Brampton is no longer just Toronto’s neighbour. With nearly 800,000 residents today, it’s already Ontario’s third largest city—and by 2051, Brampton is projected to surpass 985,000 residents, if not 1 million.
But is Brampton ready to handle that growth?
🏠 Housing Targets vs. Reality
Ontario has set a target of over 113,000 new homes for Brampton in its housing plan. But we know that number needs to go further — closer to 130,000–140,000 homes — to handle future demand and bring affordability back to the market.
🚉 Transit: Connecting a Million-Plus Metro
A million-strong Brampton will need more than houses. It needs a true rapid transit network.
At GTA Weekly, we envision:
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A completed Queen Street–Highway 7 BRT, built now, fast-tracked and completed in the next few years — then upgraded to an LRT to meet future demand in a city of a million residents. This line would connect Brampton to the TTC’s subway network at Vaughan Metropolitan Centre.
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A Pearson-Brampton LRT, connecting Brampton north/south through the community of Malton to Pearson Airport. This also could be built as BRT then upgraded to an LRT line that links residents directly to one of North America’s busiest transportation hubs.
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A completed Hurontario LRT, with an underground portion running down Main Street into downtown Brampton, linking with the GO Station — and extending south to Mississauga’s downtown at Square One, where it can eventually meet an extended TTC subway line reaching the Bloor-Danforth corridor.
These moves would transform Brampton from a city dependent on cars and buses into one of the most connected urban centres in Ontario — linked directly to Pearson, Toronto, Vaughan, and beyond by rapid transit.
🌆 Where the Homes Go
The housing challenge isn’t just about numbers. It’s about where we build.
Our vision: build Brampton’s needed 120,000–140,000 new homes along these transit corridors. High-density, mixed-use communities along Queen Street, Hurontario, Airport Road, and around GO stations will mean less congestion, more affordable housing options, and thriving urban neighbourhoods.
🏁 Final Word: Ready for a Million?
Brampton isn’t just one of Canada’s youngest cities by median age—it’s also one of the fastest-growing. Its downtown is transforming with new high-rise proposals, public space investments, and cultural developments.
But housing approvals have lagged. The city needs to act now to densify corridors, approve more multi-unit builds, and plan for transit that matches its projected population.
Brampton is not a suburb anymore. It’s a future metropolis. A city on track to hit a million residents — and it should embrace that title with pride.
What it needs now is the housing blueprint and transit investment to match.
📏 Square Footage is GTA Weekly’s editorial series on how Ontario can build for the next generation—one city at a time.
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