Hey there - thanks for stopping by! Your Toronto Zoo is creating a new Master Plan to guide future development and redevelopment at the Zoo. We treasure our place in Toronto and the wider region and believe that the future of the Zoo should reflect what our community values!
This page has been set up as to share the plan we’ve been developing and to provide a space for you to learn more about the master planning process and opportunities to get involved. Take a scroll below for more and be sure to check back here for updates!
A Master Plan is a document that articulates a vision of a place in order to guide its development and redevelopment over a long-term period of time (typically ± 20 years). Master Plans are not detailed design plans but rather they:
The Master Plan project began in the Fall of 2020 with the collection of background information and research and analysis into the Zoo, its operations, and its future direction and it’s expected to be completed in by the Summer of 2021. For an overview of the road ahead, see the Project Milestone Tracker near the top of this page.
In addition to the Concept Master Plan, your Zoo is embarking on a journey to better leverage technology and enhance its technological capabilities. By working with WSP, the Zoo is currently undertaking the development of a Technology Transformation and Innovation Master Plan. This plan will provide a technology roadmap for the Zoo and establish the priority for how and when technology improvements are implemented.
This initiative offers a unique opportunity for your Zoo - to make its mark in a new way by becoming a leader in Zoo technology, while benefitting the animals under care, improving the guest experience, and reducing environmental impact.
To start this project the Zoo undertook an extensive backgrounding exercise to build a strong foundation on which the Master Plan will be created. In coordination with Zoo staff and a multi-disciplinary consulting team, this exercise involved:
This work allowed the project team to gain an intimate understanding of the site and project context, before diving into more focused conversations with Zoo stakeholders. For an inside look at some of the analysis conducted by the project team, check out some of the links below:
Your Toronto Zoo values its place in the hearts of so many Torontonians and Ontarians and we want to ensure you have an opportunity to help create a new vision for the Zoo.
This website will also be updated on a regular basis to keep the community informed throughout the life of the project.
Following the completion of the community engagement survey, a summary of feedback will be prepared and posted to the website – we’ll also be reaching back out to the community in late spring for feedback on the draft plan once prepared.
Please see below the General Public Webinar hosted Thursday, March 25 below for further explanation of the Toronto Zoo Master Plan.
Primary Consultant
Mandaworks design studio (Montreal)
https://www.mandaworks.com/
In collaboration with:
Ralph Applebaum Associates (New York)
http://www.raany.com/
Re:Public Urbanism (Montreal)
https://www.republicurbanism.com/
Town Square (New York)
https://www.townsquarecorp.com/
Momentum (Montreal)
https://momentum-transport.ca/