CAREERS   l  MEDIA ROOM   l  CONTACT US
Metro Vancouver Logo Skip navigation links
About Us
Boards
Services
Planning
Outreach
 
 
Home Email page Print Share this page Increase text size Decrease text size
 
 
Coquitlam City Centre
Langley City Centre
Lonsdale City Centre
Maple Ridge City Centre
Vancouver Metro Core
Metrotown City Centre
New Westminster City Centre
Richmond City Centre
Surrey Metro Centre

URBAN CENTRE AMENITIES
Community & Recreation Facilities
Swangard Stadium, Bonsor Recreation Complex, Central Park Pitch & Putt Course and South Central Youth Centre
Government Services
Burnaby Fire Station No. 3, Head Office for Metro Vancouver & Translink
Cultural Facilities
Bob Prittie Metrotown Library
Educational Facilities
2 elementary schools (Marlborough Elementary, Maywood Community)
Parks and Open Space
107 hectares, including: Central Park, Bonsor Park, Metrotown Civic Square, BC Parkway as well as a number of neighborhood parks, walkways, urban paths and trails Located at headwaters of Still Creek and Kaymar Creek; spectacular views of mountains and Fraser lowlands; Central Park forests, streams and ponds are habitat for birds and other wildlife
Shops and Services
A premier shopping destination with a number of regional and local shopping malls (Metropolis at Metrotown, Station Square, Crystal Mall and Old Orchard Mall) and ancillary shops and services located along Kingsway
Food
Several large format grocery stores, local markets and food courts in major malls and a range of restaurants and coffee shops along Kingsway
Medical Facilities
Burnaby Hospital nearby; numerous medical offices and clinics along Kingsway and Nelson Avenue
Heritage Features
Central Park Historic Neighborhood with 11 heritage landmarks, including 7 vernacular houses, 2 churches and 2 ceremonial structures
Metrotown City Centre 

Aerial View

Ortho View

Historical Photo

Metrotown serves as the urban core for the City of Burnaby, the third largest city in Metro Vancouver. Metrotown was formally established as a town centre in 1977, and covers an area of approximately 297 hectares (735 acres), characterized by Central Park to the west, a commercial spine along Kingsway and a mix of housing forms ranging from townhouses to low-rise walk-up apartments and high-rise residential towers in distinct neighborhoods. Metrotown has experienced rapid growth since the opening of SkyTrain Expo Line in 1986 which saw the population increase by over 7,550 people between 1991 and 2001. In the 2011 Census, there were 13,013 dwelling units and 25,321 people living in Metrotown, accounting for over 14% of all units and 11% of the total population of Burnaby.

Commercial developments in Metrotown have focused on linear strip development along Kingsway and the commercial complexes of Station Square and Metropolis, the second largest enclosed shopping mall complex in Canada. In recent years, there has been a trend towards creating mixed-use developments with street-oriented retail uses at ground level and high-rise residential towers above. Office developments are dominated by the Telus Building and Metrotower Office complex, which provide a combined total of 124,492 square metres (1.3 million square feet) of office space. With completion of the third and final Metrotower office building, commercial floorspace in the Metrotown area is expected to exceed 3 million square feet by 2021.

Metrotown offers a wide variety of community and recreational opportunities and facilities, including Central Park, Bonsor Recreation Complex and Burnaby’s main library branch. The area parks and public facilities are connected by the BC Parkway, an east-west urban trail running parallel to the SkyTrain Line, and provide both active and passive recreational space to residents and visitors alike. Metrotown is also home to a number of elementary schools, childcare centres and various non-profit community agencies.

Metrotown is strategically located and well-served by public transit and transportation networks, offering good automobile, bicycle and pedestrian connections to Downtown Vancouver and other centres. The Metrotown centre is served by two SkyTrain stations, two bus exchanges and several bus routes. It is also located a short distance from Highway 1 and the Vancouver International Airport offering convenient connections throughout the region and abroad.

Metrotown is experiencing a renaissance with many new mixed-use residential and commercial developments planned in the coming decade. These additions will see a remarkable transformation of the skyline which will reinforce Metrotown’s role as a premier residential, retail and office centre within the region and realize the City of Burnaby’s vision to create a sustainable and cosmopolitan urban centre to serve its residents.

