RBL, 3), an indicator of high-rise construction activity in North American cities.
This rapid growth comes with opportunities and challenges. Economic growth exerts more pressure
on Toronto’s already constrained electricity grid (Central Toronto Area Integrated Regional Resource
Plan, 1) and makes it harder to reduce total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions; however, it also provides
Toronto with the scale and resources to invest in transformative strategies.
The Economist has highlighted Toronto as one of the ten most liveable cities in the world (The Economist
Intelligence Unit, 10). To maintain its competitiveness, the city has embraced city building policies that
will position Toronto at the forefront of macro energy trends: decarbonisation, decentralisation, and
digitisation. Addressing climate change is a key priority for the city, and its climate change action plan,
titled ‘TransformTO’, envisions ‘a city that has achieved a low-carbon future while enhancing [its] local
economy, reducing inequalities, and improving public health’ (Scioli, 11).
Through TransformTO, the city has committed to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 65 per
cent by 2030 and by 80 per cent by 2050 compared with 1990 levels (Scioli, 16). Since the 60 per cent
of GHG emissions in Toronto is generated by buildings (The Atmospheric Fund, 7), the city has identified
thermal energy networks as a critical strategy to meet its goals (Scioli, 32).
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