Toronto's seven new buildings are reshaping its reputation.

In 2025 experts highlighted seven new Toronto projects — from Biidaasige Park to Limberlost Place — for their design, public benefits and use of sustainable and community-focused approaches.

Toronto has long carried a reputation for being unattractive, a view often remarked on by writers and visitors. In 2025 the city saw a number of new public and private projects that drew attention for design, community impact and technical innovation. The Star asked architecture experts to nominate seven notable projects completed or advanced this year. The selection spans parks, housing, health centres and large commercial developments. Notable projects: - Biidaasige Park (51 Commissioners St.): Part of a $1.3-billion flood-protection and waterfront restoration led by Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, creating a new island called Ookwemin Minising and a naturalized park and wetland; the site is planned to evolve and may eventually house up to 15,000 people. - Limberlost Place (185 Queens Quay E.): A 10-storey mass-timber building at George Brown Polytechnic that uses natural ventilation, solar chimneys and no fossil-fuel-fired equipment; the project required extended negotiations with city planners and code authorities and is described as net-zero in operational impact. - Aqualuna Condos (261 Queens Quay E.): A curving, two-tower condominium executed in monochromatic copper with sweeping balconies and a central amenity area; the building incorporates thermal breaks in balconies and shares space with the East Bayfront Community Recreation Centre. - Supportive housing (1120 Ossington Ave.): A 25-unit project developed by St. Clare's Multifaith Housing Society and designed by Smart Density, with 250-square-foot units that include a kitchenette and bathroom, accessible ground floor space, prefab mass-timber construction and subsidized monthly rents reported in the article. - Anishnawbe Health Toronto (425 Cherry St.): A purpose-built Indigenous community health centre designed by Two Row with Indigenous-led design elements, a raised ceremonial garden visible through the building and materials and finishes intended to support culturally informed care. - CIBC Square (81 and 141 Bay St.): A two-tower development adjacent to Union Station that aims to bridge the rail corridor, with the second tower topped out in 2025, a public one-acre park planned between the towers and a diamond-pattern cladding designed to refract changing light. Summary: These seven projects were highlighted for bringing different priorities into Toronto’s built environment, including flood protection and waterfront renewal, Indigenous-led design, smaller-scale supportive housing, mass-timber construction and large-scale commercial redevelopment. Some projects are newly opened or completed, while others will continue to evolve on their sites; Biidaasige Park has planned future housing capacity and CIBC Square includes a park with scheduled public programming.