Last week, we launched two substantial plans that will guide Toronto’s economic growth and cultural development in the coming years. The first plan is Sidewalks to Skylines: A 10-Year Action Plan for Toronto’s Economy. The other is Culture Connects: An Action Plan for Culture in Toronto. It was very exciting to unveil these plans after nearly two years of hard work by City staff, key stakeholders, and engaged residents.
We knew from the very start that we needed to make this plan responsive to the real, on-the-ground needs of both sectors. That’s why we convened two all-star teams of industry experts to guide our work: the Economic Advisory Panel and the Culture Advisory Panel. Thanks to their insights and the hard work of dedicated City staff, both plans outline concrete, specific actions the City will take over the next ten years to support the growth of our economy and our culture scene. The ultimate goal: a more prosperous, vibrant, and inclusive city for the three million residents who call Toronto home.
Now, let’s dive into the specifics of each plan and talk about how both will shape a better future for Toronto.
Sidewalks to Skylines: A 10-Year Action Plan for Toronto’s Economy
A strong economy means employment opportunities and economic prosperity for all Torontonians. To achieve that, we need to support business and industry at every level, from the international companies that set up in 50-storey office buildings to the mom-and-pop shops that exist on corners in every neighbourhood across the city. Sidewalks to Skylines does just that, and makes strategic commitments in three key areas:
1. Strong Main Streets
2. Quality Jobs
3. Global Competitiveness
Just think about how important these areas are. Strong main streets have a variety of shops, restaurants, services and experiences to bring our neighbourhoods to life. Quality jobs are essential to support the livelihoods of current and future of Torontonians. And we need an international edge to attract investment and talent from across the globe, creating more opportunities for good jobs and economic growth.
Commitments to these three areas are backed by 28 specific actions the City will take, often in collaboration with multiple stakeholders, to drive our economy forward. Those actions include everything from protecting small businesses from rising costs to fostering strong partnerships between industries and post-secondary institutions for strategic and inclusive workforce development.
This plan also acknowledges that we have to get the basics right first. If we want to build a bigger and better economy, we need a strong foundation. That’s why this plan begins with actions like tackling congestion, coordinating capital work, and building more affordable housing. It addresses the need to reduce barriers to economic inclusion for Black, Indigenous, and other equity-deserving Torontonians. Business leaders also stressed the need for Toronto to secure a long-term, sustainable intergovernmental funding deal and advance climate action to create the best environment possible for economic growth.
Of course, it’s not just one City division that will be undertaking this work. These commitments reflect the fact that all the challenges we face here in Toronto are interconnected. We need to make progress across the board to support economic growth and vibrancy for all.
The plan is laid out as a very engaging and efficient read. I invite you to take a look before it comes to Council in mid-November.
Culture Connects: An Action Plan for Culture in Toronto
The success of our arts and culture sector is strongly linked to the success of our local economy. The culture sector generated $8.4 billion in economic activity last year and employs 93,000 people. That’s an impressive number, but we know we can do more. Back in 2012, arts and culture generated $11.3 billion in GDP for the city. That’s the incredible thing about our culture sector—small, strategic investments can yield significant gains across the board.
Of course, arts and culture does so much more than just boost our economy. Culture brings people together, helps us learn about diverse experiences and perspectives, and builds a shared sense of community in a city that is home to folks from every corner of the globe. That deep, inherent value of culture to the fabric of our city sits at the heart of this plan, which divides work into four interconnected areas:
1. Culture Everywhere
2. Culture for All
3. Culture for the Future
4. Culture Beyond Our Borders
Many of you may know that the arts and culture sector was one of the hardest hit by the global pandemic, and it is still struggling to recover today. The pandemic changed audience patterns, availability of space, and even private sector funding due to economic challenges. Our incredible advisory panel of arts and culture leaders made it clear that this plan needs to take bold action to keep the arts and culture we still have alive, and then go on to encourage more.
Those four priorities aim to embed arts and culture into every neighbourhood in our city. One of the targets I’m most excited about is ensuring that every Torontonians will have access to at least one free cultural experience in their neighbourhood each month by 2035. Imagine what that will do to animate our neighbourhoods. The plan also outlines concrete steps to incubate a new generation of arts workers and audiences, build cultural infrastructure, and strengthen our cultural reputation by uplifting Toronto artists wherever possible.
All of this will require investment. For example, the City will invest in creative exchange programs to help boost Toronto’s international reputation. The stronger our reputation is, the more foreign investment we can secure, such as locating big-budget TV shows and movies at Toronto studios. With the limitless potential of the arts and culture sector, these investments will not only help us achieve the goals in the Culture Plan, they’ll help us hit goals in the Economic Plan as well.
This plan is another great read. I hope it inspires you to reconnect or become even more connected with arts and culture in our city. Whether you drop by a gallery, buy a theatre ticket, or stop by a local restaurant with live music playing, our arts and culture sector can’t thrive without you, the people of Toronto, supporting it.
Economy & Culture in Action
Together, these plans will make strategic investments that will create a more vibrant, inclusive, and prosperous Toronto for all. I think I can safely speak for everyone who worked on these plans when I say we created them with our city’s broader challenges in mind. There are some who think the resources attached to these plans would be better spent elsewhere, but I think we need to look at the bigger picture. A healthy economy and a healthy culture sector allow us to tackle the other challenges we face. The stronger our economy is, the more money we’ll have to dedicate to poverty reduction. The stronger our culture sector is, the more creative solutions we’ll find to tackling our housing crisis. The list goes on.
These two plans are incredible roadmaps. If we follow them with modest but sustained investment, we can foster an incredible quality of life here in Toronto and build a city that both current and future generations will be proud to call home.