Full Jamie Atkinson for Mayor Platform

This page includes the full platform text extracted from the uploaded documents and organized for the rebuilt website. It is structured so voters, volunteers, media and policy readers can explore the platform in one place.

Table of Contents

Executive Summary

Master Index of Campaign Policies & Ideas 2.1 Governance & Accountability 2.2 Infrastructure, Energy & Climate Resilience 2.3 Innovation & Economy 2.4 Housing & Affordability 2.5 Transit & Mobility 2.6 Public Safety & Well-Being 2.7 Community & Cultural Narrative

Division of the Arts – The Engine of Execution – What the Division of the Arts Does – How It Works Inside City Hall – Why It Matters – The Cultural Layer — A City Built by Artists

The Full-Stack AI City Blueprint

Flagship Initiatives – Programs for a Smarter, Greener, Fairer Toronto

First 100 Days Plan

Four-Year Implementation Plan

Governance & Continuous Oversight Framework

Conclusion – Why Toronto Wins

Executive Summary

Toronto’s 2030 Vision is a detailed, ambitious roadmap to transform our city into a full-stack intelligent city that leverages technology and abundant clean energy to deliver safer streets, lower living costs, and better services for all residents. Our platform is built on integrating state-of-the-art innovation (AI, data, and digital tools) with Toronto’s core municipal priorities – affordability, public safety, housing, transit, climate resilience, and good governance – all approached through a people-first lens, not technology for technology’s sake.

Key features of the platform include

Energy Abundance & Electrification: To provide the foundation for a liveable and affordable future, Toronto will ensure an ample supply of clean, low-cost electricity to power every aspect of city life. This means working with Ontario and Canada to secure approximately 121 GW of electricity capacity over the long term – in line with national plans to double Canada’s electricity capacity from ~150 GW today to nearly 300 GW by 2050. Abundant clean power will drive down household energy bills (especially benefiting renters), support electrified transit and heating, and enable us to maintain affordable transit fares while fairly compensating transit, electrical, and infrastructure workers who are vital to our city’s success.

Harnessing Toronto’s Natural Advantages – “The New Gold is Ice”: We will leverage our cold climate, deep water, and clean energy grid to run cutting-edge technology more cheaply and sustainably than any other city. By cooling data centres with Lake Ontario’s water and capturing their waste heat for buildings and sidewalks, we lower costs and emissions, using Toronto’s geography to advantage. This unique synergy between technology and climate – coupled with Ontario’s 92% emissions-free grid – allows us to deliver next-generation services without raising costs to residents.

Full-Stack AI City & the Division of the Arts: We will build a “full-stack” AI platform for the city – from smart infrastructure to digital services – managed by a new municipal division called the Division of the Arts. the Division of the Arts will ensure that advanced technology is applied cohesively across City departments, coordinating infrastructure, services, and governance to break down silos. It will oversee the rollout of city-operated computing facilities, a civic cloud, and Marbles Cognitive OS – an integrated urban operating system that helps city staff plan, simulate, and execute policies. All AI systems will be governed by continuous oversight (an “always-on” digital watchdog) to ensure they remain fair, transparent, and under human control.

Cleaner, Safer Streets & Climate Resilience: Through smart innovations, we will directly improve neighbourhood safety and cleanliness while adapting to climate change. Heated sidewalks and bus stops will eliminate winter ice and reduce hazardous falls, while automated micro-sweepers keep our streets and parks tidy year-round. Adaptive traffic lights and other smart infrastructure will cut congestion (with potential 20-30% shorter travel times) and tailpipe pollution. These measures supplement our workforce, allowing City crews to focus on complex tasks and emergencies, while reducing accidents and keeping Toronto resilient in the face of harsher winters and heavier storms.

Affordable & Liveable City: We will tackle the cost-of-living crisis head-on by focusing on housing, transit, and energy affordability – the big expenses facing Toronto households. We will fast-track 285,000 new homes by 2031 (including affordable housing) through policy reforms and smart permitting, to increase supply and drive down costs. We’ll freeze TTC fares in Year 1 and restore service to pre-2020 levels, so transit is accessible for all. At the same time, we will leverage clean energy and efficient design to help cut recurring expenses: from lower heating bills with energy-efficient homes, to cheaper commutes thanks to electrified public transport and stable electricity prices. The result is a more liveable Toronto where everyday costs are more manageable for families and renters.

Innovation & Economy for All: We will establish Toronto as the world’s AI capital and a global hub of sustainable innovation, seizing leadership in the new economy while ensuring everyone benefits. Our plan invests in people: we will upskill 50,000+ Torontonians in digital and green economy skills, and support innovation and entrepreneurship (like through a city-run AI compute hub that gives local startups and researchers affordable access to world-class computing). We will welcome new high-quality jobs in clean energy and technology, and leverage Toronto’s existing strengths in research, finance, and culture to diversify our economy. By insisting on inclusivity and ethical tech, we will protect digital rights and ensure that technological progress uplifts every Torontonian rather than leaving anyone behind.

Communications & Civic Pride: We believe in bringing the city together around a shared story of progress. Toronto has always been a city of creativity, so we will embrace our identity as “Movie City” to drive engagement and pride – for example, using creative short videos and mini-films on social media to celebrate neighbourhood successes and involve residents in the journey. (Imagine “Toronto Through Your Eyes” – community stories, vibrant TikToks and reels about our new heated sidewalks or a day in the life of a TTC driver.) By continuously communicating with and inspiring residents, we ensure each community sees itself in this vision and feels ownership of Toronto’s transformation.

An Inclusive, Energetic Roadmap: Our plan is about turning big ideas into concrete outcomes, with the Division of the Arts ensuring every piece fits together. We’ll start fast – delivering quick wins in our first 100 days – and sustain momentum over a four-year term to make these changes citywide. We will partner across all levels of government to achieve our aims, including securing abundant clean power and high-speed connectivity to Ottawa and Montréal. Underpinning everything is our commitment to continuous oversight and broad public input, because a smarter city must also be a more democratic one.

By 2030, Toronto will be safer, greener, and more affordable, powered by clean energy and advanced technology, and guided by an ethos of fairness and aspiration. Our vision ensures that Toronto remains a world-leading, innovative city – one that harnesses intelligence and infrastructure to improve lives and champion opportunity for every resident.

Master Index of Campaign Policies & Ideas

2.1 Governance & Accountability: Continuous oversight, transparent finances, and a fair deal for Toronto.

Continuous Digital Oversight: Implement always-on monitoring of AI systems and digital tools in city operations. Through a public AI registry and independent AI Ethics Board, ensure all algorithms are transparent, fair, free of bias, and subject to human oversight.

Open Government & Civic Trust: Hold regular town halls and publish real-time dashboards for budgets, service performance, climate progress, and energy data, so residents can see how their city is running and have a voice in setting priorities. Explore participatory budgeting and citizen panels to co-create solutions and deepen accountability.

A Sustainable Financial Future: Address Toronto’s structural budget challenges with smart, balanced measures. Keep property taxes frozen in Year 1, pursue new revenue (like a share of federal/provincial taxes reflecting Toronto’s economic contribution), and drive efficiencies through technology (e.g., predictive maintenance to prevent costly breakdowns). This strategy avoids burdening residents while securing stable finances to invest in services and fair wages for City workers.

