“New downtowns” are coming alive in Regional centres and corridors

People and businesses like to locate where rapid transit makes city life more fun and productive

York.ca
May 27, 2015

York Regional Council received an update of efforts underway to make Regional centres and corridors the new downtowns efforts that are proving successful.

“We are creating vibrant and sustainable city centres where people and businesses can thrive for generations to come,” said York Region Chairman and CEO Wayne Emmerson. “Our ongoing investment in social and cultural services, transportation, rapid transit and water and wastewater infrastructure help to ensure our new downtowns properly accommodate all the people who currently or want to make York Region their destination of choice to live and work.”

Growth in York Region’s centres and corridors is progressing well, including:

• 5,600 apartment units in 25 multi-storey residential buildings currently under construction
• 64,526 square metres of office space in four new projects commenced construction in 2014, including the KPMG Tower in the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre and Aviva Canada’s new head office in Markham Centre
• 7,700 businesses supporting 112,000 jobs, representing 25 per cent of all jobs Region-wide
• Six kilometres of rapidway now operating along Highway 7 from Bayview Avenue to Enterprise Boulevard in Markham Centre
• 202 units of mixed-income affordable rental housing as well as services for at-risk youth under construction in the Richmond Hill Housing and Community Hub
  

“Infrastructure enables cities to efficiently deliver the services people and businesses need,” said City of Vaughan Regional Councillor Michael Di Biase, Chair of the Region’s Planning and Economic Development. “Our investments facilitate and encourage other major office, institutional, cultural and entertainment investments that ensure our cities remain prosperous and sustainable.”

Regional centres and corridors are the preferred locations for the greatest development densities and mix of uses that help meet a Provincial mandate of a minimum density target of 200 people and jobs per hectare. Attracting high quality employment opportunities is vital to sustaining the long-term prosperity of the Region’s new urban communities.

The policy and structure for a network of Regional centres and corridors was formally established in the Region’s first Official Plan in 1994 and was further strengthened in the Regional Official Plan 2010.

For more information, please visit York.ca/candc.