Barriers to meeting density targets in suburban communities - a case study look at Markham Centre

Ontario provincial policy has identified 25 Urban Growth Centres in the Greater Golden Horseshoe. Most of these centres are located in municipalities where suburban policies and practices are well entrenched in community development. Markham Centre is studied in detail, where interviews were conducted with municipal planning staff and development industry professionals, to investigate how municipalities are facilitating urban development while trying to meet provincial density targets. The study further attempts to understand the challenges which confront willing developers in building higher densities within the suburban planning context. The role of outside agencies, development charges, parkland dedication and parking requirements, were all identified as barriers to high density development, while the co-operative relationship between the municipality and the developers, the structure of the planning department, the use of an advisory committee and the use of a more prescriptive zoning bylaw were all heralded as aiding development within the city.