Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Eric Lombardi @ericlombardi.bsky.social · 9h

Improving digital experiences for Toronto’s government isn’t a glamorous issue.

But if done well, it reduces service costs, improves access and transparency (for citizens and businesses alike), and leads to more innovation and public trust.

Great memo in @buildtoronto.com today! Check it out!

Build Toronto @buildtoronto.com · 11h

Toronto's digital services are stuck in the past – a patchwork of portals, paper forms, and outdated processes.

From paying taxes to renewing permits, residents face a maze of separate logins, different formats, or long wait times.

1 1

Reposted by Eric Lombardi

Build Toronto @buildtoronto.com · 11h

Toronto's digital services are stuck in the past – a patchwork of portals, paper forms, and outdated processes.

From paying taxes to renewing permits, residents face a maze of separate logins, different formats, or long wait times.

1 2 2

Reposted by Eric Lombardi

Alex Beheshti @alexbeheshti.bsky.social · 1d

It's not that boomers are any more nimby than any other generation, it's that they have more time than any other generation to spend on opposing housing.

Just look at the nimbys of a new rental project downtown Toronto, or 5 new single-family homes in Aurora - lots of abundance in grey hairs.

2 2 13

Eric Lombardi @ericlombardi.bsky.social · 21d

Old Toronto Must Grow to Relieve the Suburbs

Toronto’s inner core must grow. Pre-war suburbs have lost population since 1970, and 3.5-storey reforms and multiplex permissions aren’t enough to make redevelopment viable.

buildtoronto.com

1 1

Eric Lombardi @ericlombardi.bsky.social · 21d

3️⃣ An Urbanization Infrastructure Fund would support local services — financing targeted upgrades and offsetting development charges so growth pays for itself.

📌 Bold goal: Establish the Urbanization Zone — with modernized rules and infrastructure support — by 2027

2 1

Eric Lombardi @ericlombardi.bsky.social · 21d

2️⃣ Modernized building code rules would apply only in the zone — piloting safe, efficient standards like single-egress stairwells and compact European elevators (as I recently wrote in the Toronto Star:

www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...

The condo market is crashing. Here’s how we keep building as prices fall

For years, restrictive zoning made the midrise apartment impossible. That fight isn’t over, but it is no longer the biggest obstacle. Beyond high development taxes, the emerging barrier today is

www.thestar.com

1 1

Eric Lombardi @ericlombardi.bsky.social · 21d

This zone as proposed would be bounded by Keele, Eglinton, Victoria Park, and the lake. Within this zone:

1️⃣ Six-storey apartments would be legal by default — a scale that makes redevelopment viable.

1 1

Eric Lombardi @ericlombardi.bsky.social · 21d

To fix this, Toronto must deliberately urbanize its inner suburban neighbourhoods — gradually, sustainably, and at human scale.

The memo proposes a pilot Urbanization Zone across Old Toronto’s pre-war suburbs, piggybacking on the concept of “Special Economic Zones” intro’d by the province.

1 1

Eric Lombardi @ericlombardi.bsky.social · 21d

This imbalance leaves the wrong places carrying the load: towers in post-war suburbs and the 905, while the old suburbs at the city’s heart remain frozen in time.

To fix this, Toronto must deliberately urbanize its inner suburban neighbourhoods — gradually, sustainably, and at human scale.

1 1

Eric Lombardi @ericlombardi.bsky.social · 21d

Toronto is growing fast, but most of that growth is concentrated in downtown towers, new high-rise clusters, and sprawl on the edge of the region.

Meanwhile, many of the neighbourhoods closest to the core have actually lost population since 1970.

1 1

Eric Lombardi @ericlombardi.bsky.social · 21d

Housing has always been at the center of my civic work, through @MoreNeighbours and my writing.

So of course, my first memo for @build_toronto is housing related:

OLD TORONTO MUST GROW TO RELIEVE THE SUBURBS.

- - - 🌆 🏗️👇- - -

1 5 15

Reposted by Eric Lombardi

Build Toronto @buildtoronto.com · 21d

Toronto cannot keep relying on downtown towers and suburban sprawl while the old suburbs closest to the core remain frozen in time. These inner neighbourhoods – with the best transit, schools, and infrastructure – have actually lost population since 1970.

1 4 13

Eric Lombardi @ericlombardi.bsky.social · 22d

Thank you :)

1

Reposted by Eric Lombardi

Ghouly Hoye 🇨🇦 👻 @hollyhoye.bsky.social · 22d

Congratulations Eric! We’ll be watching with interest from Calgary. We may not be a big city yet but we are growing fast and can certainly learn from one.

1 4

Eric Lombardi @ericlombardi.bsky.social · 22d

This was also my first (of hopefully many) attempts at a walk & talk. Let me know if you like this format!

