Land Needs Assessment | City of Hamilton

City of Hamilton Revised Urban Land Needs Assessment (L.N.A.), 2031
A new report is now available(PDF, 391.24 KB) by the consulting firm Watson & Associates that was prepared for the City in advance of an expected Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) hearing regarding the 2009 and 2011 appeals to the City’s Urban Hamilton and Rural Hamilton Official Plans. The Report provides analysis on land needs to accommodate growth to 2031, based on the provisions of the former 2006 provincial Growth Plan. This report relates to the 2009 and 2011 appeals of the original GRIDS1 planning exercise and is not part of the GRIDS2 / MCR process which culminated in City Council’s 2022 adoption of the “no urban boundary expansion” growth scenario to the year 2051. However, it is being posted here for the public’s information.

Read the communications update(PDF, 81.53 KB)

Land Needs Assessment to 2051

At the General Issues Committee meeting on March 29, 2021, Council tabled the staff recommendation for the Ambitious Density scenario. Rather, Council directed that additional public consultation be completed, by passing this direction: “That staff be directed to conduct a city-wide mail consultation with a survey on the Land Needs Assessment and the Municipal Comprehensive Review that includes the Ambitious Density Scenario, a “no boundary expansion” scenario, and that also allows residents to submit their own alternative scenario…”

Urban Growth Survey Results - A mail-out survey was distributed to households in Hamilton in late June/early July 2021 to ask for opinions about how the City of Hamilton should grow to the year 2051. The survey closed on July 23, 2021. For a summary of results of the Urban Growth Survey, and links for the associated staff report and appendices to be presented at the General Issues Committee on November 9, 2021, visit GRIDS 2/MCR Urban Growth Survey

What is a Land Needs Assessment?

A Land Needs Assessment (LNA) is a technical study that determines how much land is needed in the City of Hamilton to accommodate growth. The LNA must be completed based on a methodology developed by the Province and is a required part of the City’s Municipal Comprehensive Review process (MCR).

There are two categories of lands considered through an LNA:

“Community” lands - areas for population, commercial and institutional growth
“Employment” lands - areas specifically for employment growth like business parks and industrial lands

The LNA identifies how much of the forecasted population and job growth can be accommodated within the City’s existing urban boundary through infill/intensification in the ‘Built Up Area’ and existing Designated Greenfield Area lands. If there is more growth forecasted than can be accommodated in the City’s existing urban boundary, then the LNA determines how much urban expansion area may be required. Where this expansion might take place is not considered through the LNA.

Sample map outlining urban, rural and municipal boundary highlighting existing and potential new greenfield areas

Key Findings of Draft LNA

Community Area

An urban boundary expansion is needed to accommodate population growth to 2051.To accommodate new population growth, the City must plan for a higher percentage of residential intensification than the Growth Plan minimum target of 50%

Four residential intensification scenarios presented in the LNA:

'Current Trends'(PDF, 627.23 KB) - 40% intensification, resulting in a required land need of 3,440 hectares.
'Growth Plan Minimum'(PDF, 626.61 KB) - 50% intensification, resulting in a required land need of 2,200 hectares

‘Increased Targets’(PDF, 625.82 KB) - 50% to 2031, 55% to 2041, 60% to 2051 - resulting in a required land need of 1,670 hectares
‘Ambitious Density’(PDF, 623.14 KB) - 50% to 2031, 60% to 2041, 70% to 2051 - resulting in a required land need of 1,340 hectares

The ‘Increased Targets’ and ‘Ambitious Density’ intensification scenarios can be accommodated within the current Whitebelt land supply.

Employment Area

Employment Land need and supply(PDF, 582.26 KB) are anticipated to be balanced to the year 2051. No new employment land is needed.

Learn More About

Recommendation, Reports & Timeline

Staff Recommendation

Past Reports

Timeline

Following public consultation in January, Staff are recommending that Council endorse the Ambitious Density Community Area land needs scenario in the final Land Needs Assessment. The Ambitious Density scenario is based on an intensification target of 50% between 2021 and 2031, 60% between 2031 and 2041 and 70% between 2041 and 2051, and a planned density in the Designated Greenfield Area of 77 pjh in new growth areas and 60 pjh in the City’s existing designated greenfield areas. The required Community Area land need under the Ambitious Density scenario is 1,340 ha.

The LNA has identified that the City’s supply and demand of employment lands are in balance, and there is no requirement for additional Employment Area lands.

Final Land Needs Assessment Staff Report

Staff Report PED17010(i) - Final Land Needs Assessment Staff Report

Public Consultation

Thank you to all members of the public for participating in the public consultation on the Land Needs Assessment through the month of January. Appendix “E” to the staff report contains a full summary of the public consultation held in January, which included 2,200 visits to the Engage Hamilton webpage, 147 completed survey responses, almost 100 participants at two virtual open houses, 23 attendees at the stakeholder meeting, and numerous emails, phone calls and meetings. A summary of how the public comments were considered in the staff recommendation can be found in the Staff Report.