Toronto’s new Urban Thermal Comfort Guidelines sets a precedent for how North American cities can adapt to climate change while supporting health and community. This project is a exemplary of DIAC’s Design Impacts Framework.
Client: City of Toronto
Urban Designer: Dialog
Designer: Dorsa Jalalian
Project Completion: 2025
Target audience: Designers, Builders & Architects
Founded in 1960, Dialog is a multidisciplinary practice of architects, engineers, planners, and consultants dedicated to transforming communities through great design. They create impactful spaces that improve user experience and the environment.
First North American Framework
Toronto has introduced North America's first comprehensive thermal comfort guidelines, developed by the City Planning Division, Buro Happold, and Dialog. This pioneering initiative addresses extreme heat and cold, setting a precedent for urban climate adaptation.
Guidelines – Shaping a Comfortable Toronto for Everyone
The framework is intended to inform policy updates, which include three main components: it establishes a Toronto-specific methodology to measure thermal comfort, sets ambitious yet achievable thermal comfort targets, and provides a design toolbox to support climate-responsive design. Together, these components aim to guide planning and development with thermal comfort as a core consideration.
Design Toolbox – Smart Strategies for a Cooler City
The design toolbox offers strategies like building orientation, green roofs, and shading structures to create adaptable, comfortable public spaces, with an equity lens that ensures these solutions address the needs of vulnerable populations. These elements can be applied based on site and seasonal needs to improve thermal comfort and sustainability.
City of Toronto, 2025
The DIAC Design Impact Framework centers around five key themes:
1. VISION: Design embodies the vision
What was the inspiration behind the project's vision, and how did the design process bring that vision to life in a way that adds value to its users?
With rising temperatures, increasing density, and growing pressure on urban spaces, this study explores how design can improve thermal comfort in the public realm—Toronto’s "living room." By offering clear guidance, it helps developers and city staff consider how buildings and public spaces impact comfort, well-being, and civic life between structures.
2. FUNCTIONALITY: Design enhances functionality
What features in the design make it easy for seniors to navigate and stay longer in public spaces, while allowing them to choose between sun and shade based on their thermal needs?
Thermal comfort varies by site, season, and microclimate, requiring customized design strategies. This North American-first framework offers a methodology, seasonal targets, and a design toolbox to create climate-responsive public spaces with both sun and shade, empowering users to choose their preferred thermal conditions.
3. BRAND: Design creates brand
How can designing climate-responsive thermal comfort spaces for older adults enhance Toronto's reputation for public health leadership and climate resilience, while positioning the city as a leader in sustainable urban design for vulnerable groups?
The City of Toronto is recognized as a global leader for publishing the second-ever thermal comfort guideline, a key part of its branding as a forward-thinking city, developed through collaboration across various departments and the federal government. With diverse input and an equity focus, the guidelines will be presented at international conferences and shared with other cities to promote global learning.
4. ENVIRONMENT: Design embeds environmental benefits
How do cooling strategies like tree canopies and green roofs help reduce the urban heat island effect while adapting to future climate projections for safety and comfort?
A Climate Risk Institute report projects Toronto’s days over 30°C will rise from 16 to 55–60 by the 2080s, driving adaptive design strategies focused on thermal comfort and safety, including green solutions like tree canopies, green roofs, and permeable surfaces that cool through evapotranspiration.
5. HEALTH & WELLBEING: Design promotes health and wellbeing
How do comfortable, inclusive outdoor spaces promote health, well-being, community resilience, and celebrate cultural diversity for all age groups?
Creating a city that prioritizes thermal comfort encourages outdoor activity, extends time spent in open spaces, and promotes mental well-being. Initiatives like prioritizing tree planting and creating accessible, inviting spaces contribute to a healthier, more active community.
6. Key Success Performance Indicators
One component of the study was to develop KPIS or performance metrics, with the guidelines recommending a target percentage of time a space should be thermally comfortable throughout the year and providing a methodology to measure it, allowing designers to assess performance and iterate their designs if the target isn’t met.
