The Orbit:

Innisfil
Rural Re-Imagined

+
 Vision I
Embracing Innovation and the Future II
A Design Like No Other III
Canada’s Most Desirable Community IV
Our Small-Town Character and Heritage V
A Complete Community VI
Getting Around VII
A Home for Everyone VIII
Summary IX
Innisfil 2 The Orbit 3 Contents
 The Orbit is our vision for a
complete, cutting-edge community
where our small town and rural
Welcome to the ORBIT lifestyles are enhanced by the
benefits and attributes of urban
living.
 Vision I
The vision recognizes Innisfil for its unique city building and agriculture, open spaces, access to trails The Orbit means great architecture. It’s
context and character; proposes a new & waterfront and walkability, which are all where architecture and design push the
urban fabric that will push the limits of architectural thinking. part of this rural reimagination. envelope towards an artful yet sustainable
possibility; igniting interested and inspiring city of the future.
The Orbit is a vision for a Next Generation
citizens today and tomorrow to be part of
Community located 60 km North of As an extension
this new place. At the heart of it we imagine The Orbit is a clean slate to reimagine how
a cohesive center for Innisfil, currently a Canada’s largest city, Toronto. The planned in the tradition of a community of tomorrow is built today.
project has the capacity to absorb over
municipality of clustered hamlets, that will
40 million square feet (4 million square
the garden city, the Mobility, transit links, innovative streets
gravitate and grow around a new regional and infrastructure, streetscapes, social
transit link and cultural center slated to be meters) of newly built modern community. Orbit vision is the interaction, health and wellness, a digital
built over the next four years. It will truly be a place to grow.
outcome of a forward and connected community with a vibrant
and robust modern economy based on
The Orbit is a cutting-edge community thinking collaboration
The city, inspired where small town and rural lifestyles co- between next
critical thinking, technology, new tech
agriculture, advanced manufacturing,
by the idea of an exist with the benefits and attributes
generation architects, artificial intelligence, combined with a
of urban living. The public realm is at
orbit and ripple, is a the forefront with housing density & municipal leaders,
vibrant “start up” energy and culture all
shape the Orbit towards the future of
dynamic embrace of affordability, mobility, transit, arts, culture,
community builders, placemaking and city building.
its agricultural roots technology, connectivity, business, digital
and developers.
innovation, economy, healthcare, social
with 21st century cohesion & infrastructure, sustainability,

Innisfil 6 The Orbit 7 Vision

Innisfil 8 The Orbit 9
 Embracing Innovation II
and the Future

The Orbit will feature a fast, secure fibre-

optic network woven throughout the
community’s sidewalks, streets, buildings
and more, designed to support innovation
from local community members and
entrepreneurs, while being governed by the
appropriate privacy protection policies.

Innisfil 10 The Orbit 11 Embracing Innovation and the Future

 A Design Like No Other iii
As an extension of the tradition of the garden city, the Orbit vision is the
outcome of a forward-thinking collaboration between next generation
architects, city leaders, community builders, and developers.

The characteristic Orbit plan and density ripple, is based on an innovative series
of concentric “squircles” (literally where squares and circles merge) emanating
from the new transit hub and melding with the existing grid of the region.
Imagine that our squircle is a modern version of an old European city layout.

Without a doubt, our shared future depends on everyone living closer together
and in this regard, the Orbit potentially offers the world’s first example for
how to build such a community. A traditional suburban population consuming
a 50km2 area will instead constitute a more efficient and sustainable 2km2
model. Through intelligent and superior architectural design, the Orbit
seamlessly consolidates and reduces sprawl, while providing communities with
a closer relationship to nature while reducing pressure on infrastructure.

circle + square = squircle

Innisfil 12 The Orbit 13 A Design Like No Other

 Canada’s Most Desirable IV
Community
The Orbit, will grow over
generations to a population
target of 150,000 people,
creating a dynamic center of
800

400
activity for visitors and residents
alike, appealing to a variety
of lifestyle activities that are
possible and available in the
area. Famed Canadian cottage
country destinations, Lake
Simcoe and the Muskokas,
as well as Collingwood are a
stone’s throw away, as is the
phase 1 PHASE 2 PHASE 3 greater Toronto Area. Offering
a rural-urban, all-season
STATION + sleeping lion 400M/1300ft + 6th line 800m/2600ft
(400M/330ft) experience and easy access to
INNISFIL TOTal 36 600 people 240 000 people the city.
ORBIT TOTal 5 000 people 150 000 people

Innisfil 14 The Orbit 15 Canada’s Most Desirable Community

 Our Small-Town v
Character and Heritage
We know and understand that our population
will continue to expand and the Orbit allows
Innisfil to grow in a way that preserves
our natural landscapes and habitat by
concentrating all of our future expansion
into one place; our natural agricultural lands,
forests, trails, habitats, historical buildings
will be untouched - just as our community
has always wanted.

