Metro Vancouver growth targets set for 2027 review

Metro Vancouver is undertaking what it calls the Metro 2050 Growth Targets Update project, aimed at reviewing how much and where growth targets should be modified to reflect local priorities and advance regional planning goals.

The project will be delivered in-house and is centred on in-depth member jurisdiction engagement, supplemented by planning research and datasets from Metro Vancouver and input from TransLink. Findings and recommendations will be reported in mid-2027, with a potential Metro 2050 amendment to follow at the direction of the Metro Board.

"Regional Growth Targets are a key tool in Metro 2050 to support the creation of livable, walkable complete communities, the efficient delivery of transit and infrastructure, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions at the local and regional level," according to the report.

The current targets, first established under Metro 2040 and carried into Metro 2050 without modification, direct 40 per cent of dwelling unit growth and 50 per cent of employment growth to Urban Centres, and 28 per cent of dwelling unit growth and 27 per cent of employment growth to Frequent Transit Development Areas between 2006 and 2041.

Metro updated the region's future housing projections last year. Between 2024 and 2051, the region is expected to add an average of approximately 20,500 net new dwelling units annually, reflecting an average annual growth rate of 1.4 per cent. Under the medium growth scenario — the most likely projection — approximately 25 per cent of the region's net new dwelling units will be located in Surrey, with an additional 21 per cent in Vancouver.