TDC Development Areas

Location and Siting

Identifying the parcels that make for a workable TDC Development Area to partner with a TDC Conservation Area can be challenging, and requires balancing developer demand, community acceptability, and planning goals. This balancing act must always consider the question of whether a TDC Development Area is even feasible.

Like all aspects of a TDC program, selection of a TDC Development Area should be guided by the conservation and development goals of the program, not by the desire to see transactions occur. Selection of these parcels should consider if doing so encourages development that would not otherwise occur, and whether the proposed development would conflict with the overall conservation goals.

The local community, especially those living immediately adjacent to proposed TDC Development Areas, need to be accepting of it. Often this is a function of choosing an acceptable form for the development. Descriptions of TDC Development Areas that emphasize “increased density” tend to be misleading, and can create a ‘NIMBYism’ backlash. TDC Development Areas in U.S. programs can be lower density, mixed use, extremely desirable neighbourhoods, with most people unaware they are in a “receiving area” – they simply represent a higher density than was initially possible, occurring in a location that may not have been the developer’s first choice.

From a planning perspective, the municipality can designate TDC Development Areas spatially (by drawing lines on the map) or by establishing criteria that must be met by prospective participants. Regardless, the municipality must develop their own criteria regarding what would make an ideal TDC Development Area. The municipality can use other planning approaches to encourage participation, such as creating areas of transition housing from lower to higher densities.