Looking back on the evolution of condominiums in North American cities, especially in Toronto, it is fascinating to see how social, legislative, technical, and economic factors have spurred their development and what the future holds for this type of housing.
Condos are likely to remain a major residential force in Ontario. Between 2010 and 2018, 165,828 condo units were finished, and from 2002 to 2018, 186,000 condo units were registered, accounting for 72 per cent of the city’s growth. By 2020, condos became the preferred way to accommodate Toronto’s burgeoning population. More recent data from Urbanation found that almost 32,000 condo units were set for completion in the Greater Toronto Area in 2023.
But the condo culture shifted dramatically long before that. In 1991, a court ruling cited adult-only buildings as unconstitutional under Canada’s Human Rights Code. Once the go-to for seniors and empty-nesters, condominiums then became available to all segments of the marketplace, from professional singles to families. As people got busier, the appeal of having major maintenance handled for them through a condominium corporation was enormous, and still is to this day.
Another situation that contributed to the condo craze was Ontario’s protection of the Greenbelt and other sensitive areas. This essentially cut down on the available land for development. The answer was to build up instead of out—and intensification, especially in Toronto, became the target. Developers were encouraged to build condominiums in urban locations close to amenities and public transit, and they have done just that.
Today, the question is, how can we possibly increase supply and make housing within reach of the average Canadian? Explosive immigration has spawned demand for all housing, which, in turn, has caused prices to skyrocket. Of course, the pandemic and the supply chain problems it brought added complexities to that situation.
One approach is to study the past, especially where government intervention and cooperation with the private sector have been involved. For example, wartime houses were a staple in Canada during the 1940s. It was announced in December 2023 that the federal government is reviving a Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation program to provide standardized housing blueprints to builders. Although this is not an overarching solution, some of it may work and, frankly, the experimentation process is necessary. It’s a step in how the public and private sectors can actively work together.
While improvements in construction technology, metallurgy and resource management have helped developers to build high-rises at more feasible costs, the design process could be more closely considered. Over the past few years, condominiums have allowed many buyers to enter homeownership, but this trend has also brought challenges for residents. To name a few, there may be a lack of areas where children can play, some balconies may be unusable because of high winds, and high-rises that are clustered along the street can limit the sunlight that gets through.
Amid all of this, consumer preferences in housing have evolved as well. Today’s buyers are quite different from those who purchased condos decades ago. As we go forward, we need more research on how intensification affects infrastructure and services, how people use spaces, as well as post-occupancy assessments to guide policies for future design. Sustainability is another major consideration, as buyers are more educated than ever before on the topic of carbon footprints. Climate change and new laws pertaining to it will take their place in future design.
Multi-residential living has changed dramatically over the years, dating back to the ancient Roman insula, large apartment buildings where the lower and middle classes of Romans lived, some with 200 stairs. Centuries later the first condos in Toronto were built in the 1960s. Over the coming years, condos will continue to evolve—to satisfy changing needs, laws and preferences, and the industry will need to adapt to meet the inevitable challenges and opportunities.
Nick Ainis is the author of “Building Toronto’s Skyline: Toronto Condominiums Through the Decades.” From the precursors to condos such as boarding houses and apartment buildings, through to the explosive demand for condos in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, the book presents an exploration of what makes a condo a condo in Canada, the pros and cons of this type of housing, as well as the future of what condos might become.
Nick is also the Founder & CEO of Fusioncorp Developments, a boutique construction management company and general contracting organization specializing in multi-unit residential condominiums.
Feature photo by James Wheeler
