Most of Oakville’s housing is what Halton regional staff describe as “low density, spatially expansive and automobile-dependent.”
Prepare for future growth to look much different, based on land use policies being considered for an updated Halton Official Plan developed with a “climate change lens.”
With Halton’s population expected to grow to one million people by 2041, the region wants to encourage higher density development like apartment buildings and townhouses, built in compact areas, with an aim of reducing use of personal vehicles.
Halton’s population is expected to grow to one million people by 2041
That’s the message being delivered to local residents as Halton seeks feedback to guide an update of its Regional Official Plan (ROP).
On Sept. 3, an online public information session walked 50 participants through the region’s latest thinking on future land use planning policies as they relate to climate change.
Climate Change Discussion Paper
The updated OP will guide Halton’s development in conformity with provincial planning directions, and shape how Oakville looks and grows for decades to come.
Land use policies offer route to reducing GHG emissions
The upshot? Almost 90 per cent of Halton’s greenhouse gas emissions come from natural-gas heated residential and commercial buildings and fossil-fuel burning vehicles.
Cutting those emissions will mean a move away from the region’s traditional single-family homes built on greenfield lots in residential neighbourhoods.
Instead, expect to see continued development of communities like those that have recently sprung up in north Oakville: compact, mixed-use and multi-residential.
The aim is to put more people within walking distance of jobs, shopping and recreational opportunities, while creating population clusters that support public transit and eventually get people out of their vehicles.
Multi-residential dwellings also use less energy for heating and cooling, noted Leilani Lee-Yates, a senior planner with the region.
“Clearly land use decisions, as they relate to how we build, where we grow and how we move, play a significant role in reducing our greenhouse gas levels,” she said, in a presentation to the information session.
The region is also looking at enhancing green building standards to promote energy and water conservation and improve air quality. Transit-supportive design will be a feature of new communities, as well as opportunities for “active transportation” such as cycling and walking.
But land use planning is only one way the region is seeking to mitigate climate change, said Lee-Yates.
“We are applying a climate change lens to policies across the ROP to affect the way we grow, move and live in Halton,” she told the virtual meeting.
That includes protecting the region’s agricultural and natural heritage systems – which act as valuable carbon sinks – and developing energy plans and policies to support energy conservation.
Opportunities for input
Public consultation will continue this month, with online meetings to seek feedback on various areas of the Halton Official Plan review.
On Sept. 10, a virtual meeting will focus on the regional urban plan and integrated growth strategy. Feedback on the region’s rural and agriculture system and natural heritage system will be sought on Sept. 17.
Discussion papers and information is available here:
