FAQs

The intent of a Neighbourhood Plan is to adapt and implement the objectives, policies, land use designations, and planning approach to a local context. This is considered a Secondary Plan under the Municipal Plan. Through the neighbourhood planning process, the City will work with residents to develop a community vision and specific guidelines to support the local development of attractive multi-use buildings, pedestrian-friendly streets, parks, trails and public spaces. 

Neighbourhood Plans set out objectives and policies for: 

Through Neighbourhood Plans, the City can talk to neighbourhoods about what is working or not working in their neighbourhood today, and how to improve the area as it grows. 

The City has been allocated over $10.4 million in federal funding through the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s (CMHC) Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) to stimulate housing growth. The fund aims to increase housing supply by removing barriers to accessing housing. It will contribute to housing solutions such as capacity-building, updating Development Regulations to promote densification and improving City processes and policies that accelerate the development of diverse housing types throughout St. John’s. 

The initiatives from the City’s HAF action plan include prioritizing neighbourhood planning for residential densification and increasing building height around post-secondary institutions. The City will complete plans for the Cowan Heights and University Area neighbourhoods. 

These two communities were prioritized due to the intensification areas that were identified within Cowan Heights and around the University Area. Intensification areas have potential for future redevelopment and a mix of commercial, residential and other uses. These plans will evaluate and refine the boundaries of intensification areas and create policies to shape the land use, public places, design, and transportation networks. This will ensure that growth happens in a coordinated way that aligns with the vision and needs of each neighbourhood. New intensification areas may also be introduced.  

Recent City projects in Cowan Heights include the tennis to pickleball courts conversion consultation, and the Canada Drive active transportation and road safety improvements. The project team for the Cowan Heights Neighbourhood Plan will be using feedback we’ve already heard from the public during these projects as well as the City-wide Resident Satisfaction Survey to help inform our background research. 

Quick Stats: 

Cowan Heights is a very typical neighbourhood for St. John's - its average household size, proportion of seniors, proportion of youth under 20, and split between renters and owners are all roughly the same as the City's as a whole. 

Things get more interesting when you look at the proportion of retirees or those who do not work (20% higher than the City average), proportion of residents with household incomes above $100,000 (27% less than the City as a whole), and proportion of residents with household incomes below $60,000 (22% higher than the City as a whole). Cowan Heights also features a significantly larger population of those aged 45-64 than the City average - more than double! Despite these statistics, Cowan Heights also had an overall median household income that was about 8% higher than the City's median household income. 

What does all this mean? Well, the numbers point to a fairly homogenous community, defined largely by its proportion of near-retirees (45-64 years old) and retirees living on pensions in homes they likely raised their families in. As we plan for Cowan Heights' future, it's important to ask questions about how the needs of the existing community members will change over the next 10 years as demographics shift, and we can welcome new residents to the neighbourhood. The next 10 years will mark a pivotal life-shift for those in the 45-64 years old category, and it’s important to ensure that the amenities and resources exist in Cowan Heights that allow residents to age in place if they wish to do so and plan for all demographics.