SvN was retained by the Town of Newmarket to prepare a comprehensive Secondary Plan for the emerging urban district of Yonge Street and Davis Drive. Currently the site of strip malls and big box stores, the Town is planning for this nearly 270 hectare site to become the major focus for future growth, taking advantage of the presence of a commuter rail mobility hub and the introduction of new bus rapid transit. The plan calls for extensive mixed use development that will bring the population of the area from less than 2,000 people to more than 30,000, and also creates major office and institutional districts.
Extensive urban design policies are set out in order to ensure compatibility of the new development with the existing low density residential development that currently surrounds the area. A number of new signature parks as well as smaller urban plazas are introduced.
Working closely with the Town’s transportation consultant, a new fine-grain street network was developed and is planned to break up the large retail blocks that currently exist into a series of smaller, walkable blocks and to improve traffic circulation.
The Secondary Plan was adopted by the Town of Newmarket in June 2014 and adopted by the Region of York in April 2015. More information and project materials can be found on the Town’s Urban Centres Secondary Plan project page.
