Can AI really extract planning data from zoning by-laws accurately? In part 1 of this series, Jocelyn Tang explores the AI concepts, model types, and trade-offs that matter when working with legal planning text.

Gentle density is becoming a bigger part of how cities grow, but the path from policy to real projects is still complex. In this piece, Erin Morrow explores who is actually building the missing middle, why these projects are often harder than they appear, and what better tools could do to help small-scale development move forward.

Multidisciplinary Urban Capstone Project (MUCP) students at the University of Toronto's School of Cities reimagined long-term care in Toronto’s downtown core by combining podium-level LTC with residential towers above. Using Ratio.City for contextual analysis and massing, the team demonstrated how modest policy adjustments could unlock 9,000 much-needed beds while increasing housing and jobs near transit.

Finding hidden development density is becoming one of the most valuable skills in Canadian real estate and urban planning. As cities shift away from greenfield expansion and toward intensification, opportunities increasingly exist within underutilized industrial and commercial land located near transit corridors. Using London, Ontario as a case study, this article shows how municipal zoning, federal Housing Accelerator Fund policies, and provincial Protected Major Transit Station Areas intersect to unlock new development potential. Learn how Ratio.City helps planners, developers, and land acquisition teams layer policy, transit, and land-use data to identify high-value density opportunities faster and with less risk.