Investing in Our Downtown, Building Our Future

For well over 100 years, Aurora’s historic core has served as the heart of our community—a vibrant place to gather, celebrate, shop, dine, and connect. Despite its enduring significance, past revitalization efforts have been hindered by outdated regulations and unrealized opportunities. Over the past seven years, we have shifted course, making deliberate decisions guided by a clear, coordinated vision that is shaping the future of our downtown.

The most important step we took was investing in Town Square. That investment changed everything. It created a true public gathering place where families, seniors, and young people can come together for events, celebrations, and everyday life — and it signalled that Aurora believes in its downtown and is willing to invest in it.

Building on that foundation, one of the most important planning steps we are now taking is the introduction of the Downtown Community Planning Permit System (CPPS). This modern planning framework replaces multiple outdated approval processes with one clear, predictable system. It protects our heritage, improves design standards, and gives residents, business owners, and investors confidence in what can be built and how.

The CPPS also enables the development of a wider range of unit sizes, making it possible for people at every stage of life—from a single resident to a family of five—to live downtown and experience firsthand why Aurora is one of the best places to live in Canada.

That certainty matters. It means less red tape, better design, and faster, more transparent decision-making — all while ensuring new development respects the character of our historic downtown.

The CPPS protects against uncontrolled growth. It enables us to shape growth in a way that supports walkability, protects heritage buildings, and creates a vibrant, mixed-use core where people can live, work, shop, and gather.

But the CPPS is only one part of a much larger picture.

The upcoming Yonge Street streetscape improvements are another major piece — creating a more attractive, pedestrian-friendly main street that supports local businesses and improves the public realm. And anchor tenants like Slabtown in the Armoury are another piece  — bringing new energy, jobs, and activity into the heart of our community.

These are not isolated projects. They form part of a coordinated downtown revitalization strategy that began seven years ago and continues to shape the future of our community.

This is what positive momentum looks like.

We are building a downtown that is more vibrant, more walkable, and more economically resilient. We are respecting our past while planning responsibly for the future. And we are making sure that growth happens on Aurora’s terms — with strong design, strong heritage protection, and meaningful community benefits.

This is the vision for downtown Aurora that is already taking shape, and with each new step — from Town Square to the CPPS to the streetscape and beyond — we are strengthening our shared belief in a downtown that reflects the pride and promise of our community. #LeadershipThatGetsThingsDone

Renderings from the CPPS

Yonge looking north from Mosley St

Yonge St and Wellington St

Town Square

Temperance St and Wellington St