artland via Getty Images An aerial view of downtown Toronto, looking south from the Bloor-Yonge area.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s government took the city of Toronto by surprise Wednesday when news broke the province is planning to allow taller buildings in more areas of the city. The new, unexpected plan will expand areas in the city’s downtown and midtown where high-rises can be built, and will increase height limits in those areas. Several city councillors lambasted the provincial government on social media Monday, with downtown councillor Joe Cressy saying the plan turns the city into a “Wild West for developers.”

This Provincial decision will fundamentally re-shape mid-town & downtown for the next century. Instead of planned & sustainable growth, it’s the Wild West for developers. This Government’s disrespect and outright contempt for the City of Toronto is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. — Joe Cressy (@joe_cressy) June 5, 2019

Cressy was among three councillors who signed a statement Wednesday declaring that the Ford government’s “disrespect and outright contempt for the City of Toronto and Torontonians is unlike anything we have ever seen. It is not acceptable. We will not stand for it.” In one example of the changes being introduced, the corner of Bayview Ave. and Eglinton Ave. East will now allow towers of 20 to 35 stories, up from eight stories in the city’s plan for the midtown area, according to a report in the Globe and Mail. The area will soon be home to a station on the Eglinton Crosstown light rail, making it a priority area for densification. Watch: Doug Ford won’t say if he supports abortion rights. Story continues below.

Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Steve Clark says the province’s revisions to Toronto’s urban plan are necessary for the city to increase housing supply and improve affordability. But some on city council, including Coun. Josh Matlow of Toronto-St. Paul’s ward, are calling the plan a “giveaway” to developers, CBC News reports. “We’re not saying no to development but we want development to grow in a way that supports the quality of life of residents,” CBC quoted Matlow as saying. Matlow says the provincial plan will reduce the city’s ability to negotiate community benefits from developers. The city often agrees to a building permit in exchange for some public benefit from the developer, such as green spaces or community centres.