2.2 Infrastructure, Energy & Climate Resilience: Modernising our city’s physical foundations with an eye to climate and powering the future.

Securing Abundant Clean Energy & Grid Capacity: Work with Ontario and Canada to ensure Toronto’s future energy needs are met by clean, affordable electricity. We will plan for roughly 121 GW of electricity capacity by mid-century – the level required to power a fully electrified, AI-enabled, transit-intensive Toronto – as part of Canada’s push to double national electricity capacity to nearly 300 GW by 2050. This means pressing for Toronto’s fair share of new generation and grid upgrades, in close partnership with Ontario’s energy providers like OPG (Ontario Power Generation). Abundant power will lower utility bills, charge electric vehicles and transit cheaply, and unlock growth in new industries without straining the grid. It also provides the stability to pay transit, electrical, and infrastructure workers well, and keep critical services reliable.

Full-Stack AI Infrastructure: Develop local civic data hubs (city-owned mini data centres cooled by Lake Ontario’s water) integrated with Toronto’s energy systems. These hubs, managed by the Division of the Arts, will provide powerful computing for City operations and community use, while returning heat to the district heating network to warm buildings and sidewalks. This positions Toronto as a centre of sustainable computing and ensures that our critical digital infrastructure is both under local control and energy-efficient.

Smart District Energy: Expand and modernise district heating and cooling networks, capturing low-carbon heat from diverse sources (like data centres, wastewater, even exploring small modular reactors or geothermal projects) to warm buildings and public spaces. By turning waste heat into a resource, we cut emissions, reduce energy costs, and make developments more sustainable.

Resilient Utilities & Microgrids: Upgrade city utilities (power, water, telecoms) with smart monitoring and microgrids for resilience. This means more sensors on water pipes to predict and prevent bursts, and localised electricity grids (with storage and backup power) so that if one part of the city’s main grid goes down, communities can keep essential services running. We’ll ensure community centres have backup power as cooling/warming hubs during extreme heat or cold. Working closely with Toronto Hydro, we’ll plan for the electrification of transit and buildings so our grid stays reliable even as demand grows, aligning with provincial efforts to boost capacity.

2.3 Innovation & Economy: Empowering Toronto’s talent and businesses to thrive in the new economy, fuelled by knowledge and clean energy.

Local AI & Green Tech Ecosystem: Launch an “Intellectual Lifeboat” initiative to future-proof our workforce and business community. This multi-faceted programme will provide retraining for workers (including in the trades, tech, and engineering) to fill the thousands of new jobs in green energy, tech, and construction. We’ll integrate AI into public services to make government more efficient and partner with local startups through “civic sandbox” programmes, offering them access to our city-run AI computing platform and data (under strict privacy rules) to develop solutions for Toronto’s needs.

Data Sovereignty & Digital Rights: Ensure Torontonians control their digital assets and benefit from their own data. We’ll pursue open data policies, user data portability, and support Canadian-made platforms. This prevents “intellectual evictions” – where residents or businesses lose access to data or tools due to remote corporate decisions – and secures our community’s long-term digital prosperity. We will also work to keep more digital value creation local: supporting content creators, app developers, and innovators so they can own their creations and businesses here in Toronto.

Strategic R&D & Economic Partnerships: Use Toronto’s standing as a tech hub to solve city challenges and grow future industries. We will set up innovation hubs in partnership with universities and the private sector focused on key challenges like climate adaptation (flood prevention, energy storage, low-carbon materials) and city services (like waste reduction, healthcare tech, advanced manufacturing). We’ll leverage our clean electricity advantage and world-leading AI talent to attract new investments (like EV manufacturing, biotech, film and digital media) and to maintain our edge as Canada’s economic engine in both traditional and emerging sectors.

2.4 Housing & Affordability: A comprehensive push to build more homes, lower living costs, and keep Toronto accessible for all.

Housing Acceleration: On Day 1 we will declare Toronto’s Housing Emergency to mobilise all available resources for housing production. We will streamline approvals and red tape to expedite the construction of new housing, aiming to meet or beat the target of 285,000 new homes by 2031 (including tens of thousands of affordable and non-profit homes). Strategies include pre-approved zoning for multiplexes in low-rise neighbourhoods (the “missing middle”), and an AI-enhanced permitting system (FastLane) to cut processing times significantly so projects, from laneway suites to apartment towers, get underway faster. We’ll also coordinate with skilled trades, labour unions, and educational institutions to ensure we have the workforce needed to actually build these homes.

Affordable Living & Utilities: We recognise that it’s not just rent or mortgages, but also monthly bills that make living in Toronto expensive. Our plan attacks these costs: connecting more buildings (especially affordable housing and multi-residential buildings) to low-carbon district energy systems can reduce heating bills by 10–20%1, and broader electrification can protect residents from volatile natural gas prices. By ensuring a surplus of clean electricity, we aim to maintain stable or lower electricity rates, directly benefiting renters and homeowners alike. The City will also continue to champion policies that protect renters – from expanding rent supplements and eviction prevention programmes, to supporting the creation of new purpose-built rental housing to increase supply.

Property Tax Fairness: Toronto will manage its finances to avoid undue pressure on residents. In addition to the Year 1 tax freeze, we will explore measures to keep property taxes predictable and equitable, including targeted relief for seniors and those on fixed incomes. New revenue tools (like a progressive vacant home tax or revenue-sharing from economic growth) will be considered to fund services without overburdening residents. The efficiencies and cost savings realised through technology and energy management (e.g., millions saved via energy-efficient buildings and operations) will be reinvested into maintaining public services and reducing long-term costs.

2.5 Transit & Mobility: Making Toronto’s transportation network more affordable, reliable, and prepared for the future.

Restoring & Expanding Transit: We will freeze TTC fares in Year 1 and work to keep transit fares affordable thereafter, recognising public transit as a critical service for equity. Using the City’s improved finances and partnerships, we’ll avoid cuts and instead restore pre-2020 service levels on buses, streetcars, and subways to reduce crowding and wait times. We will also invest in electrifying buses and expanding charging infrastructure, leveraging Toronto’s clean power supply to transition the TTC bus fleet to zero-emissions. Lower fuel and maintenance costs from electrification will help reduce operating expenses, supporting both fare affordability and the ability to fairly compensate our transit workforce for the indispensable service they provide.

Smart Traffic & Street Safety: Citywide rollout of advanced smart traffic management systems that adapt signals to live conditions, supported by 5G connectivity. By optimising green lights and traffic flows, we expect to cut congestion and travel times by up to 20–30%, reducing commuter stress and tailpipe emissions. We will also expand Vision Zero initiatives, like data-driven redesign of dangerous intersections, more automated speed enforcement in school zones, and better pedestrian and cycling infrastructure, aiming for continuous declines in traffic injuries and fatalities. Intelligent systems will complement human efforts – for example, by predicting collision hotspots so proactive safety measures can be taken – but all decisions will remain guided by community input and expert oversight.

