Metro Vancouver 2050
In 2022, Metro Vancouver adopted a new Regional Growth Strategy titled Metro 2050. The purpose of the strategy is to promote human settlement that is socially, economically and environmentally healthy and that makes efficient use of public facilities and services, land and other resources. The Strategy sets out goals, strategies and policies to guide the future growth of the region and provides the land use framework for transportation, economic, housing, utility (water, liquid waste and solid waste), environmental and climate change planning.
The Regional Growth Strategy includes parcel based regional land use designations, and six broad land use categories. Each municipality’s more detailed land use designations align with these broad designations. The General Urban designation is intended to accommodate the majority of the region’s growth, which is focused in Urban Centres and transit rich locations. The land use designation map and overall strategy are explicit about where growth can't go. For example, the strategy protects important industrial land through the regional Industrial designation. Changing the use of a property identified in the Regional Growth Strategy as Industrial requires an amendment to the Strategy that must be approved by the Metro Vancouver Board of Directors. As a result, it is expected that the land in the Braid, Stewardson and Queensborough industrial areas will remain industrial.
What is a Regional Context Statement?
A Regional Context Statement is a policy tool that demonstrates how a City's OCP aligns with a Regional Growth Strategy. Every Metro Vancouver municipality is required to include a Regional Context Statement in their OCP.
As part of the 2025 – 2026 OCP updates known as the Our City, Our Homes Initiatives, a new Regional Context Statement was drafted. The updated Regional Context Statement has been considered by Council, and will be referred to Metro Vancouver for their acceptance.
Click here to view New Westminster's proposed Regional Context Statement.