What we do
How do you make the best use of one of North America’s largest and most valuable real estate portfolios? That’s the question we’re here to answer for the residents of Toronto.
By applying a strategic, city-wide lens to Toronto’s real estate holdings, CreateTO is unlocking the potential of City-owned lands to be activated for the public good.
Already, this work has identified significant savings and opportunities to improve the lives of Toronto residents. We have co-located City services and identified underutilized sites for the development of much-needed affordable housing. We have established imaginative partnerships and created new possibilities in the city’s most underserved neighbourhoods.
Today, we offer the City centralized real estate governance and oversight, streamlining strategic planning and decision-making for real estate matters. This allows us to see Toronto real estate as part of the answer to our city’s big social, economic, cultural and environmental challenges.
Our 10-Year Targets
- $2.5Bin unlocked land value
- 10,000affordable housing units
- $66Min annual cost savings
Shaping Toronto’s future through bold and impactful real estate solutions
By truly understanding what the City owns, manages and develops, we work with our City partners to offer creative and strategic approaches to solving some of our city’s most pressing issues, from building affordable homes and inclusive communities, to creating cultural and employment opportunities, driving economic prosperity, achieving our climate goals and increasing our collective quality of life.
The City owns an estimated $27 billion of real estate, including underutilized lands where the true value is unrealized. As an initial target, we are aiming to unlock ten per cent of this value, or $2.5 billion, within ten years of existence.
Our Strategic Plan 2023-2027
The City of Toronto’s real estate portfolio holds tremendous value, both financially and in its potential to be operated and activated for the public good. CreateTO was created in 2018 to put that value to use for our city, by applying a strategic, city-wide lens to Toronto’s real estate holdings.