Regional Connectivity & High-Speed Mobility: We will work with provincial and federal partners to link Toronto to broader high-speed transit networks that enhance trade and travel. This includes fully supporting and facilitating the proposed high-speed rail corridor connecting Toronto to Ottawa and Montreal – envisioning Union Station as a central hub in a revitalised Toronto–Québec corridor that accelerates both passenger travel and the movement of goods. By early 2030s, Torontonians and visitors should enjoy rapid train journeys to and from Montréal and other major cities, strengthening economic ties between Ontario and Québec and reducing our reliance on short-haul flights. Locally, we will coordinate Toronto’s transit planning (like the Ontario Line and regional GO Expansion) with these developments so every neighbourhood can benefit from improved connections and high-speed trade opportunities.

2.6 Public Safety & Well-Being: Building a healthier, safer, and more caring city through integrated services and proactive measures.

24/7 Community Crisis Response & Safe Neighbourhoods: Expand mental health crisis teams to operate 24/7 citywide, so that specialized health workers can respond to mental health emergencies at any hour, reducing the burden on police and improving outcomes for vulnerable residents. We’ll increase community policing initiatives, such as neighbourhood foot patrols and youth engagement programmes, to build trust and deter crime before it happens. Investments in lighting, recreation, and community spaces – guided by data on where they are most needed – will complement enforcement by addressing root causes of insecurity.

Public Health & Emergency Preparedness: Use AI-driven tools to better track and respond to public health trends. For example, real-time analytics can help detect spikes in overdoses or infectious diseases, enabling faster, targeted responses by health services. We will also implement improved emergency warning systems (for extreme weather, floods, etc.) with multi-channel alerts and ensure robust backup power for key community facilities (linking to our microgrid strategy under Infrastructure & Resilience). By integrating data across health, emergency services, and community networks (via the Division of the Arts’s platform), we ensure a coordinated response to crises with no one left behind.

2.7 Community & Cultural Narrative: Engaging Torontonians in our shared future and forging a strong civic identity.

Storytelling & Civic Pride: We will regularly highlight the human side of our city’s transformation through innovative storytelling. Leveraging Toronto’s arts and digital media talent, City communications will feature short films and social media content celebrating local communities, front-line workers, and everyday successes. For example, a mini-documentary series might profile a TTC driver or a Toronto Hydro line worker, showcasing how their contributions keep the city running. These positive narratives, under the tagline “Our City, Ours to Build”, will reinforce public pride and show how each initiative – from new housing to green energy – makes a difference in people’s lives.

Inclusive Engagement & Co-creation: We will embrace new methods to involve residents in shaping policy and projects. This includes hosting hackathons to crowdsource solutions, design competitions for public art and amenities in new developments, and digital engagement tools that allow community members to propose ideas and vote on local improvements. By actively involving youth, newcomers, and marginalised voices in co-creating the future, we ensure the city’s intelligence and creativity come from its people – making our solutions more effective and cementing a sense of shared ownership.

Division of the Arts – The Engine of Execution

At the heart of our plan is the Division of the Arts – a dedicated, cross-functional City of Toronto division that serves as the ultimate operating system to implement our vision. the Division of the Arts translates our bold ideas into concrete action, ensuring everything works together seamlessly and effectively. It’s how we turn vision into execution.

What the Division of the Arts Does: the Division of the Arts sits at the centre of three key layers of the city’s transformation:

Infrastructure: It oversees the integration of physical assets (energy systems, compute infrastructure, data centres, broadband networks) so advanced technology is physically powered and controlled in Toronto. the Division of the Arts ensures we can run AI, transit electrification, and climate adaptation on our own robust energy and computing infrastructure, reducing outsourcing and making the city more self-reliant.

Services: It drives modernization across all services – from permits and housing to transit, public safety, sanitation, and parks. the Division of the Arts helps every department embed intelligence into operations (like predictive maintenance, digital assistants, and data analytics) to make services faster, cheaper, and more reliable. By linking previously siloed functions, the Division of the Arts allows the entire city to work as one coordinated system.

Governance: It enforces continuous transparency, auditing, and public oversight over our innovations. the Division of the Arts will implement real-time monitoring of algorithms (so residents know what’s happening and can trust it), and manage how every new initiative aligns with our ethics, privacy, and equity commitments.

How It Works Inside City Hall: the Division of the Arts equips every Councillor and department with modern tools for intelligent governance. At its core lies a citywide supercomputing backbone and data platform that support complex decision-making. Each Councillor and division will have access to their own “civic copilot” – tailored data dashboards and AI assistants – to help them serve their communities more effectively. City divisions will plug into a shared cognitive system (the Marbles Cognitive OS platform) instead of working in isolation. This is a fundamental shift from the old model of fragmented departments to a cohesive “smart city hall” that acts with unity of purpose.

Why It Matters: With the Division of the Arts’s coordination, for the first time the city can function like a truly unified system. No longer reactive, delayed, or disconnected – but intelligent, coordinated, and continuous. the Division of the Arts is how we:

Reduce costs without cutting services (by eliminating redundancies and optimising resource use across the whole city).

Improve service delivery without increasing bureaucracy (by giving staff better tools and information, so they can do more with less hassle).

Invest in our vital workforce – freeing up resources to fairly compensate transit operators, electrical grid technicians, sanitation crews, and all the front-line workers who keep our city running.

Ensure every city system serves the people who need it – through improved integration, accessibility, and accountability, making the city more responsive to residents’ needs.

The Cultural Layer – A City Built by Artists: the Division of the Arts is also symbolic of our fresh approach to city-building. It envisions Toronto as more than infrastructure; it frames the city as a fully realised, fully integrated system – a city that works like a home, predictable and built for the people inside it. When we talk about “turning Toronto into A City Built by Artists,” we mean setting a new standard of execution and creativity. Just as a well-run home (or a world-class civic studio) operates smoothly for its inhabitants, our city should be reliable, comfortable, and proudly ours. This is about delivering world-class results – like a hit album or a championship team – on an urban scale, while keeping a Toronto flavour.

Final Framing (Campaign-Aligned): the Division of the Arts is how we take control of this moment. It’s how we meet the greatest industrial and environmental transformation of our time head-on – moving from potential to function. Through the Division of the Arts, we seize the future while ensuring no one is left behind, shaping a city that is liveable, affordable, and functional for every resident.

The Full-Stack AI City Blueprint

Our platform will transform Toronto into a Full-Stack AI City – a city where intelligence (artificial and human) is built into every layer of urban living, supported by abundant clean energy and guided by strong public oversight. This blueprint provides the architecture for that transformation, showing how everything from power grids to digital services will work together as one system for the public good.

Local Advantage – “The New Gold is Ice”: Toronto’s geography and infrastructure give us a natural advantage in the AI era. We have cold weather and deep cold water, plus an electricity grid that is over 90% emissions-free (mostly nuclear and hydro). That means we can run energy-intensive technology with far less cost and carbon than warmer cities reliant on fossil fuels. We will use these local strengths – cooling data centres with outside air and lake water, recycling their waste heat via district energy, and leveraging our nuclear baseload – to keep costs low and reliability high. Electricity is the backbone of a modern city, and we will ensure Toronto always has enough. Recognising that Canada aims to double its electricity capacity by 2050, Toronto will proactively plan to secure the roughly 121 GW of power capacity we may need to electrify our transit, buildings, and industries. This forward planning with provincial partners ensures that as we electrify everything from buses to heating and new industry, we will remain resilient and affordable.

