The B.C. government has enacted legislation that impacts how Coquitlam plans for growth in areas around SkyTrain stations referred to as ‘Transit-Oriented Areas’.
Affected Areas in Coquitlam
The legislation applies to the following eight SkyTrain stations:
Key Changes in Transit-Oriented Areas
- Areas within 800 metres of SkyTrain stations are designated as Transit-Oriented Areas
- Minimum allowable building heights and densities are set by the Province
- Minimum residential parking requirements have been removed, except for those for individuals with disabilities
Transit-Oriented Areas in the Official Community Plan
As part of the new Official Community Plan (OCP), Coquitlam has updated land uses to allow the minimum densities and heights in the Burquitlam and Lougheed Town Centre Transit-Oriented Areas and established a Transit-Oriented Area Reserve for lands within the remaining Transit-Oriented Areas that require additional neighbourhood planning to support higher densities.
Please visit the Official Community Plan page for more information.
About the Southwest Shoulders and Corridors
On May 27, 2026, Council adopted the Official Community Plan (OCP) and Zoning Amendment Bylaw amendments for the Southwest Shoulders and Corridors.
The approved changes establish updated land use and servicing concepts for neighbourhoods surrounding the Burquitlam and Lougheed Town Centre SkyTrain stations and along Austin Avenue. The work responds to provincial housing legislation while helping to create more logical transitions between existing neighbourhoods and higher-density Transit-Oriented Areas.
The amendments create opportunities for new medium-density housing, townhousing, local-serving commercial space, transportation improvements, parks and infrastructure investments in key areas of Southwest Coquitlam.
Please visit the Official Community Plan page for more information.
To determine the land use designation of a specific property, please use QtheMap, or contact our City staff by email.
Future Small-Scale Residential Rezoning
We are preparing a proposed rezoning for certain properties in the Shoulder and Corridor sub-areas from R-3 Transitional Small-Scale Residential to R-1 Small-Scale Residential. The proposed rezoning would only apply to properties that no longer meet the criteria for R-3 zoning. For more information, please refer to the section entitled “Future Rezoning for Small-Scale Residential Properties” in the Southwest Shoulders and Corridors – OCP and Zoning Amendment Bylaws report to Council (PDF).
