A mixed-use neighbourhood is one where people live in the same areas where people work and shop. For example, buildings may have stores and business on the first floors, and residential apartments on the upper floors. ZoneSJ will have a significant impact on the development of mixed-use neighbourhoods.
Why this is important. Mixed-use development can provide affordable housing and access to employment for low-income residents, particularly the working poor. These developments are usually close to work, education, health care and community services. They are usually along transit corridors. Mixed-use housing is also very sustainable and cost-effective for municipalities.
Mixed-use development can also attract the workers we need (for example, home-care professionals, service-sector workers, etc.) because it is affordable and provides easy access to employment centres. Mixed-use neighbourhoods increase workforce participation and make our economy more productive.
What ZoneSJ gets right. Permitted uses include a variety of commercial development, providing neighbourhood-level employment opportunities and a more complete community.
Issues and opportunities. The CBP, CG and CM zones provide mixed-use development, typically in the form of street-level commercial units and residential units on the upper floors. These pockets exist across the city and have excellent access to services and employment centres. These zones are highly desirable with respect to employment, active transit and housing affordability. Since many of these zones are adjacent to Priority Neighbourhoods (pockets of concentrated poverty of 25%+), we could help low-income residents migrate out of Priority Neighbourhoods, decreasing poverty concentration by encouraging mixed-use development that includes affordable housing units.
Cheat sheet for your feedback. If you want to provide feedback on this issue, feel free to use or edit the statements below:
Simple version
Mixed-use development is a great opportunity to drive employment and increase housing options. Please create effective incentives to encourage mixed-use development. Also include incentives that will ensure the inclusion of affordable housing units in these projects, to provide housing for the Working Poor.
More detailed version
- Provide significant incentives to promote mixed-use developments.
- Provide additional incentives for developers to include affordable dwelling units as a portion of the residential component of these developments.
- Add small, residential scale commercial zones to the Lower West Side and Crescent Valley / Anglin Drive Priority Neighourhoods.
The deadline for your feedback to the City on ZoneSJ is Friday November 29th. Submit your input to (via webform, or in writing to planning@saintjohn.ca). And copy your councillors.