VMC Secondary Plan Update

Land use

Land use informs how blocks and areas within the study area will develop. Different land use designations allow for a range of activity and a balanced community.

Neighbourhoods

Neighbourhoods are primarily residential with compatible uses located in each quadrant. These areas have lower densities and heights to ensure there is a variety of built form and character.

Mixed Use (Non-Residential Requirement) 

Mixed use incorporates both residential and commercial uses. This requirement is satisfied by including office, retail, services, institutional and cultural uses.

Non-residential Mixed Use

Non-residential mixed use areas expand permitted uses in existing employment precincts to include retail uses. They also establish a buffer to Highway 400 and industrial uses.

Parks and Open Spaces

The parks and open spaces are identified as per the VMC Parks and Wayfinding Master Plan and serve as a vital network to meet the recreational needs of VMC residents.

What do you think of the land-use designation identified as the preferred option?

The vision for the VMC is to create a Downtown and Central Business District. The preferred option includes a non-residential requirement on certain mixed use blocks to ensure there is a real mix of employment and residential uses.

Non-residential Requirement

The mixed use non-residential requirement ranges between 11.5% to 19% based on proximity to transit and the core area along Millway Avenue and Highway 7. The mixed use non-residential requirement also corresponds to areas with higher densities and heights.

The non-residential requirement will help ensure a minimum balance of uses within the VMC. There is flexibility in how this requirement is fulfilled, including various uses such as office, retail, services, institutional, cultural and community uses.

What do you think of the mixed-use non-residential requirement identified as the preferred option?

Density refers to how many buildings and people are in one area. It can also be defined as the amount of building gross floor area (GFA) relative to the site area. It is measured as floor space index (FSI). For example, a building with twice the amount of GFA as site area would be 2.0 FSI.

Maximum Density

Density is highest nearest the subway and transit stations and mixed use areas along Millway Avenue and Highway 7 in the core area. 

Land uses farther away from the core have lower densities.

Densities also correspond with land use designation. The highest densities are mixed use areas with a non-residential requirement, while the lowest densities are associated with the Neighbourhood designation to create areas of different character.

What do you think of the maximum density identified as the preferred option?

Retail refers to areas or spaces designated for businesses that sell goods or services directly to consumers, such as stores and shopping centres. Retail plays an integral role in creating a complete community at the local scale, as well as a city-wide destination.

Meeting Needs and Animating Places

Retail, service commercial, community facility or other public uses have an important role in meeting the needs of VMC residents and animating streets and public spaces. 

Millway Avenue is envisioned as the VMC’s main street, running through its core. It will become a destination for retail, commercial, and community and public uses.

Elsewhere, the preferred option uses retail and other active uses to animate the frontages of parks, mews and streets to create inviting environments hospitable to pedestrians. 

Destination level retail in the core along Millway is complemented by retail deeper within the quadrants, improving local access to retail and other amenities for VMC residents.

What do you think of the retail identified as the preferred option?

Community facilities are essential to creating a complete community for local residents and a downtown for all of Vaughan. They will include community recreation facilities, libraries, cultural facilities and performing arts venues.

Community Facilities

Community facilities with a city-wide and regional draw are focused on Millway Avenue, anchoring this iconic Vaughan destination with great access to the subway and regional transit stations. Community facilities with a local draw are located deeper within the quadrants to improve local access.

Schools

There are elementary school sites (S2-S6) in each quadrant and one high school site (S1) located in the northwest quadrant. Elementary school sites are located centrally in the quadrant and are located farther from the 400-series highways where possible. Urban-format schools are being explored by the school boards.

What do you think of the civic facilities identified in the preferred option?

The VMC will be the City’s central business district and a significant employment hub. Office development will be an important part of fulfilling that vision. However, to date, there is more interest in residential development than office development.

Retail, which also includes restaurant and commercial uses (e.g. hairdressers, dry cleaners, etc.), is an important component in delivering vibrancy, activity and convenience to city living. Millway Avenue will be the VMC’s primary retail street. 

Where else should retail be located within the VMC?