And if you are interested, please get involved and join our Launch Event on October 16th.

More details at buildtoronto.com

Build Toronto 🏗️🇨🇦

Build the Toronto you know is possible

buildtoronto.com

1

Eric Lombardi @ericlombardi.bsky.social · 22d

🌆🏗️ BIG NEWS🚀

I am thrilled to take on a new (volunteer) role as Chair of @build_toronto, the first municipal project of @build_canada

We’ll be working with civic & business leaders to push for ideas that improve governance, growth, prosperity, and opportunity in Toronto.

(Vid cut to 3M)

4 13 44

Reposted by Eric Lombardi

Build Toronto @buildtoronto.com · 22d

Toronto has the talent, energy, and openness to lead. What we’ve been missing is urgency. Build Toronto is here to help change that.

👉 Sign up for updates on our website buildtoronto.com

Build Toronto 🏗️🇨🇦

Build the Toronto you know is possible

buildtoronto.com

3 4

Reposted by Eric Lombardi

Build Toronto @buildtoronto.com · 22d

We are equally proud to welcome @ericlombardi.bsky.social as Chair. Eric is a civic leader and housing advocate whose work with @moreneighboursto.bsky.social has made him one of the city’s strongest voices for change.

1 1 6

Reposted by Eric Lombardi

Build Toronto @buildtoronto.com · 22d

🚀 Announcing Build Toronto

Toronto is Canada’s largest city, its economic engine, and its greatest opportunity. If Toronto thrives, Canada thrives. But we all know the city faces deep challenges: unaffordable housing, strained infrastructure, governance gridlock, and a lack of urgency.

1 7 34

Reposted by Eric Lombardi

More Neighbours Toronto @moreneighboursto.bsky.social · 27d

Just in time for Single Stair Summer!

We support the two main calls from @ericlombardi.bsky.social to unlock in 2- and 3-BR units the same price drops we're seeing in condos:

1) Single stair buildings up to 6 storeys.

2) European elevators up to 10 storeys.
www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...

The condo market is crashing. Here’s how we keep building as prices fall

For years, restrictive zoning made the midrise apartment impossible. That fight isn’t over, but it is no longer the biggest obstacle. Beyond high development taxes, the emerging barrier today is

www.thestar.com

1 4 14

Reposted by Eric Lombardi

Stephen Jacob Smith @stephenjacobsmith.com · 27d

@ericlombardi.bsky.social of More Neighbours Toronto’s got an op-ed titled: “The condo market is crashing. Here’s how we keep building as prices fall.” The answer is to bring down hard costs to make projects viable at lower prices. Single-stair, elevator, European standards – time for code reform!

The condo market is crashing. Here’s how we keep building as prices fall

For years, restrictive zoning made the midrise apartment impossible. That fight isn’t over, but it is no longer the biggest obstacle. Beyond high development taxes, the emerging barrier today is

www.thestar.com

1 9 41

Eric Lombardi @ericlombardi.bsky.social · Jul 24

People keep saying this of Toronto YIMBYs and MNTO specifically, but it’s actually not true.

1 1

Reposted by Eric Lombardi

More Neighbours Toronto @moreneighboursto.bsky.social · Jul 18

Latest piece by @ericlombardi.bsky.social at @thehubcanada.bsky.social:

“Our politicians want you to forget about Canada’s biggest socioeconomic challenge. Yes, it’s still housing”

thehub.ca/2025/07/18/e...

Eric Lombardi: Our politicians want you to forget about Canada’s biggest socioeconomic challenge. Yes, it’s still housing

When it comes to Canada’s failures, all roads lead back to housing

thehub.ca

4 14

Reposted by Eric Lombardi

Generation Squeeze @gensqueeze.bsky.social · Jul 18

STANDING OVATION for @ericlombardi.bsky.social in @thehubcanada.bsky.social 👏 👏 👏 🙌 🎉 Rarely do we see something so well articulated with the nuance the topic deserves! This is a MUST READ! "When everyone says the right thing, but no one is willing to actually do the right thing."

Eric Lombardi: Our politicians want you to forget about Canada’s biggest socioeconomic challenge. Yes, it’s still housing

When it comes to Canada’s failures, all roads lead back to housing

thehub.ca

3 1

Reposted by Eric Lombardi

nodepolitik @nodepolitik.ca · Jul 19

shorturl.at/evQIM

If you've not read this piece by @ericlombardi.bsky.social yet. He's to be credited for persuasively making the non-partisan case for more housing, via private market & gov't funded initiatives. Centrists, fiscal cons, socons, & soc-dems all have cause to agree with him.
#cdnpoli

Eric Lombardi: Our politicians want you to forget about Canada’s biggest socioeconomic challenge. Yes, it’s still housing

When it comes to Canada’s failures, all roads lead back to housing

shorturl.at

1 2