Midtown Oakville is surrounded by a combination of natural and man-made boundaries. In the north, it begins just below the QEW highway. In the south, it’s bordered by Cornwall Road and the railway line. On the east side, it extends to Chartwell Road, and on the west side, it is surrounded by Sixteen Mile Creek.
The Greater Golden Horseshoe is one of the fastest growing regions in North America. The population is forecasted to increase from 9.5 million to 14.9 million by 2051. With Oakville’s population expected to double by 2051, the Province of Ontario requires that the town create more housing options for people over the next 30 years and beyond. Given these circumstances, there is a need to purposefully plan how our municipality grows.
This work has been underway since Midtown Oakville was identified as an Urban Growth Centre in 2006. Urban Growth Centres are intended to be the focus of population and employment growth and investment in transit and other infrastructure. This planning process is currently focused on effective growth management and community building opportunities, confirming the vision for Midtown Oakville and directing growth to the town’s growth centres and transit corridors in alignment with the approved urban structure which determines how growth can be distributed. Our growth management strategy intends to protect natural heritage, open space and cultural heritage, maintain the character of residential areas and direct growth to the town’s identified systems of nodes and corridors.
Work is underway with Town Council, Oakville communities and consultant teams to refine policies and implement the overall vision to guide growth in Midtown Oakville. We need the public’s help to guide implementation of the vision, collaborate on what Midtown Oakville will look like as it grows, and help refine the design recommendations. We have a public engagement planned October 25, 2023.
Register for this engagement session by visiting our EventBrite page.
An easy first step is to sign up for our newsletter so that we can share project updates and invite you to upcoming public engagement opportunities. Over the next three years you can expect a range of public engagement, from larger in-person events and group meetings to community workshops and virtual consultation activities where you can participate online.
Through the fall and into early 2024, there will be a number of opportunities for the community to join critical conversations and weigh in on how Midtown should grow.
An engagement session is planned on October 25, 2023 where we will share information, answer questions and collect input around the vision for Midtown Oakville. In late November and early December, we’ll be hosting a series of smaller community workshops to evaluate and help refine options. In early 2024, there will be an online consultation, so that the public can share their preferences on a way forward.
In 2024 and 2025, there will be more opportunities for you to participate and help us develop technical guidelines, provide input on transportation, community energy plan, and other important planning topics for Midtown Oakville.
The Town of Oakville has been leading this work and recently engaged a team of external consultants led by Jacobs (a professional services firm), who are advising on the Midtown Oakville Official Plan Amendment, the technical work, design guidelines, funding and financing strategies, public engagement and an implementation program for Midtown Oakville.
The town, in conversation with the public, will help to shape the policy and technical guidelines that will become the backbone of Midtown Oakville. Through a public engagement process, the town and community will discuss:
- how to support growth in Oakville
- the approach to buildings and densities
- road and transit requirements
- how to integrate community amenities, parks, and open spaces to support Midtown Oakville’s existing and new residents
Midtown Oakville is a long-term investment in Oakville’s community. Over the next two years we’ll be finalizing the policy framework, the implementation program, and working alongside the community at every phase. The redevelopment itself has a long timeline — we’ll start to see some expansion in Midtown Oakville by 2031, continuing in phases through to 2051 and beyond.
How tall will the buildings in Midtown Oakville be? This is a complicated question, and the short answer is - it depends! Future buildings are likely to range in height. Guidance for the height of buildings in Midtown will be an outcome of this process and will be related to the expectations for this area to be the place in Oakville for the tallest buildings and highest density development.
Through careful planning, surrounding neighbourhoods can retain their character and heritage, while also creating more homes for future generations. This work can help to ensure that Midtown Oakville will become a walkable, livable community and destination with green spaces, gathering spaces and recreational spaces.
Midtown Oakville’s vision prioritizes sustainability, placing emphasis on building upon the town’s transportation options that will eventually lessen our reliance on private automobiles.
The plan for Midtown Oakville is looking to build a more connected community by expanding pedestrian, cycling and public transit infrastructure and ensuring that community amenities are within walking distance. By integrating land use and transportation and allocating space on our public roadways differently, Midtown Oakville has the potential to be a place that supports many modes of transportation.
The Midtown Oakville Transportation Plan will focus on building a walkable, cycle/transit friendly community integrated with accessible transportation choices for all residents. It will address existing issues for residents, but also ensure mobility choices and new infrastructure is created that allows the community beyond Midtown Oakville to have easy access to this central hub.
Midtown Oakville faces some challenges. The site is narrow with various owners and parcels of land at different phases of redevelopment. There are also physical barriers that include a hydro corridor, congested arterial roadways such as Trafalgar, and ravines that prevent easy crossing and access that impact the overall amount of land that can be developed within Midtown Oakville.
The challenges are also opportunities for the natural landscapes to be integrated into the design of Midtown Oakville. There will be opportunities to integrate walkways, public spaces and connections into the Midtown Oakville vision in collaboration with the public. We will make the space more accessible, welcoming and enjoyable for all who visit or live in Midtown.
Midtown Oakville is also an opportunity to create a vibrant mixed-use community destination on underused lands for everyone who lives or visits Oakville. It will help address the growing need for more types of housing and affordable housing choices. There’s the potential to prioritize sustainable, pedestrian-based, and connected neighbourhoods. There are opportunities to incorporate energy plans and green standards. Through Midtown Oakville, we can create more homes, jobs, education opportunities and cultural spaces for the entire community.