Future-Ready Design Guide Lecture: The Context of Housing and the Future of the Greater Golden Horseshoe

Join us for our first lecture on the Future-Ready Design Guide, a new resource developed by the Toronto Society of Architects (TSA) and funded by The Atmospheric Fund (TAF) to support practices designing for the Greater Golden Horseshoe’s current and future residential needs.

The housing we design today must meet the demands of tomorrow. The Greater Golden Horseshoe (GGH), a massive region that includes the Greater Toronto Area and surrounding municipalities, is facing profound and complex shifts—including population and demographic changes, an evolving electrical grid, and the escalating impacts of climate change and infrastructure demands. Understanding these changes are key to ensuring that the multi-unit residential buildings (MURBs) we design today remain resilient, efficient, and relevant in the years to come. 

This is the first in a three-part lecture series that delves into key insights, principles and strategies for designing future-ready MURBs. In this session, foundational knowledge about the underlying context behind housing design in the GGH—now and in the future—will be covered, including:

• Population growth and demographics
• Housing economics
• Energy and infrastructure
• Climate change
• Hydrology and water infrastructure
• Ecology and biodiversity
• Building regulations and performance standards

OAA MEMBERS: This lecture is eligible for 1 OAA Structured Learning Hour and meets the OAA criteria for mandatory structured learning hours focused on Climate Action as part of the 2024-2026 Continuing Education cycle. When registering, please include your full name as registered with the OAA to ensure your certificate of participation is credited properly. Please also include an email address you check frequently to ensure you receive our certificate in a timely manner.

Above Image: Land surface temperatures in the GTA. Contains information made available under the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA)’s Open Data Licence v 1.0.