Canada is currently facing a housing crisis. According to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp., approximately 3.5 million new units need to be constructed by the end of the decade to meet the demand for affordable housing.

Urban planning involves employing strategies to develop balanced communities, focusing on land utilization and enhancements. Planners are advised to incorporate Smart Growth strategies to achieve favourable outcomes for both the environment and the residents in the communities they serve.

The concept of smart growth combines various strategies in urban development that focus on health, environmental conservation, economic viability, and improving community attractiveness.  Home builders and developers are at the forefront of implementing smart growth practices to establish and sustain vibrant neighbourhoods.  We have extracted quotes from our Q&A sessions to outline several fundamental principles.

Mixing land uses is critical to creating walkable neighbourhoods. By building stores, offices and residences to be close to (or on top of) each other in appropriate locations, we allow people to work, shop and enjoy recreation close to where they live. It makes driving trips shorter, transit, walking and biking more convenient (encouraging a healthier lifestyle), protects the environment, lowers transportation costs and conserves energy.

Walkable neighbourhoods offer the opportunity to walk by providing safe sidewalks, but also somewhere to walk to — such as the corner store, the transit stop or school. Walkable neighbourhoods are safer for children who can walk or bike to school or the local park without dodging high-speed traffic, and are healthier for our seniors who can get their daily exercise walking to their friends’ homes or a nearby restaurant.

James Burton from Percy Ellis believes in their comprehensive approach to design-build and smart growth principles. The Toronto-based company develops, builds, and manages purpose-built rentals throughout the GTA. ‘We realized very early on that the key is developing walkable communities. For us to be sustainable for the future, we must begin to rethink neighbourhoods and communities in order to promote walkability, he states. ‘They go hand-in-hand. This has become the primary reason for why we only buy and build in in these specific neighbourhoods. Walkability is at the core of our beliefs as it focuses on the public’s overall health and livability. You don’t have to waste hours in your car driving to and from work or sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic. You can walk. You’ll save money and you become a happier person. Walkable communities are not only good for our physical health, but it’s also great for our social health and interpersonal relationships.’

Design optimizes land use by building up instead of out through development. This approach maximizes existing infrastructure, promotes walkable communities, reduces car dependency, lessens traffic congestion and pollution, supports sustainable living, and conserves natural landscapes and agricultural land. Edmonton’s Berkshire Construction builds homes with intentional designs and practical solutions, and according to President Rick Dulat, their design approach is key. “We build for the FEEL. Before you walk through to see the home, we want you to feel it. Feelings remain with people much longer and with greater impact than what we tell them or show them,” he says. “It is important to us that every home built by Berkshire feels like it is your space. That it flows and has an optimal layout. That it feels spacious, bright and welcoming. Each of our homes should speak for itself. All of our projects over the years have been infill. Older homes are unique but missing the high-efficient systems that are better for the environment and better on the wallet. Many of the infills we have completed were homes from the 60’s that served as a place of memories for several generations. With inevitable wear and tear, we now have the opportunity to introduce new quality homes that fit the mature neighbourhood characteristics while providing home owners with benefits of today’s designs and efficient systems,” he states.

Building diverse high-quality residences in urban areas benefits intelligent urban development by revitalizing neighbourhoods, impacting economic prospects, living expenses, and commuting time for families. Jonathon Freed from Winnipeg’s Freedhome Development discusses their responsive approach to intensification, their sustainable building initiatives, and with changing demographics and housing preferences, what options are tenants looking for in today’s market. ‘Tenants are more selective than ever, but in our case, they are looking for urban neighbourhoods, complete communities that are walkable, with a mix of different uses, where every conceivable amenity is a stone’s throw from their new home,” he says. ‘A great thing about our developments is that they provide a lot of flexibility for different types of tenants in the market, from young professionals all the way to empty nesters that are downsizing from their existing single-family homes. We continually ask our tenants what they’re looking for in a one, two or three-bedroom unit, and since the pandemic, we’re finding that incorporating additional flex space that can be converted to a home office or a multitude other purposes, is something tenants are looking for. They can customize their living space to best suit their different interests and lifestyles.

Mattamy Homes and Parkbridge Lifestyle Communities celebrated the opening of one of the largest mixed-use housing projects to offer market and attainable housing – a first of its kind in Canada. Known as Lakehaven, this community of more than 2,000 homes offers both traditional freehold and land lease homes, providing increased choice, flexibility and affordability. As a mixed-use community, Lakehaven embraces an active lifestyle, provides welcoming public spaces and promotes local shopping, all while being just nine minutes to the Barrie South GO Train station and four minutes to Mapleview Park on the edge of Lake Simcoe. Schools, restaurants, parks and golf courses are also nearby to help homeowners maintain the lifestyle they enjoy. “At Mattamy we are deeply invested in doing our part to address housing choice and affordability and foster a sustainable housing market for buyers in Ontario,” says Brad Carr, CEO of Mattamy Homes Canada. “We believe in providing a variety of choice and homes that appeal to every type of homeowner who wants to have a home, some green space, live in a community and build equity in their home.

In every community, there are unique elements that define its character, like a vibrant waterfront, a historic library, or a cultural district. These characteristics contribute to the town’s individual charm, distinguishing it from other towns nationwide. Smart growth strategies focus on safeguarding and honouring these distinctive attributes by preserving historic structures, valuing natural and man-made landmarks, and integrating new developments harmoniously within the existing environment. Mike Wurm, Director of Construction at Keltic Development shares their company’s guiding principles, dedication to smart growth, and collaborations that went into building the O2. People are now becoming more conscious of how lifestyle and environmental factors impact their well-being and are seeking health-and-wellness enhancing solutions in their daily lives. Drawing inspiration from the WELL Building Standard, Vancouver’s Keltic Development‘s latest project O2 Metrotown is tailored to enhance the work life balance by focusing on sustainability, modern lifestyle, and health.

Every town is different, and growth that’s smart in one place doesn’t always make sense in another. For instance, a town that’s growing rapidly probably needs to focus on adding more housing, while one that’s losing people to the suburbs would be better off focusing on revitalizing its downtown. The best way for town leaders to find out what their community truly needs is to ask the people who live there. Neighbourhoods are much more likely to support new development when they have an opportunity to take part in the planning process and guide it to fit their ideas of what kind of place their hometown should be. While most support the need for new housing and increased urban density in general, some will routinely oppose specific local projects or building types. Jonathan Freed from Freedhome Development weighs in on meeting the varied needs and interests of all parties involved. “It’s challenging for sure. Most people don’t like change, but change is inevitable. There will always be the NIMBYism (Not in my Backyard) mentality when you begin a new project. I think most people often become more open to development after learning how it benefits the community. As a developer, we are proactive when collaborating with city officials and when we need to communicate plans to the public. There are neighbourhoods north of Le Market showing signs of intensification, so it shows that there are areas where local councillors fully support and encourage smart growth, as opposed to a neighbourhood that is more vocal in its opposition to it. We have been fortunate to work with some city councillors and planners who have a YIMBY (Yes in my backyard) approach to intensification, and have been very supportive of building walkable, Live, Work, Play neighbourhoods because of the benefit they offer to communities and the people within them.