The City of Coquitlam is updating its zoning regulations in response to provincial housing legislation. This includes changes to density bonus provisions and new minimum density requirements in medium- and high-density areas near SkyTrain stations, called Transit-Oriented Areas.

Coquitlam has long been a leader in housing, advancing proactive strategies to address supply and affordability challenges. As the City implements the required provincial changes, we will continue to support a mix of housing types in Coquitlam, including new purpose-built rental housing.

Proposed Zoning Changes in Medium-Density Areas

Historically, in medium-density zones, the City has provided a 10% density bonus for projects where all units are purpose-built rental. To align with provincial legislation, a new approach is proposed. The medium-density zones will include options for the development of strata housing and encouragement of purpose built rental.

For more details, refer to the February 24, 2026 Strategic Priorities Standing Committee Report and maps identifying the affected areas.

Proposed changes to high-density zones will be addressed in a future report to Council and included on this page at that time.

To implement provincially required changes, proposed updates include replacing the current RM-3 zone that uses Density Bonus with two new medium-density apartment residential zones - RA-1 for outside Transit-Oriented Areas and RA-2 for inside Transit-Oriented Areas. These proposed new zones:

  • Maintain similar density to the current RM-3 zone, except where provincial Transit-Oriented Area minimum densities apply; and
  • Allow up to 1.85 or 2.4 FAR (depending on location) for both rental and strata tenure. Over these densities, 100% rental tenure is allowed.

RA-2 is intended to be used in Transit-Oriented Areas and therefore, has higher densities than RA-1 to meet provincial requirements for minimum densities.

In some Neighbourhood Centre areas, the current C-5 zone allows mixed-use development (commercial at street level with housing above) at both medium- and high-densities. This means a single zone currently permits two different building types or forms.

To implement provincially required changes, proposed updates include replacing the C-5 zone applicable to medium-density with a new mixed-use medium-density zone (MU-1) for use in appropriate neighbourhood centres. This new zone:

  • Allows for similar densities as other medium-density areas;
  • Allows for up to 2.5 FAR for strata or rental tenure. If over 2.5 FAR, 100% rental tenure is allowed, as shown in Figure 1; and
  • Maintains a commercial requirement to support an active street with businesses on the ground floor.
Graph of Proposed Medium-Density Residential Zones and Maximum Densities

Figure 1: Proposed Medium-Density Residential Zones and Maximum Densities

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