FAQs

A PMTSA is a policy area. 

Protected Major Transit Station Areas (PMTSA) are areas surrounding and including an existing or planned higher-order transit station or stop. PMTSAs are intended to accommodate increased residential and employment growth with highly urban, mixed-use, transit-supportive forms of development.

Once a PMTSA boundary is identified, the Planning Act permits us to:
(a) identify the minimum number of residents and jobs, collectively, per hectare that are planned to be accommodated within the area

(b) identify the authorized uses of land in the major transit station area and of buildings or structures on lands in the area; and 

(c) identify the minimum densities that are authorized with respect to buildings and structures on lands in the area. 

The lands in London’s PMTSAs are designated Downtown, Transit Village and Rapid Transit Corridor (See Map 10). The PMTSA policies will also inform the zoning permissions.

The zoning by-law regulates zoning for our city. Zoning provides precise regulations regarding the permitted uses, allowed intensity, and form requirements for all lands within the city. These regulations are guided by the high-level policies of The London Plan. 

Use - the types of activities or businesses that can operate on a property. A use could be something like an apartment building, an animal clinic, or a golf course. 

Form - the physical design of a site or building. Form could include rules on things like location of parking, setbacks, site layout or massing for buildings.

Intensity - the level of activity or density on a property. This could be measured in a variety of ways, such as floor plate area, building height, dwelling units per hectare, and parking spaces.

The London Plan is the official plan for our city. It's the policy framework for all planning and development in London.

In The London Plan, land use designations are called place types. All land within the city has an identified place type. Place types regulate the permitted uses, allowed intensity, and form requirements at a high level. 

Downtown, Transit Village and Rapid Transit Corridor place types are identified to be high density, mixed use, transit-supportive neighbourhoods around rapid transit stations. 

The Downtown is intended to be the city’s primary hub for local bus, intercity rail and bus, as well as planned rapid transit and future high-speed rail. The Downtown place type permits the broadest range of uses and the most intense forms of development. 

Transit Villages are second only to the Downtown in terms of the mix of uses and intensity of development that are permitted. Intended to support the rapid transit system, the Transit Villages require transit-oriented development forms and support the provision of a range of housing types, forms, tenure, and affordability in close proximity to rapid transit stations.

Rapid Transit Corridors connect the Downtown and four Transit Villages by rapid transit routes. A wide range of uses and greater intensities of development are permitted around rapid transit stations to establish demand for rapid transit services along the corridors.

Rapid transit is a high-capacity public transportation system that operates on an exclusive right-of-way – such as bus-only lanes – connecting more people to more places, using frequent and more reliable service.

Rapid transit in London

London’s rapid transit system has been designed to help ease traffic flow along our major corridors. Three rapid transit projects are currently underway: 

• Downtown Loop
• East London Link
• Wellington Gateway

These projects include creating bus-only lanes and rapid transit stations, improving the streetscape environment for pedestrians and cyclist, and repairing and replacing aging underground infrastructure within these corridors.

Transit stations are covered facilities where passengers can get on/off public transportation. 

In London, modern rapid transit stations are being installed as part of the three rapid transit projects. These transit stations will be located along all three corridors and feature modern transit shelters and amenities to accommodate large passenger loads and frequent transit operations.

On March 17, 2023, the Federal Government launched the Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) – a $4 billion initiative announced in the 2022 Budget. The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) administers the HAF to incentivize and support housing initiatives. The HAF program seeks to drive systemic change and create the conditions necessary to increase housing supply over the short and longer term. Some will result in immediate increases in housing supply while others will support improvements to the broader housing system and may take more time for their full potential to be realized. 

A Transit Village is a place type. 

Place types are land use designation policies in the official plan that provide a high-level framework for the long-term intent for the lands and inform the zoning permissions. Every property in the city has a land place type. 

No, not all the properties within the PMTSAs are proposed to be rezoned through this amendment. Properties within secondary plan areas and within the preservation segment of Richmond Street have a different policy framework. Areas within the flood plain are also not proposed for the Transit Station Area (TSA) Zone, such as along Wharncliffe Road North.

The Transit Station Area (TSA) Zone is a new zone created to facilitate high-rise mixed-use development meant to be applied within areas in proximity to planned higher-order transit service.

No. The current zone will be retained and the proposed Transit Station Area (TSA) Zone would be applied in addition to the existing zone, creating a compound zone. See Section 3.9 of the Z.-1 Zoning By-law for more information on compound zones.

Identifying and promoting the development of priority intensification areas is a key element of the Province's Action Plan. As Council previously approved The London Plan PMTSA policies in 2020, the City must now amend the zoning by-law, as required by The Planning Act, to implement these policies.