What Is a Transit-Oriented Area in BC? Bill 47, Explained
A Transit-Oriented Area is the land within 800 m of a listed rapid transit station or 400 m of a listed bus exchange. Bill 47 set minimum heights and densities there that a city cannot refuse at a rezoning. Here is what that means for a lot inside one.
The short answer
- A Transit-Oriented Area (TOA) is a ring of land around a listed SkyTrain station or major bus exchange, set by Bill 47, the Housing Statutes (Transit-Oriented Areas) Amendment Act, 2023.
- Inside one, a city cannot refuse a rezoning on density or height grounds up to a minimum that depends on the distance: up to 20 storeys and 5.0 FAR within 200 m of a SkyTrain station.
- A TOA does not rezone your lot. The figures are a floor on what the city must consider when someone applies to rezone, not something you can build tomorrow.
- Cities cannot require residential parking minimums inside a TOA, and Bill 44's 4 and 6 unit rules do not apply there.
A Transit-Oriented Area in one paragraph
A Transit-Oriented Area is land the Province has marked for higher density because it is close to rapid transit. Each one is a set of rings around a station or exchange listed in the Transit-Oriented Areas Regulation, B.C. Reg. 263/2023 (Vancouver: B.C. Reg. 265/2023). For each ring the regulation sets a minimum height and density. If an owner applies to rezone a lot inside a TOA, the city cannot turn the application down because of its density or height, as long as it stays at or under that minimum.
That is the whole mechanism. Bill 47 did not change anyone's zoning. A house beside a station is still zoned for a house until someone applies to rezone it.
The rings and what each allows
Distances run from the station or exchange to the nearest edge of the parcel, so a parcel the boundary crosses counts as fully inside. A parcel in two rings takes whichever gives the higher density.
Two ring diagrams drawn to scale. Around a SkyTrain station: within 200 m, at least 20 storeys and 5.0 FAR; 200 to 400 m, 12 storeys and 4.0 FAR; 400 to 800 m, 8 storeys and 3.0 FAR. Around a Metro Vancouver bus exchange: within 200 m, 12 storeys and 4.0 FAR; 200 to 400 m, 8 storeys and 3.0 FAR.
| Transit and distance | Min. storeys | Min. FAR |
|---|---|---|
| Rapid transit station, within 200 m | 20 | 5.0 |
| Rapid transit station, 200 to 400 m | 12 | 4.0 |
| Rapid transit station, 400 to 800 m | 8 | 3.0 |
| Metro Vancouver bus exchange, within 200 m | 12 | 4.0 |
| Metro Vancouver bus exchange, 200 to 400 m | 8 | 3.0 |
Regional exchange figures · What FAR means
What changes for a lot inside one
- Rezoning floor (The main effect)
- An application to rezone up to the ring's minimum height and density cannot be refused on those grounds. The city can still weigh design, servicing and its other policies.
- No parking minimums (For housing)
- Cities cannot require residential off-street parking minimums inside a Transit-Oriented Area.
- Bill 44 steps back (No 4 or 6 unit minimum)
- B.C. Reg. 262/2023 s.3(2) switches off Bill 44's 4 and 6 unit minimums inside a TOA. The one extra unit every single-family lot gets still applies.
- Current zoning stays (Until someone rezones)
- What you can build today is still set by the lot's existing zone. The TOA figures matter only at a rezoning.
Who a Transit-Oriented Area helps
For a single owner of a house near a station, a TOA is often less useful than a guaranteed fourplex would have been. Towers and mid-rise apartments usually need several lots assembled, financing and a long approval.
For a group of neighbours selling together, or a developer assembling a site, it is usually worth far more. The city has already been told it cannot say no on density, which takes the biggest risk out of a rezoning.
Land assembly checklist · Rezoning vs a variance
How to check if your lot is in one
- Find the nearest station or exchange. TOAs exist only around the stations and exchanges listed in the regulation. More than 800 m from a station and 400 m from an exchange means you are outside every TOA.
- Measure to the parcel edge. Measure from the station point to the nearest edge of the lot, not to the house.
- Look up the address. A ZoneScout report shows whether the lot is in a TOA, which ring, the nearest station, and the rezoning floor, next to what the current zone allows.
Sources
- Transit-Oriented Areas Regulation, B.C. Reg. 263/2023
- Local Government Zoning Bylaw Regulation, B.C. Reg. 262/2023, s.3(2)
- Local Government Act (BC Laws)
Frequently asked questions
What is a Transit-Oriented Area in BC?
An area within 800 m of a listed rapid transit station or 400 m of a listed bus exchange, created by Bill 47 in 2023. Inside it, a city cannot refuse a rezoning on density or height grounds up to a prescribed minimum.
Does a Transit-Oriented Area rezone my property?
No. Your current zoning still applies. The TOA figures only set a floor on what the city must allow if someone applies to rezone.
How tall can you build in a Transit-Oriented Area?
Near a SkyTrain station the minimums are 20 storeys and 5.0 FAR within 200 m, 12 storeys and 4.0 FAR from 200 to 400 m, and 8 storeys and 3.0 FAR from 400 to 800 m, on rezoning. Cities can allow more.
Is parking required in a Transit-Oriented Area?
Cities cannot require residential off-street parking minimums inside a Transit-Oriented Area.
Does Bill 44 apply in a Transit-Oriented Area?
Not its 4 and 6 unit minimums. Land in a TOA is exempt from them under B.C. Reg. 262/2023 s.3(2), though the one extra unit still applies.