News & Updates
A Canadian project making a global impression, YZD is being recognized internationally for redefining what’s possible in urban transformation.
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Meet YZD
North America’s largest urban redevelopment
30,000+ new homes
5,000+ construction & trades jobs annually
23,000 full-time jobs at completion
70+ acres of parks & public space
Supported and shovel-ready
Construction starts Q1 2026
Showcasing urban innovation
Creating thousands of jobs and strengthening Canada’s skilled trades
Beginning in early 2026, YZD will generate thousands of new construction and trades jobs each year, sustained throughout the lifetime of the project. In total, the site is projected to create and support over 23,000 jobs across sectors. YZD represents both immediate economic impact and long-term industry growth that strengthens Canada’s workforce and economy.
Meeting an urgent national need with housing that’s ready to build
Canada’s housing crisis demands action at scale and speed. YZD will help meet that need by delivering more than 30,000 new homes across seven neighbourhoods, with the first phases ready to begin construction as soon as enabling infrastructure is in place. The project unlocks one of the few sites in Toronto capable of adding this level of supply within the city’s existing urban boundary. Designed to include a mix of housing types and tenures, YZD will create complete communities where people can live close to jobs, transit, and green space.
Putting Canadians to work, supporting Canadian industry and innovation
YZD is a national opportunity to strengthen Canada’s industries, workforce, and leadership in sustainable development. The project will prioritize “Buy Canadian”, drawing on homegrown talent, materials, and innovation. Sourcing from Canadian steel and lumber, along with the skilled trades that will deliver it, YZD will advance domestic growth, create lasting jobs, and showcase Canada’s ability to build at a global standard.
A rallying project shaped by collaboration and shared purpose
YZD’s overarching Secondary Plan received unanimous City Council approval, reflecting early engagement, meaningful consultation, and alignment across key stakeholders. The project embodies a shared commitment to advancing housing, employment, and sustainability with rigour and accountability. Building on this foundation, YZD continues to foster collaboration with public and private partners, showing how shared goals and coordinated action can bring transformational projects to life.
Reconnecting the city through existing transit and new public space
Downsview Park, Sheppard West, and Wilson stations anchor one of Toronto’s best-served transit areas, yet the lands around them have long been fenced off and underused. YZD will bring these connections to life, transforming an isolated site into an integrated part of the city. With the transit infrastructure already in place, the project will knit together surrounding neighbourhoods, creating new routes for residents, workers, and visitors to move easily through and across the area.
Setting a new national benchmark for low-carbon city building
YZD is being planned as one of Canada’s most climate-forward communities, removing fossil fuel reliance and advancing electrification across the site. The project is exploring building performance standards that exceed municipal requirements and the use of green infrastructure to manage stormwater on-site. Together, these efforts set out to establish a model for responsible, future-ready urban development.
A national sandbox for testing, scaling, and showcasing Canadian innovation
YZD will bring innovation to life – both within its reimagined hangars and across the entire site. The hangars will provide dedicated space for research, testing, and manufacturing in modular housing, construction technology, advanced building systems and beyond. Beyond their walls, the broader development will serve as a live demonstration site for innovation at scale, where new ideas in design, sustainability, and infrastructure can be implemented in real time. Together, these initiatives make YZD a model for how Canada builds smarter, faster, and more sustainably.
A commitment grounded in respect and shared opportunity
Years of dialogue and relationship-building have shaped YZD’s approach to reconciliation. Northcrest has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, the Treaty Holders of this land, to ensure meaningful participation and lasting economic opportunities throughout the project. This partnership creates a model for collaboration with other local First Nations and reflects a long-term commitment to cultural, educational, and commercial inclusion at every stage of development.
YZD is a cornerstone project advancing Canada’s housing, economic, and sustainability goals.
Led by Northcrest Developments, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Public Sector Pension Investment Board, the project will transform the 370-acre former Downsview Airport lands into seven vibrant neighbourhoods. .
Centrally located in North America’s fastest growing region. YZD is a nation-building opportunity of unprecedented scale. It will directly support Canada’s core industries, addressing the housing challenge while creating enduring economic, social, and environmental value.
Across its seven planned neighbourhoods, YZD will evolve over time into a new part of the city, connected by transit, defined by innovation, and anchored by the reimagined Runway, a public space that will bring people together at the heart of the site.
YZD represents Canada’s capacity to set a new global standard for sustainable city building, creating a legacy for decades to come.
Wall Street Journal
The $22 Billion Plan to Turn a Defunct Airport Into a Small City
The recognition YZD has received across disciplines underscores a shared belief: that large-scale development can be both ambiti
Northcrest Developments was established in 2018 to lead the renewal of this once-in-a-generation, city-changing project.
The decisions we make today will define how tens of thousands of Torontonians will live for decades to come. Getting it right is no small task. YZD is about deciding and building better —to create spaces that inspire, empower, and endure for generations.
We are guided by a Responsible Development Framework that sets the guardrails and boundaries for five interconnected milestones to deliver a measurable, lasting improvement in quality of life. YZD is more than a development—it is Canada’s boldest act of city building in a generation.
Honouring Indigenous History
These lands are part of the Treaty Lands and Territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, signatories of Treaty 13 and Host First Nation to YZD. For thousands of years, it has been the Traditional Territory of many First Nations, including the Huron-Wendat and the Haudenosaunee peoples. We are committed to the wise stewardship of these lands and to meaningful engagement and partnership with Indigenous Peoples, as we strive to shape communities welcoming to all.