HERE ARE THE OPTIONS:

Option 1: Retail is extended into the VMC’s neighbourhoods

In Option 1, in addition to required retail along Millway Avenue, local retail is recommended to extend into other parts of the VMC (i.e. the sub-areas within the VMC divided by Jane Street and Highway).

What does this mean?

• Millway Avenue is a destination retail area.
• Option 1 creates focused areas for shopping.
• Option 1 creates a more local focus for retail which extends into other parts of the VMC improving close and convenient access for residents and workers.

Option 2: Retail is concentrated along Millway Avenue and Highway 7

In Option 2, Millway Avenue continues to be an important focus for retail. Highway 7 is also recommended to become a retail corridor, creating a new stretch of retail that runs through the centre of the VMC. 

What does this mean?

• Millway Avenue continues to be a primary retail focus.
• Highway 7 is encouraged to become a retail street.
• Local retail will be concentrated within key focus areas to create a continuous and connected retail experience.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

• Should retail be concentrated at the core of the VMC as a shopping destination? Or should it be dispersed to provide vibrancy within the VMC neighbourhoods?
• Highway 7 is a busy arterial road. Is it the right place for retail or is retail on quieter streets preferred?
• Do you like the idea of having retail available within a 5-minute walking distance from anywhere in the VMC? Or do you like clustered retail in key corridors to provide a continuous shopping experience instead?
• What types of retail would you like to see in the VMC?
• What types of retails uses – including restaurant and commercial uses – do you think are important to help provide vibrancy? Activity? Convenience?
• Should certain types of retail be permitted in some areas, and not in others?

Civic facilities, which includes community centres, libraries, recreational facilities, as well as cultural facilities, such as performance venues, museums, galleries and arts spaces, are an important component in the delivery of community services, as well as creating an identity for the downtown.

Where should civic facilities be located within the VMC?

HERE ARE THE OPTIONS:

Option 1: Civic facilities are concentrated along Millway Avenue

Option 1 concentrates these civic facilities along Millway Avenue. These facilities may be incorporated into development (i.e. residential or mixed use buildings), or may be standalone buildings.

What does this mean?

• Civic facilities will be located along Millway Avenue.
• Millway Avenue will be the cultural destination of the VMC.

Option 2: Civic facilities are dispersed across the VMC

Option 2 takes a dispersed (“hub-and-spokes”) approach to the placement of civic facilities, where City- or region-serving facilities will be located along Millway Avenue, and local-serving facilities will be located within each quadrant (i.e. the sub-areas within the VMC divided by Jane Street and Highway 7) to improve local accessibility. These facilities may be incorporated into development (i.e. residential or mixed use buildings), or may be standalone buildings.

What does this mean?

• Civic facilities will be located throughout each quadrant (i.e. the sub-areas within the VMC divided by Jane Street and Highway 7).
• Millway Avenue will continue to be a cultural destination.
• Local accessibility to smaller facilities will be improved for residents.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

• Is it important to have a cultural destination in the VMC? Or does it make more sense to spread out facilities within each quadrant (i.e. the sub-areas within the VMC divided by Jane Street and Highway 7)?
• Do you think these civic facilities should be closely located to parks? Schools?
• What should these facilities look like? Standalone buildings? Or incorporated into development (i.e. residential or mixed use buildings)?

Do you have other thoughts about the options? What should the VMC look like in the future? Did we miss anything?

Share and discuss here.

The Vaughan Metropolitan Centre is supported by a transit mobility hub which includes the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre Subway Station and the SmartVMC Bus Terminal. Additional public amenities are opening soon in the VMC. The opening of the Centre of Community Building (PwC-YMCA tower) in 2021 will feature a Vaughan Public Library branch and a YMCA with a not-for profit daycare, performing arts studio and community kitchen.


The VMC Downtown Under Construction video showcases Vaughan’s growing and evolving downtown by highlighting the progress made in the VMC over the past year; what has been, and is being built, as well as the various cultural events that have taken place through 2019 and 2020.

What do you like about the VMC today? Which amenities do you most enjoy?

Don't forget to also share your ideas on which additional amenities should be considered!