Full-Stack Ecosystem – From Infrastructure to Experience: The “stack” of an intelligent city has multiple layers. We’re building each one for Toronto, with the Division of the Arts orchestrating them like an “operating system” for the city:

Infrastructure Layer – Sustainable Power & Computing: This foundational layer includes the physical assets that keep the smart city running: power generation and grid, data centres, telecommunications, and critical facilities. We will treat energy and computing infrastructure as core city assets, just like roads or water pipes. Through partnerships with energy providers and proactive planning, we will help shape the expansion of the provincial grid and local clean power generation (solar, battery storage, etc.) to meet Toronto’s demands, ensuring nothing – not even a massive adoption of EVs or heat pumps – overwhelms our electricity supply. Simultaneously, we will deploy City-owned computing capacity: for example, establishing a Civic Supercomputing Hub physically in Toronto by 2027. Integrated with deep lake cooling and Ontario’s robust nuclear baseload, this facility will effectively act as Toronto’s own sustainable cloud for running AI, big data analytics, and digital public services. It increases our digital independence while cutting energy costs and providing local economic benefits.

Data & Software Layer – Marbles Cognitive OS & Continuous Governance: On top of the hardware, we need intelligent software systems to manage the city’s information and decision flows. Our centrepiece here is Marbles Cognitive OS, a state-of-the-art city digital twin and AI orchestration platform that will serve as the brain of Toronto’s operations. Marbles OS integrates data from all city services (energy, transit, utilities, emergency services, etc.), runs powerful simulations and machine learning models, and orchestrates responses in real time. For example, it can forecast energy demand surges and coordinate with the grid, or simulate the impact of new housing developments on transit and water services. Equally important, this software layer has governance built into it. Think of it as a central nervous system with a conscience: it includes the always-on “AI sentinel” that constantly audits system behaviour, enforcing privacy rules and ensuring algorithms stay within their ethical and legislative bounds. This means the city’s digital transformation is always under an umbrella of accountability and trust.

Service Application Layer – Smart & Seamless City Services: Building on the above, we will transform the way residents experience city services. AI-driven “copilots” will assist our City staff in tasks ranging from urban planning (analysing data to suggest optimal zoning decisions) to social services (predicting where to allocate resources for better outcomes). For residents, intelligent digital assistants will be available anytime to guide them through processes, file reports, or answer questions – in their language of choice and without waiting on hold. We will launch pilot projects that demonstrate these benefits (like AI-assisted permit approvals and a 24/7 virtual 311 agent), refine them with community input, then scale them up. Simultaneously, we’ll deploy smart devices and vehicles in our cityscape: from automated water meter readers and leak detectors to self-adjusting traffic signals and robotic cleaners, all connecting back to the Division of the Arts’s central platform. This tight integration ensures that systems learn and adapt as conditions change, always focused on serving the public better.

Experience Layer – Tangible Benefits for Torontonians: The ultimate test of our Full-Stack approach is that residents feel the difference. By 2030, daily life in Toronto will be noticeably easier: commuting will be faster and greener thanks to electrified vehicles and coordinated signals; winters will be safer with less ice on key sidewalks; dealing with City Hall will be quicker and simpler via digital tools; and our neighbourhoods will be resilient to climate stresses like heatwaves and storms through smart infrastructure. Importantly, all these improvements will have come with robust public oversight, ensuring that the city’s intelligence serves our values of equity, privacy, and inclusivity. In Toronto’s Full-Stack future, technology often works quietly in the background, but its positive impact on everyday life is overt and widely shared.

the Division of the Arts’s Role: In a Full-Stack AI City, the Division of the Arts is the conductor that makes all these layers sing in harmony. the Division of the Arts coordinates energy planning with transit electrification plans, ensures data from different departments flows into the Marbles OS platform, and that when one part of the city changes (like a new housing development), all other parts adjust accordingly (from the grid to roads to schools). the Division of the Arts doesn’t replace the work of skilled professionals – it empowers them with better tools and cross-departmental support to achieve results that would be impossible in isolation.

Energy & Power – the Lifeblood of the Smart City: A recurring theme in our Full-Stack blueprint is that electricity (and energy generally) is the common thread linking progress in climate action, mobility, housing, and innovation. Abundant, clean power supply is essential for almost every goal we set – from charging a zero-emission bus fleet to keeping new housing affordable with electric heat pumps, to running AI data centres that power our digital services. That’s why our blueprint explicitly addresses energy at every level: ensuring Toronto’s grid upgrades are synchronised with our transit expansion (so there’s enough power for new subway lines and EV buses), linking new developments to district energy networks from day one, and exploring community microgrids that can keep the lights on in a storm. By taking this integrated approach, we ensure our technological advances are grounded in physical reality and that our climate commitments (like Net Zero by 2040) are achievable without compromising reliability or affordability.

Flagship Initiatives – Programs for a Smarter, Greener, Fairer Toronto

These flagship initiatives showcase how our plan comes to life through targeted projects. Each programme combines technology, infrastructure, and policy changes, delivering tangible benefits quickly and paving the way for larger transformations.

Toronto Civic Cloud & Data Hub: A City-owned high-performance computing hub designed for Toronto’s needs – cooled by Lake Ontario’s deep water and powered by our clean electricity. This hub will serve as the digital “heart” of our smart city, hosting everything from municipal AI applications to research projects for local universities. Operating as a public utility (in partnership with experts and possibly federal support), it keeps data and compute local, secure, and affordable. Importantly, because it provides a steady 24/7 electricity demand, it pairs well with Ontario’s nuclear baseload, making efficient use of off-peak power2 3. Through clever integration with the grid, it will actually help stabilise energy costs and could receive preferential rates for using surplus renewable or overnight power, in turn passing savings to taxpayers.

Generative Thermal Network (Heated Infrastructure): A city-wide thermal recycling initiative to use waste heat and other sustainable energy sources for community benefit. We will connect large heat producers (like major data centres, including our Civic Cloud hub, and industrial facilities) into Toronto’s district heating systems4. This “generative” network will distribute recycled heat to warm buildings, public housing, and even melt snow on sidewalks and bike lanes. In doing so, we lower heating bills for residents, cut use of natural gas, and reduce salt and snow-clearing costs – a win for both household budgets and our environment. We will prioritize public facilities and affordable housing for early connections, ensuring equity in who benefits from these savings.

Clean-City Robotics & Smart Maintenance: Deploy autonomous service robots to support city crews in daily maintenance and cleaning. For example, we’ll introduce mini street-sweeping robots to quietly clean downtown footpaths and plazas at night. We’ll also pilot small robotic lawn mowers or tree-planting drones to assist in parks maintenance and reforestation, potentially speeding up tree-planting targets and insulating Toronto’s neighbourhoods from heat. All robotics will operate under strict safety standards and human oversight, functioning as tools in the hands of our skilled city workers, not replacements for them. This programme modernises how we care for the public realm while ultimately saving time and money that can be reinvested, including into wages and staff training.

