1. Hamilton’s Growth Plan Experience:
A Work in Progress
Steve Robichaud
Director of Planning and Chief Planner
City of Hamilton

2. What did the pre-Growth Plan planning world look like in the City of Hamilton?
Less Control around Urban Boundary Expansion
Fewer Rules around Employment Land Conversion
Less Planning Direction in the Rural Area
GRIDS (growth strategy) in process
Social Development Strategy not completed
No Infrastructure / Transportation Master Plans

3. What did the introduction of the Growth Plan mean for Hamilton?
Population and employment forecasts
Intensification and density targets
Strict criteria for urban boundary expansion
Restrictions on employment land conversion
Direction on integrated planning

4. What did the introduction of the Growth Plan mean for Hamilton?
The City implemented the new Growth Plan requirements through the approval of GRIDS and the adoption of the Urban Hamilton Official Plans.

5. HAMILTON GROWTH FORECAST: 2016 - 2031
An increase of 122,000 people for a total population of 680,000 people
An increase of 107,000 jobs for a total employment of 310,000 jobs
An increase of 100,000 people for a total population of 780,000 people
An increase of 40,000 jobs for a total employment of 350,000 jobs
HAMILTON GROWTH FORECAST:

6. How has Hamilton grown since 2006?
Population
Comparison to Provincial Population Forecasts:
PLANNING & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
PLANNING DIVISION

7. How has Hamilton Grown since 2006?
Employment
Employment Growth, 2006 – 2016:
Comparison to Provincial Employment Forecasts:
PLANNING & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
PLANNING DIVISION

8. How has Hamilton grown since 2006? Intensification
Required Intensification in Built-up Area
From To
Intensification Requirement
Present
2021*
40%
2021
2031
50%
2041
60%
The intensification target requires a certain percentage of new residential units to be constructed each year within the built-up area.

9. How much intensification has Hamilton been experiencing?
2013
2014
2015
2016
Yearly Intensification Rate (%)*
*Number of units constructed within built boundary/Total number of units constructed

10. How has Hamilton grown since 2006? Designated Greenfield Areas
The City’s planned density of its Designated Greenfield Area (DGA) lands, as of 2016, is 56 persons and jobs per hectare (pjh).
The DGA density target under the new Growth Plan has increased from 50 pjh to 60 pjh.
PLANNING & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
PLANNING DIVISION

11. How has the City been implementing the Growth Plan objectives?

12. How has the City been implementing the Growth Plan objectives?

13. How has the City been implementing the Growth Plan objectives?
Centennial Neighbourhoods Secondary Plan

14. How has the City been implementing the Growth Plan objectives?
Centennial Neighbourhoods Secondary Plan

15. Thoughts on Implementation to Date:
City is making progress on targets – trends are going up
Employment forecast must be reviewed
10 years is too early to judge success or failure (draft plan example)
Urban structure is meant to be achieved by horizon of the plan
PLANNING & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
PLANNING DIVISION

16. Looking ahead: Thoughts on the 2017 Growth Plan
Concern that ‘big picture’ planning is being forgotten – instead focussing on a planning by numbers or checklist approach
Some improvements with the revised plan:
Strategic growth areas as areas to focus intensification
ability to remove employment areas from the greenfield density calculation;
expansion of Greenbelt policies to whitebelt lands
PLANNING & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
PLANNING DIVISION

17. Looking ahead: Thoughts on the 2017 Growth Plan
City has also highlighted concerns with a number of issues with new Growth Plan:
MTSA delineation
targets are high – 80 pjh at urban edge, 60% intensification will be a challenge
MCR process has expanded to include extra parts, including a housing strategy and employment strategy – phasing of the MCR would assist municipalities
PLANNING & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
PLANNING DIVISION

18. MTSA Planning

19. MTSA Boundaries and Intensification Areas
MTSA Boundary
Intensification Area
Intensification to be focussed in a defined Intensification Area adjacent to the Corridor

20. MTSA Boundaries and Intensification Areas
Sherman MTSA
MTSA Density Target as per 2017 Growth Plan (pjh)
Max Density based on entire MTSA boundary (including low density neighbourhoods)
Max Density based on Intensification Area only
160
138
345

21. Thank You!