With the quarter-century mark of the new millennium in the rear-view mirror, it's worth a look back at some of the immense changes that have reshaped the Toronto skyline, transit network, sports scene, and much more about life in Canada's largest city. From transit expansions to the restoration of a long-lost river mouth, enormous public works projects have transformed Toronto since the dawn of the 2000s. Here are 10 megaprojects that contributed to the transformative changes seen in Toronto during the last quarter-century, from 2001 through the end of 2025. Rail Lands Redevelopment The Concord CityPlace development joined the pre-existing Rogers Centre, Metro Toronto Convention Centre, and CN Tower this century as the final cog in a multi-generational redevelopment to integrate disused rail lands into the surrounding city. The first towers in what is now CityPlace began construction in 2001, and after two and a half decades of growth, the community's final — and tallest — towers are now welcoming residents, closing a significant chapter in the city's growth from an industrial centre to a global city. Line 1 - Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension A major extension of the Line 1 Yonge-University subway opened at the tail end of 2017 , extending the TTC's busiest subway line north into Vaughan. Aside from the significant boost in transit accessibility — including two new stations serving York University — the project's cavernous stations are among the jewels of the network in terms of design. Line 4 - Sheppard Toronto's newest (and shortest) subway line entered service in November 2002, and while it has been derided as a " stubway " throughout its short existence, the line has proved instrumental in the rapid intensification of North York's urban core. Despite only having five stations, the Sheppard Line could become one of the city's key east-west routes in the decades to come. A potentially game-changing expansion is being considered for Line 4 that could extend the route in both directions from its current terminal stations at Yonge Street in the west and Don Mills in the east. Line 6 - Finch West LRT Finch West LRT opening date finally revealed https://t.co/XPtXsG6cgH — blogTO (@blogTO) November 22, 2025 Opened on Dec. 7, 2025, Toronto's newest transit line just barely made the cut for this list. Started construction in 2018, the 18-stop light rail line endured numerous delays and cost overruns in the lead-up to its recent opening. The Finch West LRT (now in service as Line 6 - Finch West) managed to beat the much older and problem-plagued Eglinton Crosstown LRT to the finish line, with no opening date announced for the latter as of the end of 2025. Pearson Airport Terminal 1 Pearson's original Terminal 1 was replaced by a gargantuan new terminal in 2004. The terminal's 346,000-square-metre (3,724,000 sq ft) size easily ranks it among the single-largest buildings in the city by volume. With a project cost of $4.4 billion before inflation, it is also one of the most expensive single structures ever constructed in Ontario. The 58-gate terminal remains Pearson's busiest 21 years later. UP Express Having a fancy new terminal only does an airport so much good when it's located so far out of the downtown core and disconnected from transit. To better connect Pearson's Terminal 1 with the city it serves, Metrolinx opened the Union Pearson Express (UP Express) in 2015. The UP Express serves five stations along an over 23-kilometre route, including terminal stops at Pearson Airport and Union Station. In terms of megaproject cost, this was a relatively cheap one at just under half a billion dollars. Ookwemin Minising/Don River The heavily-industrialized Port Lands have been renaturalized with an impressive human-made river mouth for the Don, the creation of a new island known as Ookwemin Minising , and futuristic new bridges . These transformations — part of the massive $1.25 billion Port Lands Flood Protection Project — are paving the way for the redevelopment of this forgotten pocket of Toronto. The city's newest waterfront park, known as Biidaasige Park , opened in the Port Lands in mid-2025. BMO Field Professional soccer landed in Toronto in 2007, when BMO Field debuted with a new Major League Soccer franchise, Toronto FC. In its initial form, BMO Field — built partially on the former footprint of the demolished Exhibition Stadium — was hardly a megaproject. At a cost of under $73 million (not adjusted for inflation), BMO Field didn't offer much in the way of shelter or amenities when first opened. However, a major 2015 expansion in preparation for the Toronto Argonauts' move to the facility massively improved the fan experience and capacity, increasing seating from just over 21,500 seats to 30,000, and the capability to host up to 40,000 with temporary endzone seating for large events. The two-phase renovation tacked another $120 million onto the facility's cost, but it wouldn't be the venue's final expansion. BMO Field is currently undergoing another significant renovation that will increase capacity to 45,000 ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, adding another $146 million onto the stadium's value. Aura at College Park Toronto's tallest buildings have traditionally been concentrated in the Financial District, but one massive condo tower proved the spark in jumpstarting an ongoing skyline re-centring that is bringing some of Canada's tallest buildings to the Yonge and Gerrard area. The 2014-completed Aura at College Park marked the third and final phase of the Residences of College Park complex, rising an imposing 78 storeys with a swooping crown adorned in vertical strips of lights. While incredibly tall and a key catalyst to the area's transformation, Aura has proven a somewhat unpopular addition to the urban fabric. Between its cheap-looking finishes and the disastrous "mall" hidden in its subterranean levels, Aura is not exactly considered a crowd favourite — but it stands as one of the most significant condo developments of the now-waning boom. One Bloor East Before there was the skyline-dominating One Bloor West (still pending completion and not eligible for this round-up), One Bloor East was the condo tower that set a new standard for Toronto, both in terms of height and design. The Hariri Pontarini Architects-designed tower soars 76 storeys above the southeast corner of Yonge and Bloor, with balconies that form an undulating pattern sweeping across the tower facades. The tower's completion in late 2017 marked the culmination of a 12-year-long saga that saw multiple proposals for the site die before the landmark that exists today was ultimately built.