OR zone, Toronto: Open Space - Recreation Zone
Chapter 90, Section 90.30 of the City of Toronto Zoning By-law 569-2013, as amended by 545-2019, 1153-2023.
A zone for parks, community centres, sports and recreation facilities, libraries and similar public and civic uses, with limited shops and eateries allowed only alongside those main uses.
Is a property in the OR zone? Enter its address and the lookup returns the zone and these standards, including any site-specific exception.
Check an addressWhat the OR zone permits
- Ambulance Depot
- Art Gallery
- Community Centre
- Day Nursery
- Entertainment Place of Assembly
- Fire Hall
- Library
- Municipal Shelter
- Museum
- Park
- Place of Assembly
- Police Station
- Public Utility
- Recreation Use
- Sports Place of Assembly
- Transportation Use
- Amusement Arcade (with conditions, 90.30.20.100(1))
- Club (with conditions, 90.30.20.100(1))
- Cogeneration Energy (with conditions, 90.30.20.100(2))
- Eating Establishment (with conditions, 90.30.20.100(3))
- Education Use (with conditions, 90.30.20.100(1))
- Outdoor Patio (with conditions, 90.30.20.100(5))
- Personal Service Shop (with conditions, 90.30.20.100(3))
- Public Works Yard (with conditions, 90.30.20.100(6))
- Renewable Energy (with conditions, 90.30.20.100(2))
- Retail Store (with conditions, 90.30.20.100(3))
- Service Shop (with conditions, 90.30.20.100(3))
- Stable (with conditions, 90.30.20.100(1))
- Take-out Eating Establishment (with conditions, 90.30.20.100(3))
Standards
| Requirement | By-law |
|---|---|
| Minimum front yard | 6 m90.30.40.70(1): 6.0 m in all other cases; but if an abutting lot has a building fronting the same street within 15.0 m of the subject building, the setback is that building's front yard setback; if between two such abutting lots, the average of the two. 1.5 m for buildings 2.0 m or less in height with GFA 50.0 m2 or less (90.30.40.70(3)). |
| Minimum interior side yard | 3 m90.30.40.70(2): side yard setback 3.0 m in all other cases; a distance equal to the building height, to a maximum of 15.0 m, if the lot abuts a lot in the Residential or Residential Apartment Zone category. 1.5 m for buildings 2.0 m or less in height with GFA 50.0 m2 or less (90.30.40.70(3)). By-law does not distinguish interior from exterior side yards for this zone. |
| Minimum exterior side yard | 3 mSame rule as side yard setback in 90.30.40.70(2): 3.0 m in all other cases; equal to building height to a maximum of 15.0 m if the lot abuts a Residential or Residential Apartment Zone category lot; 1.5 m for small buildings per 90.30.40.70(3). By-law does not distinguish interior from exterior side yards for this zone. |
| Minimum rear yard | 3 m90.30.40.70(2): 3.0 m in all other cases; a distance equal to the building height, to a maximum of 15.0 m, if the lot abuts a lot in the Residential or Residential Apartment Zone category. 1.5 m for buildings 2.0 m or less in height with GFA 50.0 m2 or less (90.30.40.70(3)). |
| Maximum building height | 15 m90.30.40.10(1): the numerical value in metres following 'HT' on the Height Overlay Map; if no HT value applies to the lot, 15.0 m. |
Other provisions in this section
- Section 90.30 applies to all lands, uses, buildings and structures in the OR zone (90.30.1.10(1)); category-wide regulations are in Section 90.5 and Chapter 5.
- Amusement arcade, club, education use or stable must be combined with a use permitted in 90.30.20.10(1) (90.30.20.100(1)).
- Cogeneration energy production or renewable energy production must be in combination with another permitted use on the lot and comply with all Municipal, Provincial and Federal by-laws, statutes and regulations (90.30.20.100(2)).
- Eating establishment, personal service shop, retail store, service shop or take-out eating establishment must be combined with a use permitted in 90.30.20.10(1), and its interior floor area may be no greater than 500 m2 (90.30.20.100(3)).
- Outdoor patio must be combined with an amusement arcade, club, eating establishment, entertainment place of assembly, place of assembly, recreation use or take-out eating establishment on the same lot or an abutting lot that permits an outdoor patio (90.30.20.100(5)(A)).
- Outdoor patio may be no closer than 10.0 m to a lot in the Residential or Residential Apartment Zone category; if above the first storey, no closer than 40.0 m measured horizontally (90.30.20.100(5)(B),(C)).
- A lawfully existing outdoor patio closer than 10.0 m / 40.0 m keeps its existing lawful distance as its minimum (90.30.20.100(5)(D)).
- Outdoor patio may provide entertainment (performances, music, dancing) only if not above the first storey and the entertainment area does not exceed the greater of 10% of the patio area or 5.0 m2 (90.30.20.100(5)(E), By-law 1153-2023).
- Public works yard must be in association with a park or recreation use, and its open storage areas must be fenced (90.30.20.100(6)).
- Smaller buildings or structures (height 2.0 m or less and gross floor area 50.0 m2 or less) need only a 1.5 m minimum setback from front, rear and side lot lines, despite the general setback rules (90.30.40.70(3)).
- Lot frontage, lot area, FSI and unit count, where applicable, are carried as zone-label suffixes on the zoning map (f, a, d, u) and lot coverage on the Lot Coverage Overlay Map; Section 90.30 itself states none of these.
Source: Chapter 90, Section 90.30, By-law 569-2013 (City of Toronto), checked 2026-09-12. General provisions elsewhere in the by-law (parking, driveways, accessory buildings) also apply, and a numbered exception on the parcel can change any value here. Treat this as a pre-check, not a sign-off.