AI-Optimised City Services (FastLane Approvals & Virtual Assistants): Speed up and simplify how residents and businesses interact with the City:

FastLane Permit & Licence Approvals: Using AI to pre-check and expedite routine applications means residents can get home renovation permits or business licences in days, not weeks – fostering growth and reducing frustration5. Staff will use AI as a co-worker (for example, to automatically flag any building code issues), but always review final decisions. This reduces backlog and frees up our experts to focus on complex, high-impact projects (like affordable housing).

24/7 Multilingual Virtual Service Agents (311 Copilots): Residents will have access to a virtual City concierge that can answer common questions or file service requests at any hour, in English, French, Mandarin, Tagalog, Spanish, Tamil, Italian, Portuguese, Urdu, and more. These chatbots will provide immediate assistance for things like parking rules or garbage schedules, seamlessly handing off to human operators for anything requiring a personal touch. The outcome is better service for residents – no waiting in line or on hold – while easing the strain on our call centres.

Toronto Upskilling & Tech Literacy Academy: A citywide human capital initiative to ensure no one is left behind as we modernise. We’ll offer free training and micro-credentials in digital, technical, and skilled trades competencies for youth, jobseekers, and public employees alike. Partnering with local colleges, trade unions, and tech firms, we’ll incorporate hands-on opportunities – e.g., training programmes that prepare workers for jobs in EV maintenance, green construction, data analysis, or advanced manufacturing. This initiative aims to reach 50,000+ Torontonians within four years, focusing on communities hit hardest by economic transition. It not only fills the talent pipeline for our projects (like electricians and transit technicians for electrification, or nurses for digital health) but also uplifts household incomes and bridges the equity gaps in access to good jobs.

Accelerated Affordable Housing Delivery: The housing crisis demands both policy change and innovation in construction. We’ll create a one-stop Housing Accelerator team in the City to coordinate across planning, utilities, and permitting for priority projects. This team, supported by digital project management tools (part of Marbles OS), will fast-track developments like modular housing for seniors and frontline workers, multi-tenant conversions, and the rollout of laneway and garden suites. Harnessing AI to optimise building designs and schedule inspections will help projects avoid delays. We will also implement advanced construction methods (like factory-built modular units and 3D-printed components) where possible to shorten build times and control costs. The City will actively leverage new funding (like federal Housing Accelerator funds and provincial infrastructure loans) to offset costs, and reduce fees for below-market housing to improve affordability.

Smarter Transit & Mobility Ecosystem: In addition to restoring service, we will implement cutting-edge solutions for a safer and more efficient mobility network:

High-Speed Rail Integration: Collaborate on planning a high-speed rail line connecting Toronto, Ottawa, and Montréal by the early 2030s, making travel between Canada’s largest cities faster and fostering economic integration. We’ll ensure Toronto’s transit nodes (like Union Station and Pearson airport) are prepared to seamlessly connect with high-speed rail, and that the project is designed to include high-speed freight capabilities – enabling faster movement of goods between Ontario and Québec to strengthen our economy.

Electric Mobility Revolution: Expand Toronto’s electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure (charging stations citywide, mandate EV charging in new buildings) and electrify not just public transit but other fleets like delivery trucks, taxis, and City-owned vehicles. By tapping into affordable clean electricity, we can reduce both pollution and operating costs in the long run, and keep transit operating budgets stable enough to support good union jobs and potential service growth. We will also support active transportation (more bike lanes, e-bike programmes, etc.), integrated so that walking and cycling safely connect with the transit network.

Each of these flagship initiatives ties together multiple benefits – economic, social, and environmental. And they’ll all be underpinned by the Division of the Arts’s integrated approach, ensuring we maximise synergies: for example, the Civic Cloud doesn’t just provide computing; it helps heat buildings. FastLane permits won’t just speed up approvals; they’ll help accelerate our housing projects. Our high-speed rail integration is not just about transit; it’s about regional economic growth and jobs. This is how a full-stack approach multiplies value for Toronto.

First 100 Days Plan

Our administration’s first 100 days will be about immediate action and setting up a strong foundation. With the Division of the Arts at the helm, we’ll ensure quick wins for residents and structural changes in City Hall that prepare us for the heavy lifting ahead.

Days 1–10: Leadership & Foundations

Mayoral Directive & the Division of the Arts Kickoff (Day 1): On Day 1, the Mayor will sign a New City Modernisation & Climate Leadership Directive. This will formally establish the Division of the Arts as the division to lead our full-stack transformation. It directs all City departments and agencies to designate liaisons to the Division of the Arts and to identify potential quick-win projects where technology or process improvements could enhance service without layoffs. It explicitly connects smart city initiatives with climate action: e.g., requiring that all technology projects consider energy efficiency and climate resilience and vice versa (ensuring climate initiatives leverage the best data and tools). This directive also includes the Housing Emergency Declaration, jump-starting actions to expedite affordable housing approvals, and a reaffirmation of no property tax hike in the first year – setting the tone that we will innovate within our means.

Energy & Grid Strategy Task Force (Day 2): We will immediately establish a City-Provincial Energy Task Force under the Division of the Arts to align Toronto’s growth plans with Ontario’s electricity expansion goals. Co-chaired by the Division of the Arts, City Planning, and Toronto Hydro, with invitations to Ontario’s Ministry of Energy and major utilities, this group will map out Toronto’s long-term electricity demand curve (Marbles OS will model factors like EV adoption, new housing, and transit electrification). Their mission in these first weeks is to ensure Toronto is at the table as Ontario plans its grid expansion – advocating for Toronto’s “fair share” of new generation projects and transmission capacity. For instance, if provincial plans include new nuclear or hydro projects, we’ll work to secure capacity from them to power our city’s future needs.

Early Partnership & Advocacy (Weeks 1–2): The Mayor will meet with key provincial and federal leaders to secure support for urgent Toronto priorities. This includes pushing for funding from the Federal Green Infrastructure and Smart Cities programs to help finance our Civic Data Hub and other energy-efficient projects, and pitching Toronto’s leadership role in national climate and digital initiatives. At Queen’s Park, we’ll seek commitments on shared housing and transit goals and propose a formal working group on energy planning (so Toronto can co-shape provincial energy projects that impact our city). These efforts ensure that right from the start, Toronto’s voice is heard and our large-scale needs (transit funding, grid capacity, housing funds) are on the radar of senior governments.

Smart Savings Audit & Reinvestment (Days 1–10): To fund our first initiatives and demonstrate responsibility, the Division of the Arts will conduct a swift “Smart Savings” audit of city operations, using data analytics to spot immediate efficiency improvements. We will target at least $50 million in potential savings – for example, by consolidating redundant software systems onto the City’s new cloud, adjusting energy use in City buildings during off-peak hours to cut utility bills, or renegotiating contracts using AI analysis to find better terms. Every dollar saved will be redirected into urgent priorities like transit service restoration, pilot projects, and essential maintenance, proving early on that innovation can directly benefit the budget and residents.

