In this episode of the Real Estate Development Insights Podcast, Richard Witt, Global Head of Housing at BDP Quadrangle, discusses Mid-rise housing,  Toronto and the GTA’s housing trajectory, comparing global approaches and emphasizing housing as a commoditized product shaped by culture, human scale, and social interaction. He argues Toronto’s recent decade was distorted by speculation and investor-driven condo product, and says the city needs a broader mix—workforce, student, seniors, family, and end-user housing. Reflecting on Toronto’s 2007–08 midrise guidelines, he explains how outdated zoning, lack of density caps, required site-specific zoning bylaw amendments, and lengthy approvals fueled land speculation and slowed delivery. Whitt advises prioritizing certainty and speed, better subsurface information, and more pragmatic approaches to trees and heritage. He also explores modern methods of construction, including mass timber and prefabrication, citing 80 Atlantic’s quiet, fast installation and urging system-based, repeatable midrise strategies.

• How does Toronto compare to Global Cities?
• Speculation and Housing Needs
• Midrise Guidelines Origins
• Avenues and Built Form Rules
• No Density Cap Problems
• Zoning Amendments Slowdown
• Toronto’s Patchwork Streets
• Incentives Over Penalties
• Midrise Developer Pitfalls
• Systems First Construction
• Modern Methods Explained
• Mass Timber Lessons