The Urbanist – North America’s Fastest-Growing City: How Toronto Is Taking Shape

Date: February 19, 2026
Host: Andrew Tuck (Monocle)

Episode Overview

This episode of The Urbanist explores Toronto’s dynamic transformation as North America’s fastest-growing urban center. The show investigates the vertical boom led by supertall skyscrapers like Pinnacle Sky Tower, how indigenous knowledge is shaping new urban developments, and celebrates the legacy of Edwardian architect Frank Darling. Through interviews with city-shaping experts, listeners gain insights into the aesthetics, challenges, and cultural debates defining Toronto’s skyline and community life.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Toronto’s Vertical Transformation: Pinnacle Sky Tower

Guest: Anson Kwok (VP Sales & Marketing, Pinnacle International)
Interviewer: Carlotta Rebelo

• Toronto’s Changing Skyline

  • Toronto has undergone a “scale-busting boom” in the past two decades, achieving the highest concentration of small-scale heritage podiums topped with supertall glass towers. (David Winterson, 00:11)
  • Pinnacle Sky Tower just became Canada’s tallest building and the country’s first to reach 100 stories (actually 106). It’s also North America’s first-ever 100+ story residential building. (Andrew Tuck, 00:30; Anson Kwok, 01:52)
  • “It really just adds a little bit more definition to a very busy skyline.” (Anson Kwok, 01:52)

• Designing for Livability at Great Height

  • Designing a vertical community requires careful planning: layouts, elevator separation, multiple lobbies, to enhance flow and privacy. (Anson Kwok, 02:32)
  • “It is a tall building, but it’s also a 12,000 square foot floor plate...not a skinny tall tower, it’s an elegant tall building.” (Anson Kwok, 03:28)
  • Elevator logistics are carefully designed to avoid congestion and preserve security and comfort (distinct elevator banks serve lower and upper halves of the building). (Anson Kwok, 03:28)

• Integration with Community

  • Pinnacle Sky Tower is part of a larger master-planned community, with a 50,000 sq. ft. community center, retail, parks, permeable public spaces, and a hotel. (Anson Kwok, 05:16)
  • “We put a lot of thought into parks, public spaces, really making this community very permeable and accessible to everyone around.” (Anson Kwok, 05:16)

• Densification and Urban Growth

  • Central location provides transit access (planes, trains, highways, local airport), essential for balancing densification with livability. (Anson Kwok, 06:04)
  • The project pushes “through that glass ceiling” around height, setting precedent for what’s possible in Toronto’s dense core. (Anson Kwok, 07:08)

• Living at Height — The Vertical Community

  • Anson shares his experience: “I always joked that I was the vertical commuter for a really long time…I think it’s just a different peaceful environment…you really have a lot more sense of community.” (Anson Kwok, 08:00)

2. Uncovering Toronto’s Edwardian Legacy: The Work of Frank Darling

Guest: David Winterson (Architect & Author)
Host Interview: Andrew Tuck

• Frank Darling: Architect of Imperial Age Toronto

  • Darling was responsible for over 360 projects nationwide, a third in Toronto, including landmarks like University of Toronto buildings, major banks, and civic infrastructure. He helped define the city’s Edwardian core. (David Winterson, 09:59)
  • “He became Canada’s establishment architect, really.” (David Winterson, 09:59)

• Campus and Bank Architecture

  • Darling shaped the University of Toronto’s shift from scattered Victorian buildings to a planned, cohesive Edwardian ensemble. (David Winterson, 10:58)
  • He was instrumental in a uniquely Canadian style of “banking architecture,” giving even smaller towns imposing, iconic bank branches. (David Winterson, 10:58; 13:09)
  • “Canadian main branches were bigger than what you would see in London and even in New York.” (Andrew Tuck, 13:09)

• Personal Journey, Legacy, and Identity

  • Winterson’s research began in the late ‘90s through work on Toronto’s heritage buildings. He reflects on Darling’s bachelorhood and his ties to Toronto’s elite, noting, “He thrived regardless of if there’s any internal struggles, I guess.” (David Winterson, 13:55; 16:34)

