The B.C. government recently passed housing legislation that brings major changes to how Coquitlam plans for and supports growth. This includes new rules for development around transit hubs – called Transit-Oriented Areas. To address these new rules, we will be updating the land uses and policies in our Official Community Plan and Zoning Bylaw through the Transit-Oriented Areas Update project.

Transit-oriented development concentrates housing, jobs, shops, services and amenities near high-quality, frequent transit service like the SkyTrain. The City previously adopted plans to allow transit-oriented development in Burquitlam-Lougheed and City Centre. The Transit-Oriented Areas project first focuses on updating these “Planned Transit-Oriented Areas” to align with the legislation. The remaining “Unplanned Transit-Oriented Areas” will be addressed once this work is complete.

What is a Transit-Oriented Area?

A Transit-Oriented Area, as defined by the provincial government, is an area within 800 metres of SkyTrain stations where specific rules apply. These regulations promote high-density, mixed-use development near transit to increase housing and reduce reliance on car.

For residential or mixed-use lands within 800 metres of a rapid transit station, the City is required to:

• Designate these lands as Transit-Oriented Areas
• Eliminate minimum off-street parking requirements
• Follow the minimum densities and heights set by the Province

Read our Project Backgrounder for more information on the new provincial rules and the Transit-Oriented Areas Update project.

Stay Informed

Receive updates on this project by clicking the “Follow” button at the top of this page.

Transit-Oriented Areas Update: Project Backgrounder

The B.C. government recently passed housing legislation that brings major changes to how Coquitlam plans for and supports growth. This includes new rules for development around transit hubs—called Transit-Oriented Areas. To address these new rules, we’ll be updating the land uses and policies in our Official Community Plan and regulations in the Zoning Bylaw through the Transit-Oriented Areas Update project.

What are provincial Transit-Oriented Areas?

The Province established Transit-Oriented Areas within 800 metres of designated transit stations. All eight SkyTrain stations in or near Coquitlam are designated transit stations:

• Braid Station
• Burquitlam Station
• Coquitlam Central Station
• Inlet Centre Station
• Lafarge Lake – Douglas Station
• Lincoln Station
• Lougheed Town Centre Station
• Moody Centre Station

The new provincial rules require the City to:

• Designate Transit-Oriented Areas around the stations listed above by bylaw
• Remove minimum residential parking requirements, except parking requirements for people with disabilities, inside these Transit-Oriented Areas
• For properties zoned for residential uses inside Transit-Oriented Areas, allow for the following minimum building heights and densities:
  
  

Tier	Distance from SkyTrain Station	Minimum density the City must allow	Minimum height the City must allow
1	200 metres or less	5.0 FAR	20 storeys
2	200-400 metres	4.0 FAR	12 storeys
3	400-800 metres	3.0 FAR	8 storeys

*Floor Area Ratio (FAR) is a way to measure density, using the size of a building’s floor area in relation to the size of the property it’s located on.

What does this mean?

Within Transit-Oriented Areas, the City cannot turn down a development proposal on the basis of density or height up to the allowable minimums (where the minimums apply). However, the City may still refuse a development application for reasons other than density or height, including compliance with the City’s goals, objectives and policies established in the Official Community Plan.

Also, while the City cannot require residential parking in Transit-Oriented Areas, developers will still likely provide parking in new developments, but it may be less than what was provided in the past. Demand measures such as transit passes and car shares will also be considered to help reduce vehicle traffic.

Planned and Unplanned Transit-Oriented Areas

In Burquitlam-Lougheed and City Centre, transit-oriented development has played a major role in shaping Coquitlam’s growth. Transit-oriented development concentrates housing, jobs, shops, services and amenities near high-quality, frequent transit service like the SkyTrain.

The City will be prioritizing Transit-Oriented Areas that overlap with the areas already planned for growth in City Centre and Burquitlam-Lougheed (“Planned Transit-Oriented Areas”), with the remaining “Unplanned Transit-Oriented Areas” to be addressed once this work is complete.

Planned Transit-Oriented Areas include Burquitlam, Lougheed and the portions of Coquitlam Central, Inlet Centre, Lafarge Lake-Douglas and Lincoln that were updated as part of the recent City Centre Area Plan

Unplanned Transit-Oriented Areas include Braid, Moody Centre and the portions of Coquitlam Central, Inlet Centre, Lafarge Lake-Douglas and Lincoln that were not updated as part of the recent City Centre Area Plan

Applying the New Rules: Project Stages and Study Areas

Where We Are Now – Stage 2: Planned Transit-Oriented Areas and Southwest Shoulders and Corridors

Stage 2 focuses on Planned Transit-Oriented Areas, as well as how development could happen in nearby areas in Southwest Coquitlam:

• Properties around the Burquitlam Station and Lougheed Town Centre Station Transit-Oriented Areas (called “Shoulders”)
• Properties along the Austin Avenue and Como Lake Avenue Corridors
  
  

To apply the new provincial rules and meet growth-related community needs in these areas, we will be:

• Updating Official Community Plan land use designations
• Updating our medium- and high-density zones including new requirements and incentives to help provide and pay for community assets and support rental housing
• Updating plans for infrastructure and amenities, including parks

In addition to Density Bonus, we are also exploring rental requirements and incentives in Transit-Oriented Areas and Southwest Corridors. This work is in collaboration with the Rental Incentives Program Review project.

Future Work – Stage 3: Unplanned Transit-Oriented Areas

In Stage 3, we’ll look at Unplanned Transit-Oriented Areas. This will involve a thorough review of what transportation, utility, park, and other community assets will be needed for existing and future residents.