Density generally refers to the ratio of human activity to the land area it occupies, including residents, jobs, or built form. It is expressed in terms of people and jobs per hectare, and is a key measure of how communities are achieving their growth targets.
Tables 3 and 4 of Metro 2050 set out the general location and component criteria by Urban Centre (UC) type and Frequent Transit Development Area (FTDA) as a guide for the possible creation of new centres or reclassifications or amendments. The minimum activity densities of people and jobs combined per hectare is a measure that is intended to clearly articulate the different roles and characteristics of each centre type. Increasing activity density by concentrating residents and jobs in the region’s transit-oriented areas supports walking, cycling, transit use, a diverse mix of land uses, accessible public open spaces and amenities, and reduced vehicle trips and greenhouse gas emissions.
Contextual performance measure
Metro 2050 establishes the performance measure as the change in "Activity Density" (the number of people + jobs per hectare) in UCs, FTDAs and Major Transit Growth Corridors (MTGCs).
Progress
This contextual measure is a new performance measure under Metro 2050. In 2021, the combined is 131 jobs + people per hectare for UCs, 80 jobs + people per hectare for FTDAs, and 50 jobs + people per hectare for MTGCs. Historical data collection is currently underway and the findings will be available in early 2025.
Jobs and people per hectare in UCs, FTDAs, and MTGCs