Days 11–30: Quick Wins & Visible Pilots

Heated Sidewalk & Public Space Pilot (by Day 20): In partnership with Toronto Hydro and Enwave, we will deploy a heated sidewalk demonstration ahead of winter. A particularly treacherous stretch (like outside a seniors’ housing complex or a major transit stop) will be fitted with electric or hot-fluid heating elements linked to renewable power or waste heat. We’ll measure how well it prevents ice and reduces the need for salting and shovelling. This will be complemented by an accelerated installation of modern LED streetlights on that same street, which use up to 75% less energy than older lamps6. These immediate steps not only enhance safety and mobility but also showcase how investing in technology and energy efficiency pays off in real terms: fewer accidents, lower maintenance costs, and an inviting public realm even in winter.

FastLane Permitting & 311 Copilots (by Day 30): We will launch the FastLane online permitting portal to start clearing the backlog of simple permit applications. This AI-assisted system will guide users in real time and help City staff process routine permits much faster (with a goal to cut certain approval times by at least one-third within the first months). A subset of simpler permits will be processed with digital assistance, overseen by staff, to ensure accuracy. In parallel, a pilot 311 Virtual Assistant will go live, initially handling common after-hours queries in the top 5 languages, which will gradually expand to more topics and languages. These quick improvements mean that by Day 30, a resident might already experience a faster permit turnaround or get a midnight question answered by the City – concrete evidence that change is underway.

Civic Cloud Kickoff & Energy Integration (By Day 30): We will finalise a partnership to start developing Toronto’s Civic AI Compute Hub. As an interim step, the City will secure access to computing capacity in a local data centre so that initial AI projects (like the permit system or traffic optimisation tools) run on Toronto-based servers, with Ontario’s clean power supplying them7 8. We’ll simultaneously begin designing our own facility – taking inventory of City-owned sites that could host this hub and offer the trifecta of power, cooling, and connectivity. Our agreements will include clauses ensuring these data centre operations make use of off-peak renewable or nuclear power and share their waste heat with neighbours, epitomizing Toronto’s commitment to sustainability and partnership from day one.

Days 31–60: Governance & Engagement

Permanent Ethics & Oversight Structures (By Day 45): We will convene the Toronto AI Ethics & Governance Board (approved by Council with representation from civil society and experts) by Day 45. This body will immediately set to work reviewing our new AI pilots, making sure they adhere to privacy and equity standards, and approving guidelines for future expansions. Additionally, we’ll launch an online AI & Data Transparency Portal (the public AI registry) listing details of the City’s digital tools. We commit to publishing all algorithms used by the City (except those sensitive for security reasons) with plain-English descriptions. This openness from the very start will be unmatched by any city globally and is designed to build public trust in our new systems.

Community Communication & Feedback (Day 60): After two months, we will hold a high-profile Progress Showcase & Town Hall. Residents will be invited to see demonstrations of new tools (for instance, they might try the 311 Virtual Assistant live, or view data from the heated sidewalk pilot). We will share key initial metrics: e.g., “we’ve processed X permits in FastLane with an average of Y days saved per permit” or “the heated pavement pilot prevented Z slips during the last storm and saved $X in salt.” City staff, including those running these projects, will attend to answer questions, reflecting our commitment to transparency and learning. This event, broadcast online and through community hubs, will allow residents to give feedback and shape the next phase – proving that co-governance is not just talk but built into our approach.

Days 61–100: Scaling & Consolidating

Extending Pilot Successes (Days 61–90): Using feedback and data from our pilots, the Division of the Arts will plan their expansion. If the heated sidewalk test shows success, we will fast-track adding more such systems at other high-need locations within the upcoming winter. For our digital pilots, we will refine the AI’s knowledge base and address any gaps identified by residents or staff (for instance, teaching the 311 bot additional answers it might have missed). We will also begin new pilot projects in this period: possibilities include expanding our smart traffic signal programme to a second busy artery, launching a trash-collection trial with sensor-fitted bins that optimise pickup routes, or an initial test of small mobile flood barrier systems to protect a vulnerable area during heavy rains. These will be prepared for full implementation in the coming year if successful.

Institutionalising the Division of the Arts & Energy Coordination (By Day 90): Moving beyond the initial flurry, we will ensure the machinery of change is built to last. The temporary the Division of the Arts Task Force will evolve into a permanent City Office (with a multi-year mandate, dedicated staffing, and funding) by Day 90. This will be the institutional anchor for our full-stack city strategy and our long-term energy and infrastructure coordination. We will formalise a partnership with the Province and utilities through a memorandum (or formal working group) that commits to integrating Toronto’s needs in future energy expansions – for example, ensuring electrical transmission planning accounts for our forthcoming transit electrification schedules and new developments. This sets up the channels to influence big projects like new power plants or grid upgrades to serve Toronto.

100-Day Report & Next Steps (Day 100): At the hundredth day mark, we will release a public 100-Day Report that details each promise made, what actions have been taken, and what outcomes have been achieved. This will include quantifiable accomplishments (like number of permits sped up, dollars of efficiencies found, kilometres of sidewalks heated or streetlights upgraded) and next steps, highlighting how early actions have laid the groundwork for our four-year plan. We’ll invite independent bodies (like the City’s Auditor-General or academic partners) to review the report for accuracy, reinforcing credibility. This report will also outline our major initiatives for the next few years, effectively bridging the gap between short-term wins and long-term goals.

By the end of 100 days, the city will have momentum: real improvements in motion, new structures like the Division of the Arts built and working, and collaborative relationships forming to tackle the big stuff (energy, housing, transit funding). Equally important, residents will have seen quick proof that change is possible and beneficial, and they’ll be actively involved in guiding what comes next.

Four-Year Implementation Plan

We have four years to transform Toronto. This timeline breaks down how we get from launching pilots to citywide change, ensuring pace and rigour at every step. the Division of the Arts will drive this plan, adjusting as needed while keeping the city focused on long-term goals.

Year 1 – Pilot, Prove & Build Trust (2026–27): The first year is about demonstrating what’s possible and building capacity. We will:

Deliver Pilot Results: Complete initial pilots and measure outcomes. For example, by the end of Year 1, our FastLane permitting system should show a substantial drop in waiting times and high satisfaction among users, proving that digital solutions can make City Hall more responsive. The heated sidewalk and smart cleaning pilots will have provided evidence to justify scaling (with data on safety improvements and cost savings). The 311 Virtual Assistant will have expanded to cover more topics and languages based on early user interactions. Documented successes and learnings from these projects will form case studies to share with Council and the public.

Launch the First Civic Super Hub: Begin construction/refit of the first Civic AI Compute & Energy Hub – likely upgrading an existing City data centre or partnering with a local facility – to slowly start handling a significant share of City computing needs (target: 50% by the end of Year 1). This hub will double as a pilot energy integration project, feeding its heat into a connected building or neighbourhood heating loop. We aim to show by Year 1’s end that our approach saves money (e.g., by confirming that recaptured heat can offset traditional heating costs) and that our local cloud reliably supports critical City applications.

Staff & Systems Prepared: All relevant City staff will receive foundational training on new systems via the Division of the Arts’s support. By Year 1, thousands of public servants will have learned how to leverage data dashboards, AI assistants, and the Marbles Cognitive OS platform in their daily work. On the tech side, we’ll have implemented the continuous oversight mechanism (AI Sentinel) in all our new systems and extended it gradually to legacy systems.

