by Brianna Crandall — October 29, 2012—Despite a higher number of completed buildings in New York City, Toronto has become North America’s new high-rise “boomtown,” according to analysis of current construction data by researchers with the Emporis global database of buildings. Emporis research shows that Toronto currently has 147 high-rises and skyscrapers under construction, which the group says is the highest number in North America and more than twice the number being built in New York City, still the center of high-rise architecture in North America.
Emporis defines a “high-rise” as a multistory building of at least 35 meters, or of 12 to 39 stories if the height is not known. Those at least 100 meters tall, or 40 stories and more, are classed as skyscrapers.
No other major city in the United States or Canada comes close to Toronto’s—or to New York City’s—high-rise construction activity, notes Emporis. Third place in the ranking is occupied by Vancouver, with 21 high-rises under construction; Montreal follows close behind with just one site fewer. Boston, Ottawa and Richmond (British Columbia), the three cities in joint eighth place, have only 12 high-rises each being built.
Toronto’s construction industry has seen a continuous upward trend over recent years. October 2012 alone saw 15 high-rise building sites more in Toronto than November 2011. In New York City in the same period, on the other hand, construction of high-rises decreased by 14, from 86 in September 2011 down to 72 in October 2012.
Despite the current construction boom, Toronto will be unable to compete with New York City in terms of the total number of completed high-rises—even over the course of decades to come, predicts Emporis. There are currently 6,009 completed high-rises in the city on the Hudson; Toronto, by contrast, has 2,501, more than 3,500 fewer. By way of further comparison, Hong Kong, with 7,829, is the city with the highest number of high-rises and skyscrapers in the world.
