Urban Centres Zoning By-law Project

The Town of Newmarket developed the Urban Centre Secondary Plan, which establishes a long-term vision for the Yonge St and Davis Dr area and seeks to capture the significant investment in transit and development potential. The Plan will guide the development of the area into a complete community with an expected 33,000 residents and 32,000 jobs. To this end, the Secondary Plan establishes the boundaries of the UGC, character areas, specific built form heights and densities, the future street network, and the location of parks, open spaces, and Natural Heritage Areas. Our team’s task was to determine the best approach for implementing the Plan that will support the vision and encourage development in a timely manner. Through consultation with Town officials and staff and the landowners, we explored the best practices in the traditional zoning model and the potential use of the Community Planning Permit System. Once the preferred approach was determined, our team set about drafting the implementing policies.