Energy & Grid Roadmap in Place: Using Marbles OS for complex scenario planning, we will publish a Toronto Energy & Electrification Roadmap by the end of Year 1. This plan (developed with provincial cooperation) will detail Toronto’s projected energy needs through 2040 and identify key projects (like new transmission lines, local generation sites, district energy expansions) needed to meet them. It will align with the broader Ontario grid plan, giving clarity to residents and businesses that electricity will be there when and where we need it for our transit, homes, and economy.

Year 2 – Scale Up & Integrate Systems (2027–28): With early successes, we intensify and broaden efforts in Year 2

Broad Infrastructure & Service Expansion: We begin scaling our successful pilots into standard city practice. For example, if our first civic computing hub was a success, by Year 2 we will expand its capacity significantly – potentially adding tens more megawatts of computing power and connecting more City agencies and external partners (like universities, local health providers) to it. This might also involve working with the province on moderate on-site generation or storage solutions to support local grid pockets (such as adding a solar + battery microgrid to the compute hub building). We will also expand the heated sidewalk programme to multiple high-priority locations across the city (targeting busy intersections, transit stops, and senior-heavy areas), standardising it as part of any major street redesign. By winter 2028, dozens of locations will have heated pedestrian pathways, with more slated for future reconstruction projects – making winter mobility easier year by year. Clean-City Robotics pilots will be scaled as appropriate, possibly assigning fleets of cleaning robots to each of the central districts (with supervised operational hubs managed by the relevant city maintenance yard). Their usage will be carefully phased to ensure they add value and integrate smoothly with unionised staff schedules and duties.

Service Integration & Efficiency Gains: We’ll link separate systems for greater effect. For instance, the FastLane platform could be integrated with Toronto Hydro’s procedures, so new housing developments can get utility hookups faster and more predictably. AI tools for infrastructure maintenance (like predictive algorithms for road repair or tree trimming) will transition from trials to standard practice in relevant departments, improving the city’s ability to prevent problems like potholes or power outages. By Year 2, we expect to see noticeable improvements from these integrations: e.g., fewer service disruptions due to preventative interventions, and time saved by City workers on routine tasks.

Connecting High-Speed Mobility & Power: We’ll intensify efforts to integrate Toronto into the broader high-speed transit and trade corridor. At this stage, the Toronto–Montréal high-speed rail project may be in planning or early development; the Division of the Arts will work to ensure it is coordinated with our local transit expansions (like station alignments, feeder services, and development around stations) and energy supply (e.g., planning to supply new electrified rail lines from the grid with minimal disruption). We will also ensure our own transit electrification (buses, GO trains conversion to electric) is making progress and timed with energy availability. During Year 2, we expect to confirm a path for financing and building key aspects of high-speed rail and to incorporate its benefits into our economic development plans, highlighting how it will boost trade and connectivity for Toronto businesses and residents.

Year 3 (2028–29) – Institutionalize & Measure Progress: Mid-term through our mandate, our focus will turn to consolidation, evaluation, and reinforcing the policies and institutions driving change.

Mid-term Review & Course Correction: We will conduct a rigorous mid-term performance review, aided by our Marbles OS tools. This will measure our progress on all key metrics (housing units approved, transit ridership and service hours, energy savings achieved, emissions reduced, budgetary impacts, etc.) and compare them against our targets. The results will be published in a transparent report to Council and the public, highlighting successes like cost savings (e.g., millions saved from energy efficiencies or reduced emergency maintenance) and where further work is needed. For example, if we aimed for a 50% backlog reduction in certain permits but achieved 30%, we’ll detail the solution: perhaps adding staff or further tweaking the process. Public consultations will be part of this review, giving communities an opportunity to voice their experiences and priorities as we head into the second half of the term.

Codifying Successful Practices: By Year 3, many initial projects will be mainstreamed. the Division of the Arts will work to formalise new practices through updated bylaws, standards, and budgets. For instance, energy planning will be embedded in all major initiatives: a new housing development plan must include a strategy for power and heating needs (so it doesn’t strain the grid), and a new transit proposal must speak to its electricity demand and how it will be supplied. We’ll also integrate our climate and energy goals into procurement and city standards: requiring new City facilities to be net-zero energy ready, pushing for electric vehicle charging readiness in new buildings, and requiring any new large private data centres to contribute to local energy resilience (like by sharing their waste heat or investing in grid upgrades for the community). City procurement will also encourage suppliers who use clean energy, reinforcing our economic signal that Toronto values sustainable operations.

Sustaining the Workforce & Partnerships: Recognising that technology changes and expansions can be challenging for our workforce, we will deepen our investments in people. By Year 3, we’ll have an ongoing professional development programme for City staff (and opportunities for re-training into tech and green jobs) and strong labour-management forums looking at how AI and automation are impacting work. We will have honoured our commitment to no layoffs from these changes (retraining or reassigning staff where automation took over tasks). With sound finances from our efficiencies and new funding deals, we will have avoided drastic cuts and continue to fairly negotiate with our unions – showing that innovation and labour fairness go hand in hand in Toronto.

Year 4 (2029–2030) – Maturity & Legacy: In our final year, we expect to see the long-term fruits of our labour, as well as plan for the future beyond our term.

Full-Stack City in Operation: Toronto’s transformation into an AI-empowered, energy-secure city will be tangible. Residents will have experienced four winters of increasing comfort due to heated public infrastructure and better snow clearance. Smart traffic management, integrated with public transit, will have shaved minutes off daily commutes and cut tailpipe emissions (contributing to cleaner air and meeting our climate targets). Nearly all our buses will be electric or hybrid, and EV chargers common in public and private facilities alike, supported by continual grid upgrades. The Civic Cloud will be handling most of the city’s data needs internally, saving the City significant amounts on cloud computing costs and enabling enhanced data security.

Energy Security & Climate Milestones: Toronto will approach 2030 with a clear path to meet its net-zero by 2040 goal, thanks in large part to our integrated energy strategy. We expect the Province to have advanced new clean power projects by now (such as refurbishing or expanding nuclear plants, wind and solar farms, or other green generation), with Toronto actively ensuring that those investments deliver reliable electricity for our population and industries. Our transit electrification and building retrofits will be well underway, cutting local emissions and fuel costs. This means we will have avoided the worst-case scenario of energy constraints driving up costs – on the contrary, Toronto, by advocating early, ensures we have enough electricity for our ambitions without spiking rates.

Enduring Institutions & Plans: By Year 4, the Division of the Arts will be an established and indispensable part of city governance, much like our agencies for transit or public health. It will continue beyond this term, sustaining our progress and adapting to new challenges. The systems we built (like Marbles Cognitive OS and the AI sentinel oversight) will be ingrained in how City Hall operates, making ongoing improvements and transparency simply part of normal business. We will have cultivated a strong, collaborative relationship with other governments, reflected in agreements on long-term funding and joint initiatives (be it for transit, housing, or energy). As we approach the 2030 municipal election, we will ensure our accomplishments are consolidated and that the incoming Council has the blueprints and momentum to keep building on them.

After four years, Toronto will be a different city – smarter in its operations, greener in its energy and transport, more equitable in its services – but also recognisably Toronto in its values and vibrancy. The buildings we’ve constructed, the systems we’ve put in place, and the trust we’ve built will become our administration’s legacy, setting up our city for continued success.

