Making a Sustainable City Happen: The Toronto Green Development Standard 2006
The following is an excerpt from the 2006 standard.

Toronto, like all built up areas, experiences the environmental impacts of urbanization.  These impacts include deterioration of air and water quality, and production of large volumes of solid waste. Toronto’s infrastructure is also under stress, and is challenged to meet the increasing energy and water demands of a growing population.

In June of this year, the City of Toronto released the report, Making a Sustainable City Happen: The Toronto Green Development Standard 2006.  This document proposes the adoption of enhanced targets for site and building design that address matters of sustainability. It proposes an integrated set of targets, principals and practices to guide the development of City-owned facilities, and to encourage green development amongst the private sector. The Toronto Green Development Standard was created from a review of City guidelines and targets, private rating systems such as Leadership in Energy and Design (LEED), and Green Globes, and the experiences of cities from around the world.  The Toronto Green Development Standard is proposed as a voluntary program, especially in the initial year of implementation, while further study and consultation is conducted.

Toronto’s population is expected to grow to three million residents by 2031.  Maintaining and improving the quality of life in the City requires the more efficient use of finite resources and protection against rising impacts on the environment.  The development of more sustainable buildings and sites could enable the use of less electricity and water, more use of modes of transportation that do not burn fossil fuels, management of storm water in a way that promotes better water quality, less waste production and creation of green spaces that are aesthetic, and provide habitat for local fauna. A green development standard would identify the criteria for development that fulfils these objectives.   

The complete report is available from the City’s website at:
http://www.toronto.ca/environment/greendevelopment.htm