Op-Ed: Designing the Commute Back In
Like many other cities, Toronto is currently recalibrating its downtown. Remote and hybrid working habits—a remnant of the Covid-19 pandemic—have waned, and we are seeing a mass return to office. Notably, both major banks and the Ontario Public Service have implemented return-to-office mandates which have concentrated transit and traffic demand on the busiest midweek days, changing workers’ commuting experience.
At the same time, the city is actively rewriting its mobility map. Major projects like the Ontario Line, GO network expansion and Line 6 Finch West signal a new era of growth, facilitating faster, more reliable movement across northwest Toronto.
Considering these factors, the delivery of major commercial space in downtown Toronto in the early 2020s has been challenging. Uncertainty in the office market, evolving commuting patterns, and a lack of collective agreement on where new development should lead has left many developers with the same question: Are we rebuilding the city we had pre-Covid, or designing the city we need next?
Participating in last year’s Council on Vertical Urbanism conference in Toronto felt especially timely, with the second tower at CIBC Square gearing up for completion and occupation. It provided an opportunity for me to reflect on the project with peers from around the world, where it became clear that many of the questions facing Toronto echoed globally:
How can transit-oriented design drive forward the next evolution of office projects as companies head back to in-person work full-time? And how can architecture meaningfully contribute to urban resilience?
From the outset, CIBC Square was conceived as more than a pair of office towers. Sitting directly above Union Station’s rail corridor, the project occupies one of the most technically complex sites in the country, including air rights spanning active tracks at the heart of Canada’s busiest transportation hub.
In working with Hines and Ivanhoé Cambridge, it was clear the ambition was not simply to build over infrastructure, but to transform it into civic space and make the return to the office worthwhile, sustainable and truly connected.
Lessons from overseas
The approach reflects lessons learned from our earlier work at 21 Moorfields in London, UK—the new London HQ for Deutsche Bank. Built above our Elizabeth Line and Moorgate Station, the project demonstrated how large-scale commercial development could be seamlessly integrated with transit whilst simultaneously creating new public spaces and walkable pedestrian connections. Through the lens of 21 Moorfields, when infrastructure is treated as a civic asset rather than a technical constraint, the “impossible” site becomes a catalyst for regeneration, and the building does more than sit above the network; it enhances it.
At CIBC Square, those ideas have been translated into a North American context that is larger in scale and different in climate. Yet the guiding principle remains: transit is not a limitation, it is an opportunity. From my perspective, this case of successful downtown transit-oriented development (TOD) can be measured by three outcomes: mending the urban fabric across infrastructure barriers; enhancing infrastructure and integrating with transit rather than simply benefiting from proximity; and providing city-serving amenities and public spaces that make density worthwhile.
Bridging the city across the rail corridor
Some urban designers argue that the success of TODs hinges on what happens where buildings meet the city. In this regard, CIBC Square establishes a new benchmark, at its core serving as an urban connector. It features two 250-meter-high towers on opposite sides of Toronto’s main rail corridor, linked at a high level by a one-acre skypark accessible to the public, spanning what is otherwise a stark urban divide and extending the downtown core south. As Toronto’s first major park built over rail infrastructure, it creates public space that invites city dwellers to enjoy a place of pause, movement, and exchange.
The design is explicitly townscape-focused: extending the city across the rail line, directing urban flow with interconnected plazas and a landscaped laneway, and using the park as a bridge connecting the Financial Core toward the South Core and waterfront rather than merely a rooftop feature. With integrated public art, flexible programming, and generous pedestrian connections softening what could have been a purely infrastructural megastructure, CIBC Square reinforces the idea that density and delight are not mutually exclusive.
Integration improves the system
The second lesson focuses on system integration that boosts overall functionality. The masterplan features a new Union Station Bus Terminal, upgrades to the Union Station East Teamway, expanded PATH connections, and stronger links to Union Station, the subway, and future Waterfront East LRT. Many TOD projects struggle here: being close in proximity to transit but not operating as part of it.
In this case, the ground plane and connections are designed to facilitate daily commuting, reducing obstacles and ensuring smooth movement. Having Metrolinx as a development partner also facilitated a deeper integration.
Design as an amenity for office workers
A successful office revival will depend primarily on workplace factors such as experience, well-being, and daily convenience rather than nostalgia for past routines. CIBC Square is designed as a preeminent campus environment, offering amenities such as a food hall strategically located at the park level, retail shops, conference facilities, and wellness spaces, while the skypark offers a place for informal work and meetings, significantly enhancing the district as a civic-focused destination.
The strongest transit-oriented projects go beyond proximity to transport hubs. They become part of the system, providing better public realm, better daily flow, and amenities that make dense downtown living more pleasant. Considering this, CIBC Square’s focus on connectivity, comfort, and civic value should help to facilitate a more inviting—and thus more successful—office revival.
The market response has been telling. In a period marked by softening demand for office space, CIBC Square has achieved strong leasing performance. Major tenants have pointed to its proximity to transit, access to outdoor space, and wellness-focused amenities as decisive factors in attracting and retaining talent.
As the Toronto and GTA transit network continues to expand, TODs will increasingly define how the city evolves. The lesson is clear: we are not going back to the old ways. Urban development is moving forward. The spaces with the most impact will be those that treat transit infrastructure as a civic asset and apply these principles consistently: treat complex sites as catalysts, integrate transit as a seamless extension of daily life, and build tall in ways that knit the city together; resilient, welcoming, and unmistakably human.
Dominic Bettison is the director at WilkinsonEyre.
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