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.  

It’s no secret that there’s lots going on around the University Area, especially when it comes to road improvements. Recent City projects in the University Area include the Kelly's Brook Shared-Use Path, the Fortis Canada Games Complex, and several capital works projects in and around the University Area. 

The project team for the University Area 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: 

The University Area is one of the most unique communities in St. John’s. With MUN at its heart, this neighbourhood features one of the youngest populations in the City (6 years younger than the overall median), and dramatically different age demographics than almost anywhere else – with 34% more 45-64 years old, 25% more 20-44 years old, and 33% less 0-19 years old than the City as a whole. 

The unique nature of the University Area doesn’t stop there – with so many students living in this area, the proportion of working residents is substantially smaller than the City’s average. Over half of all residents in the University Area do not have full-time employment, highlighting the fact that most are engaged in academic pursuits. This represents a 36% lower employment rate than the City-wide average, and this reality is reflected in median income per household statistics for the University Area as well, where again the median household income is 36% lower than the City as a whole. Similarly, roughly half of all residents are renters, about 25% higher than the City average. 

Complementing all this, the University Area is also a city-within-a-city. Thousands of staff commute to the MUN campus daily, giving it a vibrancy and energy unlike most other neighbourhoods in St. John’s. With all these dynamic demographic forces influencing its character, there’s no shortage of interesting considerations that must be made when planning for the University Area. 

So what does all this mean? Well, the numbers point to a large student population, relatively few children, but also fairly average rate of more senior residents. This population shift relative to the norm requires comprehensive thinking for the range of community amenities, services, and housing that are planned for in the area. The hospital, university, and other nearby institutional anchors also necessitate more regional thinking as well, as these locations generate significant economic activity in the University Area, and influence how people move through and live their lives in the neighbourhood. As MUN, and the broader community continue to grow, it will be important to ensure that this growth is supported in a way that enhances the overall community’s needs and the well-being of its diverse range of resident household ages, incomes, and tenures.