Maple Ridge is Entering a New Cycle of Sustained Growth and Opportunities

Maple Ridge is moving into an accelerated growth phase, with recently updated plans and policies that outline development capacity across key areas of the city. In late 2025, Council adopted updates to the Official Community Plan and related area plans for the Town Centre, Hammond, Silver Valley, and Albion. The City is also advancing a significant new Area Plan known as the Lougheed Transit Corridor Area Plan (LTCAP), which provides a long-term planning framework that focuses growth and development along the Lougheed Highway and Dewdney Trunk Road corridor from Maple Ridge’s western boundary to the Town Centre. It’s intended to guide future housing, mixed-use development, shopping, services, employment uses, and mobility improvements in key station areas as Bus Rapid Transit is implemented. As of late 2025, LTCAP has advanced through initial bylaw readings for the Official Community Plan amendments. Staff have also begun accepting development applications and pre-application inquiries within the corridor. 

The City is also undertaking the preparation of the North 256 Street Industrial Lands Area Plan; a strategic planning initiative in northern Maple Ridge to guide the future development of one of the City’s and region's largest under-utilized industrial land areas. Located north of 128 Avenue at the end of 256 Street, these lands have historically hosted industrial and institutional uses and are now the focus of a coordinated planning effort to expand light industrial and compatible employment uses. As of January 2026, the North 256 Street Area Plan has advanced through initial bylaw readings of the Official Community Plan amendments.

Maple Ridge is one of the fastest-growing communities in Metro Vancouver, with the population surging 10.8% in just five years (as compared to the provincial 7.6%). New transportation infrastructure is on the horizon—including the phased expansion of the Abernethy Way corridor and a Bus Rapid Transit line slated to connect Maple Ridge to Langley and its future Skytrain extension. With above-average growth rates expected to continue, major new planned infrastructure investments, and policy direction focused on supporting jobs and growth, market demand for housing and commercial space is expected to increase over the coming years. 

Image

Maple Ridge offers big-city amenities and direct access to nature. Situated between the Golden Ears Mountains and the Fraser River, it delivers an outdoor lifestyle (hiking, parks, trails) that young families and professionals crave—at a fraction of Vancouver's cost. It's only 15 minutes from Golden Ears Provincial Park (boasting over a million annual visitors), 45 minutes from downtown Vancouver (the West Coast Express provides rail commuter service), yet boasts safe communities, great schools, and a vibrant local culture. People are moving here for livability, which means a growing workforce and customer base.

Image

Maple Ridge continues to offer a relatively low land cost basis compared with central Metro Vancouver development areas, while benefiting from regional growth spill-over and upcoming transit and planning initiatives. With land parcels available at a broader range of price points, developers seeking opportunity-stage entry into an expanding market may find Maple Ridge's land pricing advantageous relative to busier markets closer to the metro core. 

Image

Maple Ridge is no longer on the edge nor just a bedroom community—it's a growing, central hub. With direct links to YVR international airport, ports, rail, and border crossings, plus fast access to Surrey, Langley, Abbotsford, Coquitlam and Burnaby via the Golden Ears and Pitt River bridges, you're plugged into the entire region. A new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line connecting Maple Ridge to Langley is on the way, joining the West Coast Express commuter train and a program of road upgrades like Abernethy Way and the planned new 240 Street bridge. This city is racing ahead. 

Image

Market activity in Maple Ridge is translating into real delivery and results. The City exceeded its 2025 Provincial housing targets by 23%, with 751 new units completed in a single year. This level of activity is driving increased demand for supporting retail, services, and employment space. In response, Maple Ridge is advancing significant infrastructure investments, including a $16.6 million federal grant (through the Housing Accelerator Fund) focused on fast-tracking growth-supporting housing projects. Together these measures, housing starts, active applications, transit investment, and infrastructure funding, signal a City that is On The Move—offering an opportunity to engage as development activity scales and competitive conditions evolve.

Image

Maple Ridge has a diversified economy that covers a range of industries including traditional sectors, emerging businesses, and a growing labour force. The City's economic base includes construction, manufacturing, professional services, technology, and creative industries, reflecting both legacy activities and new business sector trends. Businesses are drawn by competitive costs, a skilled local workforce, and proximity to the broader Lower Mainland market. 

Maple Ridge is actively strengthening its economic base alongside residential growth, with a clear focus on job creation, business attraction, industry diversification, and long-term market resilience. The City is advancing industrial lands through new industrial area plans and initiatives to support employment and business growth, while at the same time implementing an investment attraction strategy designed to bring new businesses, employers, and capital into the community. These efforts are complemented by a newly developed business retention and expansion program, aimed at supporting existing employers and encouraging reinvestment as the local economy scales up.

Image

At a broader level, Maple Ridge is working to build a more complete and diversified economic ecosystem. A new major events strategy, film sector attraction program, and a comprehensive tourism plan are intended to increase visitation, spending, and profile, while initiatives focused on fostering an innovation ecosystem are laying the groundwork for higher-value employment and entrepreneurial activity over time. Taken together, these efforts signal a municipality planning for sustained economic and employment growth, matching population and housing rates. For residential and mixed-use developers, this translates into a stronger foundation for long-term demand, increased daytime population, and a more balanced community as Maple Ridge continues its transition into a larger, more economically diverse city.

Maple Ridge has strong demographics, being one of the fastest growing communities in the Lower Mainland with average household incomes 4.6% higher as compared to the Lower Mainland average. Maple Ridge residents have significantly higher spending profiles compared to the Canadian average given above average income levels and concentration of 25- to 49-year-olds that are at peak employment and expenditure stages. See the Retail Market Analysis. 

Image

The limited supply of new retail space over the last decade, despite a growing residential population and strong demographics, has created significant market opportunity for new commercial developments. The current low ratio of retail square feet per resident compared to neighbouring communities provides for a market opportunity for 1.1 million sq. ft. of additional retail space in the City to serve the population, with plans to focus it in the city centre area. 

Maple Ridge offers the one-of-a-kind Velocity concierge program (the first in British Columbia) to guide priority projects through approvals. From day one, major applications get a dedicated point of contact at City Hall to help guide projects through planning-related approvals—from rezoning and development permits to subdivision and variance applications—and works with staff across departments to coordinate reviews and address issues early in the process. The service provides personalized, proactive support for priority development projects. 

Image

The City has implemented the Certified Professional Program, which allows applicants to engage third-party registered professionals (such as architects and engineers) to support building permit applications and inspections. This can help streamline permit reviews, particularly for complex projects, by leveraging external expertise in code compliance and technical coordination. It’s an innovative, developer-friendly option that can reduce review times and lead to more streamlined processes. 

Image

Maple Ridge is also updating policies (for example, lower parking requirements in transit-friendly areas) to reduce costs and reflect current needs. When you build in Maple Ridge, you’ll find a city administration that moves at the speed of business—not bureaucracy. Fewer steps, firm timelines, and clearer transparency at every stage.

Image

Develop in Maple Ridge to enjoy some of the most competitive development cost charges in the region. Even after a DCC update in 2024, the City's rates remain attractive and below many Metro Vancouver municipalities. Surety bonds are also being accepted as an alternative form of security for certain development servicing agreements. Our straightforward fee structure lets developers budget with confidence.

Maple Ridge provides clarity from the start. All application fees, DCCs and requirements are published and upfront—no costly surprises down the road. The City encourages early engagement, offering pre-application meetings where you can sit down with Planning, Engineering, Building and Fire officials together to identify requirements at the start. This level of cooperation and transparency de-risks your investment. You'll know the rules of the game, the timelines to expect, and the costs involved from day one.

From the initial inquiry to final occupancy, you'll have direct lines for real people who are invested in your project's success. The Economic Development department serves as a first point of contact and can provide detailed information on sites, demographics, and opportunities. They will even arrange pre-application meetings with key staff to review your concept early on to identify and address any possible issues upfront. Once you're in process, the Development Concierge is there to help address problems and keep things moving forward. 

The relationship doesn't end when your permit is issued. Maple Ridge helps coordinate final inspections, fast-tracks tenant improvement permits, and even connects you with local business networks when you're ready to lease or sell. The community is eager to welcome quality new development; you'’ll find local leaders who celebrate groundbreakings and ribbon-cuttings. In Maple Ridge, you're not just building a project; you're building a community, and the City makes you feel a valued part of it.