smart growth – vivaNext

municipalities of the future

Earlier this month we were excited to be part of the Municipalities of the Future Symposium, hosted in Vaughan by York University. President of York Region Rapid Transit Corp. [YRRTC], Mary-Frances Turner, gave the keynote presentation, talking about trends and future innovation.

megatrends

Mary-Frances’ presentation highlighted a video by HP that talked about keeping up in this ever-changing world, by planning around these “megatrends”:

Rapid urbanization – larger cities, more cities
Changing demographics – aging population and lower birthrate, shrinking workforce
Hyper global and hyper local – everything connected to the internet, but customization is key
Accelerated innovation – market for new ideas and innovative business models, businesses reinventing themselves

future innovation >> smart growth

Looking at the state of the GTA, and global examples of transportation innovation, Mary-Frances talked about the need for “smart growth” in our cities and towns. In York Region, we expect to see a 49% rise in population and a 50% increase in jobs by 2041, but traffic congestion has been the number one concern of residents for the past 13 years.

What is smart growth? It’s compact, higher density development, maximizing the amount of places to live, work and be entertained, within walking distance of transit – where mobility and connections are seamless, regardless of municipal boundaries.

Smart growth includes better access to transportation – including transit, and future innovative technology. In the GTA, we’ve already created better access to health services, education and businesses with transit:

Dedicated bus lanes – rapidways – at the doorstep of Southlake Hospital in Newmarket and Markham-Stouffville Hospital in Markham.
Direct connection to subway in Vaughan, which stops at York University.
Viva rapidway stations near Seneca College’s Markham Campus and the future York University campus in Markham Centre.
Easy access for Viva riders and pedestrians to businesses along Davis Drive in Newmarket, and Highway 7 East and West in Markham and Vaughan.

There’s much left to do, including more transit, and more transportation options. Whether it’s bus rapidways, subway extensions, car sharing or drone taxis, there is a world of options out there. At YRRTC, we’re committed to being ready, by working with others to ensure guiding policies result in a successful future, by remaining open to changes in technology and the demands of new demographics, and by thinking outside the norm.

smart growth is supported by transit

Recently in the news, planners have been saying that there’s a “missing middle” in the GTA housing market. They’re talking about a lack of low-rise and mid-rise buildings, ranging from low-rise stacked condos and townhomes to mid-rise buildings four to 12 stories high. This “missing middle” is important because it gives buyers and renters more options in the middle ground between single family homes and high-rise condos and apartments. The good news is the formerly elusive low- and mid-rises have started to show up, right where they make sense – along rapid transit routes.

As this Globe and Mail article says, developers are choosing to build low- and mid-rise buildings outside the urban core, where growth is expected. They see the value in low- and mid-rise buildings, because they have a lower capital investment than high-rises, and more buyers/renters per square foot than single family homes.

Markham Centre has been developing for several years, and it is a good example of an area which includes low-rise townhomes and mid-rise business and residential buildings in close proximity to transit, retail and commercial buildings. Davis Drive in Newmarket is also following the trend and has its first mid-rise building being built. This new building will provide much-needed rental housing for local residents. Yonge Street in Richmond Hill already has some mid-rise buildings, with more on the way. Vaughan is a bit different because high-rises are already being built around transit in the urban core of the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre [VMC], with subway and bus rapid transit nearby the area can support more density and will be a popular location once all the new transit services are open. East and west of the VMC has everything from new streetscapes, Viva rapid transit, and a good variety of housing options from traditional single family homes, to mid-rise building.

We’re excited to see these transformations around the Viva rapidway routes in York Region. New buildings are located near the road so that tree-lined sidewalks, transit, shops and restaurants are right on the doorstep for everyone to enjoy. It is inevitable that areas will continue to grow as populations increase but creating sustainable buildings located near transit is really “smart growth”. And, from a housing option, variety is good for both young and old.