Innisfil 16 The Orbit 17 Our Small-Town Character and Heritage

 This option shows an arrangment where 56 Temperance
would have a covenant (or equivalent) on title to permit a
larger tower at 360/366 Bay St.

Buildable Area

A Complete Community vi
25m
Total as-of-right: 11,196 m2 (120,500 ft2)
Transfer potential from 56 Temperance: 790 m2 (8,510 ft2)
10 floors w/ 10,040 ft2 floor plates (existing)
+ 8 floors w/ 3,635 ft2 floor plates

379m2 (4,080 ft2) floor plate

360 Bay St.

ent where 56 Temperance

valent) on title to permit a
St. Tower Separation Distances
TBG recommends a minimum 25m separation between
towers, and achieves it by recomending a 12.5m setback
from PLs, and the CLs of streets and lanes (pp. 55) .

25m Richmond St W
20,500 ft2)
137m (450’)
perance: 790 m2 (8,510 ft2) 40.10.40.10 (A)

+ DC’s = $
Height Overlay Map (439), June 18, 2012
lates (existing) 372 Bay St
ates 2m cantilever 3m or greater

Te
mp
er
en
ce
St
.
366 Bay St 12.5m or greater

.
St
y
379m2 (4,080 ft2) floor plate

Ba
360 Bay St. 56

Bay St
360 Bay St
Temperance
New accessible roof

Ri
ch
mo
nd
Continuing across to 56 Temperance

St
W
CL 12.5m or greater
CL

start-ups
Distances
25m separation between
DC’s
mending a 12.5m setback
ts and lanes (pp. 55) .

137m (450’)
40.10.40.10 (A)
Height Overlay Map (439), June 18, 2012
Bay St
3m or greater
Te
m
pe
re
nc
e
St.

6 Bay St 12.5m or greater

allocations + pumping
St.
y
Ba
Bay St

Bay St
New accessible roof
Ri
ch
m
on

Continuing across to 56 Temperance

d
St
W

12.5m or greater Property Line

CL

Residential Office / Residential Office /

Light Industrial Light Industrial

dynamic zoning community

+ X+Y=
Recommended
Setback
Y
Podium
Decking Retail Retail

Parking Parking Parking

market

Residential
X
Parking Parking Parking

hospital
Rail Line Crash Wall Rail Line Crash Wall Rail Line Crash Wall

Property Line Property Line Property Line

Acoustical

school Fence

Residential
Residential
Residential
Berm

Rail Line Fence Rail Line Fence Rail Line Fence

nucleus
Setback
culture Setback Setback

the station

retail

trails + connective parks wetlands/openspace

shoreline

residential
park

town hall

advanced manufacturing incubator

infrastructure

Innisfil 18 The Orbit 19 A Complete Community

 Getting Around VII
Within the next few years, Innisfil will be home
to a new GO Station transit hub - something
that will provide faster, better access to regional
transportation. With this in mind, our complete
community is designed with how people will live,
travel, interact, play and work - or Orbit - in and
around it; without a doubt, this is the defining
design principal of the vision.

As the first municipality to implement a ride-

sharing transit system, Innisfil has a history of
tapping into innovation to move people; the Orbit
will accelerate and evolve this system by adopting
a crowd-sourced model, powered by autonomous
electric vehicles, providing the world with an
example of what could be the most sustainable
transit model ever conceived.

Innisfil 20 The Orbit 21 Getting Here

 A Home for Everyone VIII
The region around Toronto is experiencing a housing crisis.
The Orbit is a response to that need as well as the reality
that people have a real desire to live in communities that
provide access to major economic centers while offering the
peace of a rural context.

A key principle in building safe, balanced, healthy

neighbourhoods is ensuring a mix of individuals and
families from all socio-economic backgrounds. As a result,
the Orbit will boast a variety of homes for individuals from
all walks of life and shared equity programs will be available
to provide ownership opportunities for those who would
normally be unable to afford it.

Providing 30 - 50 million ft2

of built form and
population increase of
150,000 people
Innisfil 22 The Orbit 23 A Home For Everyone
 Summary Ix
1. A New Transit Hub
2. A hub for Startups and the Ecosystem to Support
their Growth
3. Committed to bringing Jobs & Industry to the Orbit
4. Proximity to Healthcare
5. Proximity to Education, K12 to Post Secondary
6. Recreation and Lakes within 15 minutes
7. Equidistant to the Muskokas + Downtown Toronto
8. Proximity to Pearson International Airport

Innisfil 24 The Orbit 25 A Home For Everyone