History

SRRA began as a partnership between the Canadian Urban Institute and Real Estate Search Corporation in 2008. This partnership expanded in 2011 to include public and private sector participants.  

The inspiration to create SRRA came from the Regional Planning Association (RPA), which has been providing infrastructure planning for New York City and its neighbors in the region since 1922. In 2017, SRRA gained further inspiration from the National Infrastructure Commission in the UK which is mandated to provide trusted advice on long term infrastructure investment.

Since 2011, collaboration with its diverse assembly of decision makers has introduced policy innovation leading to changes in the way the Greater Toronto Area is built.

SRRA Forums provide the research team access to ideas from a diverse assembly of decision makers. The evolution of policy innovation from this collaboration influences SRRA’s research papers and communications.  Forums provide inspiration for further work and help vet developing and innovative policy change.

SRRA was among the first organizations to highlight the lack of official plan policies addressing the needs and market-sensitive characteristics of major office development. Its ground-breaking research on the movement of employers who are able to provoke the creation of a new building has changed the focus of transportation planning from a single destination priority to recognize significant regional hubs.

SRRA led the initial argument to integrate the provincial rail corridors into the established local transit networks in 2015. Its continued influence in the creation of rail corridor enhancements and new policy to intensify transit oriented development has been at the forefront of innovative infrastructure policy.