The "Peanut" is named after the shape of its internal road system. Don Mills Road bisects the area from north to south, its northbound and southbound lanes separating in the middle of the site to surround a peanut-shaped "island" containing a high school, a park, and a shopping plaza. The majority of the residential land area is covered by detached and row housing, but 54% of all dwellings are in "tower-in-the-park," slab apartment blocks of over five storeys, resulting in high population and dwelling unit densities, both net and gross.
The study area is just northwest of the intersection of two major expressways, the Don Valley Parkway and Highway 401, and its southeast corner is the terminus of the recently completed Sheppard subway line. There is a regional shopping centre located in the southeast corner of the site.
