An abandoned airport that first opened nearly 100 years ago is to be transformed into a city. Construction to overhaul Downsview Airport, in northwest Toronto, Canada, was due to begin early this year.

The makeover will see the 370-acre site turned into a new urban development, with some 66,000 residents and more than 30,000 new homes. The city will be known as “YZD”, a nod to the call sign of the former airport, and developers hope it could be home to as many as 83,500 people by 2051. It will be made up of seven “distinct” neighbourhoods which will be interconnected and developed in phases over the coming decades.

The 30-year project will reportedly cost £16 billion and is one of the biggest of its kind in North America.

The 1.24-mile long runway is described as the “centrepiece” of the plans and will become a pedestrianised park, linking to the seven neighbourhoods.

The runway is described by the developers as the “shared backyard” for the new residential areas and will “set a new standard for public space in Toronto”.

A significant focus of the plans is green spaces, some 70 acres of parks and open space are to be created, and easy access to amenities.

The YZD website states: “YZD’s many parks and open spaces will be interspersed throughout, all within minutes of homes and work. Its streets are designed for people, not only engines. 

“Everything will be within reach: childcare, shops, schools and everyday services that are part of the richness of city living.”

Developers also want to incorporate the former airport’s remaining buildings into the futuristic urban area, with this seen as being more environmentally friendly.

Derek Goring, CEO of Northcrest Developments, the firm leading the project, told CNN: “There’s a lot of embedded carbon in the existing buildings and rather than tearing them down and building everything new, there’s a big carbon benefit to retaining those buildings.”

Large hangars built between the 1950s and 1990s will be maintained and turned into commercial buildings.

Grass and plants will cover the roofs, which those behind the project say will help absorb rainwater, reducing the risk of flooding, and improving biodiversity, CNN reported.

The site has been closed since 2024 when Canadian aerospace manufacturer Bombardier relocated.