Places to Grow

[UrbanWaterloo]

Places to Grow
www.placestogrow.ca
PDF (https://www.placestogrow.ca/images/pdfs/FPLAN-ENG-WEB-ALL.pdf)

The Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, released on June 16, 2006, is a 25-year plan that aims to:
Revitalize downtowns to become vibrant and convenient centres. Create complete communities that offer more options for living, working, learning, shopping and playing. Provide housing options to meet the needs of people at any age. Curb sprawl and protect farmland and green spaces. Reduce traffic gridlock by improving access to a greater range of transportation options. |
http://www.wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Urban%20Design/PlacesToGrow-UrbanGrowthCentres.JPG

[UrbanWaterloo]

2010 BUILDING PERMIT ACTIVITY AND GROWTH MONITORING
TO: Chair Jim Wideman and Members of the Planning and Works Committee
March 8, 2011 | Report: P-11-025 (http://www.regionofwaterloo.ca/web/region.nsf/8ef02c0fded0c82a85256e590071a3ce/A042A56368CE7E4685257849004F1CF5/$file/P-11-025.pdf?openelement)

Monitoring Growth

On June 16, 2006, the Province of Ontario approved “Places to Grow: Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe”, which included an objective to accommodate more growth through reurbanization. The Growth Plan set a minimum target of 40% of new residential units to be constructed within the Built Up Area (BUA) which was defined by the Province to delineate the lands already developed.

The defined BUA did include several areas with partially built subdivisions in 2006. As a result, the Reurbanization Monitoring Line was created by Regional staff in 2004 to measure historical rates of intensification back to 2000 and falls entirely within the Built Boundary.

While the reurbanization target does not come into effect until the year 2015, the levels for the Region of Waterloo from 2006 to year-end 2010 provide an early indication of how the residential building activity currently measures against the target. As shown in Figures 12 & 13, permits for new residential units for the year 2010 indicate that 56% of units have been created in the Built Up Area, exceeding the Places to Grow requirement. Residential growth within the more conservative Reurbanization Monitoring Line (50%) similarly exceeded the target. This is the first year that this target has been exceeded.

Figure 12: Units Constructed Inside the BUA and Reurbanization Monitoring Line
Year |Total Units Constructed in Waterloo Region|Units Constructed Inside the BUA|Units Constructed Inside the Reurbanization Monitoring Line|Percent of Units Constructed Inside the BUA|Percent of Units Constructed Inside the Reurbanization Monitoring Line
2006|3,219|1,670|933|52%|29%
2007|3,105|1,433|988|46%|32%
2008|2,970|975|849|33%|29%
2009|2,765|1,029|853|37%|31%
2010|4,037|2,268|2,005|56%|50%

While there is no policy target for the amount of non-residential activity within the Built Up Area (BUA), the following figures (14 & 15) are reported for industrial, commercial and institutional building activity, measured both in size of new construction as well as building value, as provided on building permits issued.\

Figure 14: Non-Residential Floor Area Constructed Within the Built Up Area
Year|Total Floor Area Constructed in Region of Waterloo (ft2)|Total Floor Area Constructed Inside the Built Up Area (ft2)|Percent of Floor Area Constructed Inside the Built Up Area
2006|2,984,606|2,213,283|74%|
2007|2,762,978|1,807,132|65%|
2008|3,294,484|2,258,416|69%|
2009|2,515,090|1,512,688|60%|
2010|4,067,758|2,470,196|61%