New proposed legislation aims to speed up delivery of homes and encourage more communities near the transit, services and amenities that make life better for people.
The proposed legislation will build on work underway to facilitate more transit-oriented development, create more livable communities, and tackle the housing crisis.
The proposed legislation will require municipalities to designate Transit Oriented Development Areas (TOD Areas) near transit hubs. These TOD Areas are defined as land within 800 metres of a rapid transit station (SkyTrain station) and within 400 metres of a bus exchange where passengers transfer from one route to another (e.g., Newton Bus Exchange in Surrey). In these designated TOD Areas, municipalities will be required to permit housing developments that meet provincial standards for allowable height and density. The minimum allowable height and density for TOD Areas is based on tiers – tiers which are at their highest in the centre of the TOD Area – and will differ based on the type of transit hub (SkyTrain stop/bus exchange) and a municipality’s size, population and location.
Additionally, TOD Areas will remove restrictive parking minimums and allow for parking to be determined by need and demand on a project-by-project basis. Municipalities will still be able to require builders and developers to add parking to accommodate people living with disabilities, and to meet commercial parking requirements.