Traffic, congestion, construction—every growing city faces these challenges on the path to progress. Downtown Toronto is no exception. As the fastest-growing city in North America, Toronto is evolving to meet the needs of today and tomorrow.
We sit down with Jason Thorne, Toronto’s new Chief City Planner, who is guiding the vision for our city’s future. Known for his creative, community-first approach, Jason brings experience from leading downtown revitalization in Hamilton and now oversees planning for Toronto’s rapid growth—including King West, the fastest-growing area in the city.
Jason describes growth as the clay for city building—it’s what we do with it that counts. In our conversation, he shares what makes a city beautiful and why that matters, how to balance growth with livable neighbourhoods, and why parks, public spaces, and good design are essential to civic pride and well-being. He also speaks to the importance of integrating heritage with new development and how thoughtful consultation shapes city planning.
Check out the latest episodes of Table 6ix, with new content being released every other Tuesday:
Listen now on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube.