New plan proposes to unlock Moncton’s Vision Lands for urban development

Moncton city planners have unveiled a new plan for the largest remaining piece of undeveloped land inside the city’s urban boundary.  And the plan includes enough housing to accommodate Moncton’s projected population growth for the coming decades. 

Known as the Vision Lands, the 1,400-acre, mostly forested area has gone without significant development since an initial vision was created in 2004. 

Now, the city has proposed updating the municipal plan for the area, including a detailed master plan for Vision Lands West, the area bounded by Mapleton Road, the Trans-Canada Highway and Wheeler Boulevard.  

“We're looking at a housing projection of around 14,000 [units]” said Josh Davies, manager of Moncton’s long-range planning team.

That’s enough to accommodate about 30,000 residents. But all that development will not happen right away.  

"That's potentially a 20- to 25-year build out,” said Davies, “given the size of the land that we're talking about. But it is substantial. It would be, to my knowledge, the largest master planned area within the city of Moncton and perhaps New Brunswick.”

Moncton’s urban growth strategy calls for only about one third of new development to happen on “greenfield” sites like the Vision Lands. The rest is expected to happen in the city’s downtown or through infilling and densification throughout the city.  

While full build out of the plan could take decades, that doesn’t mean the Vision Lands plan is not needed, according to Davies.  

“From my perspective as a planner,” said Davies, “I want to make sure that as many of these large areas are planned, so that we know what to do before the shovels hit the ground.”

In addition to copious residential and commercial development, the plan includes a major new regional park, a greenway along Hall’s Creek, a stormwater wetland park, space for new recreation facilities and two potential new schools.  

To create the park, the city will use about 20 acres of land acquired through development requirements and also purchase a 99-acre property.  

Davies said about 34 per cent of Vision Lands West has been set aside for “green or active transportation space,” which will set it apart from other areas of the city in terms of how people get around.

The idea of getting people to move around the area without need for a car was a “primary focus,” said Davies. That includes trails and multi-use paths and also plans for commercial and mixed-use zones in the area.

“At full build out, you only maybe need to get in your car once or twice a day,” said Davies, “because things are available to you where you live.”