Plan for Growth

As a community, we’re very fortunate that more and more young people and families are coming here and staying here. Saskatoon is growing, and this is a trend that will continue as more people choose to call Saskatoon home.

However, we also know that if we keep growing our city in the same way that we have in the past, the costs of building and maintaining infrastructure will become unsustainable to manage. Instead, Saskatoon needs a smarter way to grow, one that prepares our city for the future with decisions that are financially and environmentally sustainable.

To help achieve this, City Council approved the principles of a Growth Plan, a plan for the future of our city that focuses on increasing density in existing neighbourhoods and along the lines of an upcoming bus rapid transit system. This is a plan for the long term, but the work has already begun.

With the help of Councillor Block, the Council lead for Downtown Development, the Mayor’s Office has been working with the Saskatoon and Region Homebuilders’ Association, City staff and property developers to identify impediments to infill development in the downtown. These roundtable sessions helped to launch the Cut the Red Tape initiative, a review of the City’s policies and requirements for downtown development and proposals to improve them. This will help ensure that our internal processes are not holding back progress for our community as a whole. 

The vision of the Growth Plan will come to life through city-wide conversations and engagement about what will work in our city’s different neighbourhoods. It will save taxpayers money, create more liveable communities, and be implemented in ways that make sense for our city. Saskatoon must be built for the needs of the people, and with your help we will be able to get there.