GTA conformity reviews: new roles take shape

NRU
July 25, 2018
Rob Jowett

With a deadline of July 1, 2022 to bring their regional official plans into conformity with the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, 2017 and greater responsibilities than under the previous growth plan, all four GTA regions have begun municipal comprehensive reviews.

In addition to the distribution of population and employment forecasts, regional municipalities have much more detailed role in specifying the requirements for local conformity with the 2017 growth plan, says Peel Region integrated planning acting director Adrian Smith.

“Some of the more detailed planning around things like major transit station areas and settlement expansion [previously] would have been initiated at a local level.”
The new growth plan places a greater emphasis on collaboration between the region and the municipalities within it, York Region acting chief planner Paul Freedman told NRU.

“There’s two big changes in the new growth plan,” he says. “One is planning for employment lands. The regional official plan now has to delineate and designate employment areas in the region’s [official plan]… The second is delineating and designating major transit station areas in the region’s official plan.”

This work requires significant consultation between the region and the local municipalities in that region. The lower-tier municipalities have until July 1, 2023 to bring their official plans into conformity with their respective region’s plan.

“We’re working with them now to help us and develop those [plans] together, to delineate them, and take it forward through our municipal comprehensive review. Their official plans would then implement that at a more detailed level for local secondary plans, local official plans,” says Freedman.

While they have a shared mandate in undertaking the review, each region faces different planning challenges and priorities.

Durham Region is expected to grow from a population of 650,000 in 2016 to almost 1.2 million by 2041. The number of jobs are to increase from 196,700 in 2016 to 430,000 by 2041.

“We’ll be establishing a progressive, forward-looking planning vision for the region to 2041,” says Durham principal planner Jonah Kelly.
He says major elements of the review will include providing more support for affordable housing, examining agricultural land use permissions, and increasing sustainability provisions to combat climate change.

The Durham Region Municipal Comprehensive Review is expected to be completed by July 1, 2022.

Halton Region had 548,000 people and 224,000 jobs in 2016. By 2041, there is expected to be a million residents and 470,000 jobs.

“This review will require an assessment of growth management scenarios, growth targets, infrastructure requirements and associated financial costs to determine how growth will occur in Halton,” says Halton policy planning manager Dan Tovey.

He adds that the region will review ways to strengthen its agricultural system and update natural heritage, climate change, and implementation policies.

The Halton Region Municipal Comprehensive Review is expected to be “substantially completed” by mid-2020.

Peel Region had 1,438,000 people and 622,000 jobs in 2016. By 2041 the region will have a population of 1,970,000 and 970,000 jobs.

“Peel has really seen our population growth align with… the growth plan forecasts,” says Smith, “but we’ve been lagging on the employment side and that’s a concern [for the region].”

He says that managing employment will be a priority for the region, since it affects so many other issues, especially transportation and regional finances.

The Peel Region Municipal Comprehensive Review is expected to be completed by 2021.

York Region is anticipated to have 1,790,000 people and 900,000 jobs by 2041. The region recorded a population of 1,109,000 and 600,000 jobs in 2016.

Freeman says the biggest goals for York Region are planning employment and managing intensification, especially incentivizing development.

“[We’ll be] delineating all of our major transit station areas… York Region has 57 major transit station areas, and [reviewing] other intensification potential, including along our regional corridors and local centres and corridors.”

Staff anticipate the York Region Municipal Comprehensive Review will be considered by council before 2020.