Governance & Continuous Oversight Framework

Implementing such a comprehensive transformation requires an equally robust approach to governance. Our strategy is built on earning and maintaining public trust at every step. We will embed transparency and oversight in all that we do, so residents can be confident that these changes truly serve them.

Ethical AI & Data Governance: We will enforce a strict Ethical AI Charter for all city technologies, emphasising fairness, transparency, privacy, and human oversight. The Toronto AI Ethics & Governance Board, in its ongoing role, will review new high-impact technologies (especially any that affect safety or rights) before they’re deployed, ensuring we’ve assessed any biases, privacy implications, or other risks and have mitigation plans in place. It will have the power to slow or stop projects if necessary – a critical check to ensure we put values first. The Public AI Registry initiated in the first 100 days will be continuously updated and improved, becoming a model of tech transparency that other cities can emulate. This includes clearly communicating updates to systems (e.g., if the 311 assistant’s algorithm is upgraded, the registry will note what changed and why).

Energy & Infrastructure Planning Transparency: Energy will be treated as a key part of our governance framework. the Division of the Arts, in partnership with utilities, will publish periodic Energy Outlooks for the city – sharing non-confidential information about expected demand trends, grid upgrades, and progress on integrating renewable energy. The rationale is to keep residents informed about how we are preparing to meet their needs and to let businesses plan investments with confidence in our infrastructure. We will also push for transparent regional energy planning – for instance, urging the province and federal government to provide public updates on the path to doubling national capacity by 2050, since our future depends on it.

Labour & Equity in Focus: Strong cities are built by dedicated people. We commit to working closely with our labour partners to ensure that as technology is introduced, it enhances workers’ roles rather than diminishes them. Our governance includes labour representation in program design (especially for projects like robotics in city operations) and clear commitments to retraining and upskilling. Additionally, every major policy in this platform will be implemented with an Equity and Inclusion lens. We will conduct prior impact assessments on how changes might affect different demographics (women, newcomers, marginalised communities) to ensure we mitigate unequal impacts. And through public consultations and feedback (in multiple languages and formats), we’ll continuously adjust our programmes to be inclusive of the diverse needs of Torontonians.

Intergovernmental Alignment: Recognising that many levers (especially big energy projects or regional transit) are outside City jurisdiction, our governance model emphasises partnership. We will create formal joint planning frameworks where needed (e.g., the energy task force with the Province), and actively participate in provincial and federal working groups. We will report on our advocacy efforts, so the public knows how we’re fighting for Toronto’s fair share and what responses we’re getting. Furthermore, any proposals requiring external support will be matched with concrete City commitments – showing higher governments that Toronto is a ready, serious partner (for example, offering City land or streamlined processes to accelerate a new regional power station or transmission line if it benefits Toronto).

Always-On Monitoring and Adaptation: Internally, the Division of the Arts’s Marbles Cognitive OS will maintain live dashboards of key metrics (like carbon emissions, energy consumption, service performance, fiscal status) which senior management and Council can access anytime. If an AI system or a project starts to drift off course, our oversight capabilities (both digital and human) will catch it early. For example, if transit service improvements are lagging behind our promises, the Division of the Arts’s data tracking will highlight that and trigger an internal review and corrective plan, which we will communicate to the public. We treat governance as a dynamic, continuous process – much like a well-run power grid that constantly balances supply and demand, our governance constantly balances innovation with risk management and public input.

In short, smart governance and strong oversight are the heart of our programme. They ensure technology remains a tool of democracy, not a threat to it. By building these values into our institutions, we protect against misuse or mission creep, and we give Torontonians confidence that change is being managed responsibly. When people trust their city’s direction, they are more likely to participate and support it – and their participation makes the plan even better.

Conclusion – Why Toronto Wins

Toronto is entering a new era, and this platform is our blueprint for success. We will become the world’s AI capital – a global leader in innovation, sustainability, and urban intelligence – while never losing sight of the needs of the people who call this city home. By investing in our energy future, our digital infrastructure, and our communities, we ensure that Toronto’s growth benefits everyone.

Energy Powered Prosperity: In an age when energy is the lifeblood of economic and social progress, Toronto’s commitment to securing plentiful clean power means our city won’t be left in the dark. From spurring high-speed trade and travel with Québec to guaranteeing that your lights turn on and your train runs on time, our focus on power supply and infrastructure is about keeping life affordable and reliable. With affordable electricity fueling our progress, residents will see stable utility bills (helping lower-income families and renters most of all) and strong public services that don’t have to cut corners. We will be able to sustain and reward the workers who maintain our transit and power systems, recognising them as drivers of our success. By anticipating the massive electrification to come, Toronto will avoid energy shortages and price spikes that could otherwise undermine our housing, transit, and climate goals.

Intelligence with Integrity: By adopting cutting-edge technology – and doing so responsibly – we will vastly improve how our city functions. But unlike some smart city schemes that failed elsewhere, our plan is deeply rooted in Toronto’s values of transparency, equity, and public accountability. We’re not just dropping sensors or apps and walking away; we’re building an enduring institution (the Division of the Arts with its Marbles Cognitive OS platform) that ensures all this tech works for the people, overseen by the people. In the 2030s, Toronto will be known not only for its skyscrapers or cultural diversity, but for being the city that proved intelligent solutions can make everyday life better for everyone without compromising privacy or fairness.

A City that Leads & Learns: Toronto’s transformation will ripple far beyond our borders. By harnessing innovation to solve local problems – like winter safety, transit funding, housing delivery – we create solutions that other cities will want to emulate. We’ll deepen our partnerships with other urban centres, sharing successes and learning from theirs (for example, cooperating with Montréal, Vancouver, or global peers on best practices in urban AI governance or climate action). This will reinforce our reputation as the “capital of innovation and intelligence” – a place global leaders turn to for inspiration in building cities that are both smart and just.

Most importantly, Toronto wins because Torontonians win. After four years of this plan, you will see and feel the changes. More housing options will be in construction or available. Transit will be more convenient and possibly electrified, with no big fare shocks. Your energy might cost less, and increasingly come from clean sources, even as you use more of it (to charge your vehicle or heat your home). The city will be cleaner and easier to get around. Public workers will have better tools to serve you, and they’ll be properly recognised for the essential work they do. You’ll have more opportunities to learn new skills or find a job in growing sectors. And through it all, you’ll have had the chance to weigh in on the changes, even see your ideas turned into reality, whether it’s through a neighbourhood pilot or a new community space.

Toronto has long been called a city of neighbourhoods; by 2030 it will also be known as a city of intelligence and energy – a place where modern ideas power everyday life. In an era when many cities struggle with rising costs and outdated infrastructure, Toronto will stand out as a city that got ahead of the curve by investing in the fundamentals – housing, transit, clean power, digital capacity – and doing so with boldness and responsibility. That’s why, regardless of global uncertainties, Toronto will win: because we have chosen to build the future we want, rolling up our sleeves and innovating not for its own sake, but for the sake of every resident’s well-being. We have Our Vision, and it’s Ours to Own. Let’s make it a reality, together.