• Contemporary Relevance

  • Darling’s influence persists: “People are walking past Darling and Pearson and Frank Darling buildings all the time…” (David Winterson, 15:18)
  • The modern challenge: blending Toronto’s heritage with its “scale busting boom,” asking, “Can we make that a beautiful city?” (David Winterson, 17:51/19:17)

3. Building Community Through Indigenous-Centered Urbanism: The Indigenous Hub

Guest: Les Klein (Co-founder, BDP Quadrangle Architects)
Interviewer: Carlotta Rebelo

• Urban Indigenous Presence and Purpose

  • Over 50% of Canada’s Indigenous population lives in cities, with Toronto ranked fourth largest. The Indigenous Hub aims to center urban Indigenous needs and heal historical wounds via architecture. (Les Klein, 20:17)
  • “The primary purpose…was to create an Indigenous-oriented health center that is purpose-built in the center of the city.” (Les Klein, 20:17)
  • The site, once industrial land, is now designed for Indigenous ownership and long-term financial stability through land leases and mixed uses. (Les Klein, 20:17)

• Co-Designing with Indigenous Knowledge and Materials

  • Design process rooted in Indigenous decision-making and consensus, prioritizing respect, humility, and inclusion over speed. Klein shares, “We learned that Indigenous decision-making is about consensus...” (Les Klein, 23:01)
  • Example: Brick—a universal material in the district but painful for Indigenous communities due to associations with residential schools. Solution: Brick laid in basket-weaving patterns, symbolizing protection and connection, “wrapping the entire block on three sides with a basket or even a blanket.” (Les Klein, 23:01)

• Bridging Urban and Indigenous Cultures

  • Architecture seen as a tool for physical and social healing, sparking questions and deeper learning:
    • “Every time you ask a question, it elicits an answer. And hopefully in the process, it elicits understanding of an Indigenous way of seeing.” (Les Klein, 23:01; 26:01)
  • Hope for the future: Mainstream architects can embrace Indigenous design principles—seasonal awareness, orientation, connection to nature. (Les Klein, 27:27)
  • “I believe that architecture needs to be an engine for social change.” (Les Klein, 27:27)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Toronto’s Boom and Vertical Living

  • “Toronto’s gone through an incredible scale busting boom in the past 20 years.” — David Winterson [00:11]
  • “Elevators…people on ground floor. You do experience a lot more community and then obviously a lot more private space when you’re up on your own floor.” — Anson Kwok [08:00]

• On Edwardian Influence

  • “Canadian main branches were bigger than...in London and even in New York.” — Andrew Tuck [13:09]
  • “Part of what I want the book to do is develop a conversation about a city’s architectural culture and if that can kind of lead to a consensus and to a more beautiful public realm.” — David Winterson [19:18]

• On Co-Design and Healing in the Indigenous Hub

  • “You can’t use brick.…to our community brick means residential schools.” (Les Klein relaying Matthew Hickey, Two Row Architect) [23:01]
  • “I believe architecture needs to be an engine for social change.” — Les Klein [27:27]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:11 — Introduction to Toronto’s construction boom and urban transformation (David Winterson)
• 00:30 — Episode theme, focus on Pinnacle Sky Tower and urban densification (Andrew Tuck)
• 01:52–08:00 — Interview with Anson Kwok: Pinnacle Sky Tower, supertall design, vertical communities
• 09:20–19:18 — Interview with David Winterson: Frank Darling’s legacy, Toronto’s Edwardian fabric, lessons for today
• 20:17–28:36 — Interview with Les Klein: Indigenous Hub, importance of co-design, material symbolism, architecture as reconciliation

Episode Takeaways

• Toronto is redefining itself both as a city of supertall towers and through thoughtful community-driven urbanism.
• Preserving heritage and fostering a new architectural consensus is a central challenge during this rapid transformation.
• Deep engagement with Indigenous knowledge and inclusive process is reshaping approaches to architecture and healing urban wounds.
• Ultimately, beauty, connection, and social purpose are at the heart of discussions about the future of cities.

Rich with expert voices and on-the-ground stories, this episode offers a compelling look at the ambitions and questions shaping Toronto and, by extension, the future of North American urbanism.