In advance of his impending departure in March of 2012, Gary Wright, Chief Planner and Executive Director for the City of Toronto, spoke to a group of Toronto’s leading real estate and land development professionals gathered at an intimate members-only event.

Attendees heard one of the City’s most preeminent planners talk about lessons learned and the state of the urban fabric of our City from the people that influence it every day. Drawing a rich institutional understanding based on 37 years with the City, Gary spoke openly about the places and spaces that he has helped shape.

Gary described Toronto’s distinctiveness in relation to other cities; “we’re no Vancouver, we don’t have the mountains and the ocean to look at, we have each other and we are economically oriented.” According to Gary, part of this uniqueness lies in the built fabric. He recalls the late 1970’s when the City introduced residential land uses in the financial district. This was highly controversial but has been hugely important in creating what is now Toronto’s downtown, mixed-use core. We have undergone and continue to experience an intense period of development in the downtown where there are currently a greater number of tall buildings under construction than in New York City, Chicago and Boston combined. Gary noted that this stage of growth is more about living than working.

New urban and pedestrian-oriented elements are being added that have a significant impact on how people experience the city, though are not always welcomed with open arms. ‘Scrambler’ intersections, for example, are a response to a high level of pedestrian traffic but are not always popular with drivers. Mixed-use avenues are being created although developers say they are not as economically attractive. New transportation initiatives in Toronto are being implemented including the Eglinton Crosstown LRT, sparking a debate about LRT versus subway investment.

Gary spoke about the current administration, pointing out that “it’s about cost reduction and customer service.” The possibility of a labour disruption means the planning office is going to have a difficult time processing development applications during these times.

During the Q&A period one attendee asked what he thought his legacy would be as chief planner of Toronto. Reflecting on the recent planning chiefs, Gary said that Paul Bedford was known for his visions for the city, Ted Tyndorf successfully pushed for the design review panel and that Gary himself was interested in relationship building. Each leader leaves a valuable legacy to the city and Gary is no exception.

Several weeks after the member’s event, Gary sat down for a discussion to further reflect on his time as Chief Planner and look forward to where he will direct his time and energy as he moves on.

What has kept you excited and passionate about planning throughout your career?
I love the city, it’s full of challenges, it’s intense and it keeps me motivated. I like the work, it’s a people oriented business which makes it entertaining. We’re fortunate that the city has seen a lot of development which means things stay interesting.

What are the most significant challenges that Toronto is currently facing in planning and design?
The biggest challenge is to do good work over a long period of time and to ensure one’s work is adaptable, sustainable and durable. It’s not about today, but how we want to see things 40 years from now. You have to find the right balance and this requires consistency and the determination to keep working away at a given project, because most are long-term. You have to look beyond the four-year council term because cities are forever. I won an award for the Lawrence-Allan Revitalization plan that is in front of council now and I hope it gets adopted. You need a lot of persistence in planning and it pays off, but you need the collaboration and support of your staff, the community and politicians. Toronto is a great city with a lot of ideas. When we do our job well we think of how we can incorporate these ideas.

Looking back, is there anything you would have done differently during your four-year tenure as Chief Planner?
I would have liked to have gotten out of the office more. It’s hard to make the time to get out and see things and to meet with staff, to reach out and touch base with people. I love having the chance to simply get out and walk around downtown. I also would have embraced more technology, but we’re getting there as we digitize the development application process. A lot of my successes have been luck, being in the right place at the right time and seizing the opportunity. I’ve also had to learn to accept risks and take some chances. I don’t regret anything that I’ve done, a bad decision is sometimes better than no decision at all.

What were the key moments and achievements?
I started out in community development in Toronto’s west end, and worked with a lot different groups and different needs and this got me in touch with the public side of things. From there on I’ve worked for the city for most of my career and this has given me a lot of skills and experience. When it comes to a key moment, one that comes to mind is when we launched a program review of the Division and instituted a new administrative model for the Committee of Adjustment and a refocus for parts of the Division.

In terms of specific projects, I can think of several notable pieces of work during my tenure. The Avenues & Mid-Rise Buildings Study has been a good achievement, as is the Lawrence-Allan Revitalization Project and Regent Park Revitalization Plan. These particular projects were especially interesting because they are public-private partnerships which is both challenging and rewarding.

I worked on the development of Yonge-Dundas Square which started in 1996, during the pre-amalgamation period. We had an idea and a vision of intense visual activity, an urban space like an outdoor living room and I think it has been a great success. In addition, the PATH Masterplan is currently underway and this is a very important amenity to move people from Union station. We physically need the PATH to move the flow of people. The downtown sidewalks are too narrow to support the volume of commuters that use the area. I’m also glad to be leaving the planning department in good financial shape, having managed to build it back up after the most recent recession through a series of cost saving measures.

Can Toronto compete on the world stage?
I think Toronto has really seen a great deal of evolution. We have the design review panels in order to ensure sophisticated design which high-quality cities need. Cities are where we solve problems. Sure we’re small on a global scale, but we need to think big, have good plans and execute them well. If you consider our Official Plan, 80% of Toronto development has gone to areas where the plan stipulated it should. I’ve been with the City a total of 37 years and in this one career I’ve seen so much change. In the 1970s we had a strong downtown population but we didn’t have the design elements that make the city what it is today. In Toronto we have something to be proud of.

What advice do you have for your successor?
Whoever takes the job next needs to make it their own. That said, I think of the job in terms of four key pillars of which you must always be mindful: politics; the development industry; people; and the future. The Department of Planning is a complex place and it shouldn’t be underestimated. Cities themselves are innately chaotic. We’re planners but things can just happen and you need to be prepared.

As an important leader in Toronto’s planning community, what do you think is essential to achieve a successful career in land development?
I really enjoy talking to students and young people in the early stages of their careers both in the public and private realms. In land development whether the path is public or private you need to realize that it’s only when both entities cooperate do we make it work properly. We all need to understand that we’re in this together working towards making Toronto a great city. We need to be respectful and responsive to new ideas. Overall, you really need to want to work with people.

What’s next for you?
I don’t have any definitive plans at this point but I have choices. I could continue to work in planning as a consultant or take an entirely different path. I need some time off to think and reflect. The intense schedule working as chief planner gets to you eventually. What I want is an extension of this life, but in a different way.
Tessa Forest
ULI Communications Committee
IBI Group

Adrienne Smith
ULI Communications Committee
Canderel