KEY FACTS
Urban Land Area: 3.07 km2 (758 acres)
Population
  2001 2006
Number of Residents (Census Data) 24,555 25,610
Population Density 7,998 people/km2  (32.4/acre) 8,342 people/km2  (33.8/acre)
Population by Age Group (Census Data):
0-9 2,070 8% 2,105 8%
10-19 1,805 7% 2,035 8%
20-34 6,990 28% 6,700 26%
35-49 6,120 25% 6,920 27%
50-64 3,260 13% 3,895 15%
65+ 4,310 18% 3,955 15%
Median Household Income (Census Data) $31,558 $34,603
Jobs and Economy
  2001 2006
Total Jobs 18,620 18,065
Employment Density 6,065 jobs/km2  (24.6/acre) 5,884 jobs/km2  (23.8/acre)
Jobs by Industry:
Information & Cultural Industries  4,560 25% 4,560 25%
Retail Trade 4,320 23% 3,315 18%
Accommodation, food & drink service 1,910 10% 1,870 10%
Work at Home Jobs 650 745
Green Features
Parks and Open Space 107 hectares

The City protects its natural assets through a strong policy framework, with areas being designated under the Official Community Plan and applicable Community Plan. Through its Park Acquisition and Bonus Density Programs, the City is able to maintain and protect over 25% of its land area for parks, conservation areas and open space. In Metrotown, over 35% of the total land area is occupied by parks, urban plazas, paths and trails. Central Park, the oldest park in the City, is one of the City’s designated major parks with a special emphasis on conservation of its landmark forest. It is conveniently accessible to SkyTrain and serves as the area’s primary recreational asset. The park accommodates a variety of uses, including an 89 hectare (220 acre) forest with century old second growth woodland, playing field (Swangard Stadium), pitch and putt golf course, outdoor pool, lawn bowling club, tennis courts and picnic areas, and is also home to a diverse population of birds and wildlife. Bonsor Park is another significant facility located in the eastern part of Metrotown. It is a 5.37 hectare (13.26 acre) multi-service recreation centre and park that includes a community centre, swimming pool, racquet courts, gym and award-winning skateboard park.

Housing Diversity
  2001 2006
Total Private Occupied Dwellings 12,385 12,590
Dwellings by Type:
Single family, detached 170 1% 70 1%
Rowhouse/Semi-Detached/Duplex 245 2% 410 3%
Apartment, less than 5 storeys 5,940 48% 6,000 48%
Apartments, more than 5 storeys 6,045 49% 6,105 48%
Dwellings by Tenure (Census):
Owner Occupied Households 4,635 37% 5,120 41%
Renter Households 7,755 63% 7,475 59%
Transportation
Transit SkyTrain Expo Line (Patterson & Metrotown stations); Metrotown & Patterson bus loops; several bus routes to Vancouver, Richmond, New Westminster and North Vancouver.
Nearest Major Highway Trans Canada Hwy (3 minutes)
Distance to Airport (YVR) 12 km
Distance to Downtown Vancouver 9.5 km
Time by Transit to Downtown Vancouver (www.translink.ca) 15 minutes
Mode Split (Census 2006): Auto Transit Walk Cycle Other
Place of Work (Total Trips 10,305) 63% 28% 7% 1% 1%
Place of Residence (Total Trips 10,240) 46% 42% 11% 1% 1%
Summary of Key Facts table The population and number of occupied dwelling units in Metrotown has grown steadily over the past decade, growing at an average rate of about 1% per year. Despite this, the population has been getting younger and larger, indicating that more young families are moving into the area. There is also an increasing number of people owning their own condo apartment, which remains the dominant housing type in Metrotown. This will continue to be the trend as more taller and environmentally-friendly residential towers are constructed in the coming decade.
FUTURE OF THE CENTRE
Development Information and Projections
  2011 Projected 2041
Commercial/Retail Floor Space 271,722 sq m 431,439 sq m
Office Floor Space 236,382 sq m 1,167,349 sq m
Dwelling Units 13,583 31,819
Population 27,981 66,820
Jobs in progress in progress
Development Activity http://www.metrovancouver.org/planning/development/urbancentres/Pages/MetrotownCentre.aspx
Allowable Floor Space Ratio, height limit or number of storeys Office     6.0
Mixed Use     6.3 (varies)
Residential (High density) 5.0 (inclusive of 1.6 amenity bonus density)
Business Improvement Association  
Burnaby Board of Trade (http://www.bbot.ca/)
Development Programs   The City of Burnaby has established the “Community Benefit Bonus Policy” in its four Town Centres at Metrotown, Lougheed, Brentwood and Edmonds in exchange for the direct provision of community amenities, affordable housing, and environmental improvements, or a cash-in-lieu contribution towards future amenities. The program was expanded in 2010 to include ‘s’ category zoning to include all sites zoned RM3, RM4 or RM5 in the Town Centres.    
Planned Capital Spending Planned capital investment for the urban centre focuses on capital improvement works for infrastructure and facilities, such as roads, watermains, parks and government facilities. New construction of community amenities and affordable housing, including seniors centre, day care and non-profit office space is funded by revenue generated from new construction under the Community Benefit Bonus Policy.