Brandon Donnelly

brandondonnelly.eth

I'm a real estate developer based in Toronto.

I'm a real estate developer based in Toronto.

I'm a real estate developer based in Toronto.

The case for unlocking more urban housing

If we don't unlock dense housing in our cities, we constrain supply and force city-lovers into the suburbs. We need more attainable, sustainable urban options.

Canada got re-traded on the Gordie Howe bridge

An insider look at the Gordie Howe Bridge agreement, analyzing how Canada lost sole toll governance despite providing full funding in what looks like a bad-faith re-trade.

The last-in first-out rule of real estate land

Peripheral land is always the first to drop and last to recover in a downturn. When the market turns, developers can't rely on rising tides; project success comes down to perfect execution.

When old deals come back at new prices

With land prices at multi-year lows, old deals are coming back to us at a discount. Success today is about being a disciplined contrarian and finding creative ways to structure out the risk.

What do homebuyers and tenants actually want?

Whatever it is, we don't seem to be building it.

Why the office market will eventually rise again

While shifts in how we work are real, real estate remains cyclical. Unless offices fully disappear, we will eventually find a new equilibrium and start building again.

Toronto is now an apartment city

Nearly 92% of Toronto's housing starts are now classified as apartments. To address out-migration, we have to unpack this category and build the diverse multi-family options people actually want.

Architecture for today

Brandon Donnelly argues in "Architecture for Today" that contemporary architecture must embrace its present era rather than defaulting to historical imitation.

The real story behind Toronto’s stalled population growth

How quickly things can change. In 2024, the Toronto Census Metropolitan Area was the fastest-growing region in Canada and the US. Then, last year, it lost around 1,000 people and dropped to 443rd place. The obvious explanation is Canada's concerted effort to reduce temporary workers and international students. But actually, Toronto is still one of the top regions when it comes to net international migration, adding 53,000 people in 2025.

How public transit connects the World Cup host cities

A University of Toronto study reveals a massive divide in how 2026 World Cup stadiums connect to transit, highlighting major gaps in cities like Dallas compared to Toronto and Vancouver.