The Centre for Urban Growth and Renewal (CUG+R) is a non-profit research organization founded in 2009 with the mission to engage in cross-disciplinary research initiatives fundamental to achieving livable and sustainable urban, suburban and rural environments. CUG+R has undertaken a series of key research initiatives to build more resilient apartment neighbourhoods across the region. A primary research focus of CUG+R is the Tower Neighbourhood Renewal Project, an initiative that re-examines the region’s postwar high-rise towers and the neighbourhoods in which they lie, with the focus of enabling apartment clusters to emerge as complete, vibrant, transit-supportive, low-carbon and equitable communities throughout the city and region.

In 2009 SvN Architects + Planners and ERA Architects (the founding partners of CUG+R), along with the Cities Centre at the University of Toronto, were commissioned by the Ontario Growth Secretariat in the Ministry of Infrastructure to examine the potential for engaging in a strategy of Tower Neighbourhood Renewal throughout the Greater Golden Horseshoe (GGH).

The Tower Renewal Partnership brings together partners including the Centre for Urban Growth + Renewal (ERA Architects and SvN), City of Toronto, Maytree and DKGI, Province of Ontario, NBLC, Transsolar, klimaEngineering, United Way of Toronto and York Region.

The initiative is defined by three main objectives:

• Maximize Social Opportunity through expanding community infrastructure and opening doors to allow social innovators, local entrepreneurs, local residents and newcomers to define their neighbourhoods;
• Optimize buildings and neighbourhood performance through lower carbon urbanism and healthy built form; and
• Expand housing and employment options through appropriate neighbourhood growth

Key project strategies of the Tower Renewal Showcase include:

• Retrofit of existing buildings
• Social & economic opportunities: mixed-use on site
• Growth, mixed-development and complete communities
• Financial tools and policy environment to support the above

Findings of this research initiative were published in the report Tower Neighbourhood Renewal in the Greater Golden Horseshoe: An Analysis of High-Rise Apartment Tower Neighbourhoods Developed in the Post-War Boom (1945-1984).

Tower Renewal received a National Urban Design Award in 2010.

More information on CUG+R can be found here.