New Regional Growth Strategy coming

By 2040, Metro Vancouver’s population will grow by 1.2 million newcomers and employment will increase by 600,000 new jobs. In the next decade alone, to accommodate new residents, the demand for ownership homes will increase by 120,700 units and the demand for rental units will increase 64,900 units.

How will our region handle this growth?

There is a plan – the new draft Regional Growth Strategy (RGS), Metro Vancouver 2040 Shaping Our Future.
The successor to the Liveable Region Strategic Plan, the RGS coordinates growth for 20 member municipalities and the Tsawwassen First Nation. While the two neighbouring regional districts, Squamish-Lillooet and Fraser Valley have their own growth strategies, they, along with the South Coast BC Transportation Authority (TransLink), must sign off on the RGS.

The objective is to protect the industrial land base, indentify places for jobs, connect transportation networks, protect agricultural and recreational lands and address climate change.

To read the Regional Growth Strategy go to: www.metrovancouver.org and click on Metro Vancouver Regional Growth Strategy.

Goals of the new Regional Growth Strategy

Goal 1: Create a Compact Urban Area.
Growth will be concentrated in a regional Urban Containment Area and will include compact transit-oriented communities with access to a range of housing choices close to employment, amenities and services. It will protect agricultural, conservation and rural areas from development and guide urban uses, major regional transportation and infrastructure investment.

Goal 2: Support a Sustainable Economy.
The land base and transportation systems required to nurture a healthy business sector will be protected and supported. This includes supporting regional employment and economic growth and protecting industrial and agricultural lands.

Goal 3: Protect the Environment and Respond to Climate Change Impacts.
A connected network of habitats and natural areas will be maintained including conservation and recreation lands. Strategies will help encourage land use and transportation infrastructure that reduces energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

Goal 4: Develop Complete Communities.
Metro Vancouver will be a region of complete communities with diverse affordable housing choices close to employment, services and amenities to foster healthy lifestyles.

Goal 5: Support Sustainable Transportation Choices.
Metro Vancouver’s compact, transit-oriented urban form supports sustainable transportation choices to encourage transit use, cycling and walking.

Concerns about the draft RGS

During consultation sessions business, industry, residents and local governments identified concerns.

Concerns about land use designations

• Municipalities would no longer be able to change land use designations. Instead changes will require a vote by the Metro Vancouver Board and may require a regional public hearing. This means control over local land use will be given to non-elected bodies.

• Some ALR land would be designated for future development, a designation that the Agricultural Land Commission says contravenes Section 46 of the Agricultural Land Commission Act requiring local government bylaws to be consistent with the Act and its regulations.

Concerns about industrial lands

• There is not enough flexibility in land use designations. For industrial areas near transit the land use designation should be General Urban to maximize transit use with higher densities and mixed uses.

• The RGS restricts and freezes land uses instead of encouraging densification in key areas. For example, municipalities will be required to identify industrial areas and protect these areas which don’t include medium and large format retail and stand-alone offices.

Concerns about less autonomy for municipalities

• Metro Vancouver’s role would be expanded to include local land use planning and development approval and Metro Vancouver would be able to change land use designations over the objections of the municipality.

Concerns about transit

• TransLink would be required to give up authority for planning transit in Metro Vancouver.

• There may be delays in building the Evergreen Line and a rapid transit line to UBC. Municipalities that build density along proposed transit corridors may get transit infrastructure built sooner. But maybe not. Coquitlam and Port Moody built along the proposed Evergreen Line and are still waiting for the new rapid transit line.

To read a summary of concerns, visit www.metrovancouver.org and click on Regional Growth Strategy, then go to The Process and Report on Public Hearing. In the next two months, local governments will decide whether to adopt the RGS.

If the RGS passes, municipalities have two years to each create a regional context statement outlining how their official community plan fits with the RGS, and identify locations for urban centres, general urban areas, industrial areas, industrial/commercial areas and transit corridors.

If the RGS doesn’t pass, municipalities are required to comply subject to dispute resolution as set out in the Local Government Act, which includes a mediation and arbitration process so that agreement can be reached.

If you have concerns about the Regional Growth Strategy, contact your local government so they can take your concerns into account when they vote on the strategy.