Maple Ridge is Metro Vancouver’s next major growth hub, says chief strategy officer

Maple Ridge is making the case that it has reached a turning point in its evolution, with city officials arguing the community is no longer simply an affordable suburb but an emerging destination for major investment, employment and transit-oriented development.

In a July 14 commentary, the City’s Chief Strategy Officer, Zvi Lifshiz, said Maple Ridge is at a “pivotal moment” as multiple long-term projects and policy changes begin converging to reshape the community over the coming decades.

“If you haven’t been to Maple Ridge in a while, it’s changed. A lot,” Lifshiz said, arguing the city’s longstanding reputation as a “sleepy suburb on the edge of Metro Vancouver” no longer reflects reality.

Instead, he said Maple Ridge is reaching the stage where its future potential is becoming visible before being fully recognized by the broader market, comparing its current trajectory to earlier periods of rapid growth experienced by Surrey and Langley.

Lifshiz pointed to the city’s strategic location between Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley, saying continued population growth and transportation investments are shifting Maple Ridge from the region’s edge toward the centre of future growth.

Among the projects he identified are the planned Lougheed Transit Corridor, the proposed Bus Rapid Transit line connecting Haney Place and Langley, City Centre intensification plans, new employment lands and ongoing investments in water infrastructure, recreation facilities and municipal servicing.

He said those initiatives are reinforcing one another and creating conditions for larger mixed-use developments, transit-oriented communities and employment-focused growth that were previously less achievable.

One of the city’s biggest priorities, Lifshiz said, is ensuring growth is driven by more than housing.

He highlighted the recently adopted North 256 Area Plan, which is expected to create more than 500 net acres of industrial land, as a key step toward expanding Maple Ridge’s employment base and attracting new industries.

The city is also looking to diversify its economy by pursuing opportunities in sectors such as construction innovation, aerospace, tourism and trade-related industries.

According to Lifshiz, creating a more balanced economy is critical to building complete communities where residents can live, work and access amenities without relying on long commutes elsewhere in Metro Vancouver.

The commentary also emphasizes efforts underway inside city hall to make development approvals more predictable.

Lifshiz said the city has been working to reduce friction in the development process by improving coordination between departments, streamlining approvals, clarifying policies and providing more proactive support for applicants.

Those efforts include improving permitting timelines, creating clearer points of contact for developers and addressing issues earlier in the approval process.

“Developers value certainty as much as speed,” Lifshiz said. “Knowing timelines, understanding expectations, and having confidence in the process are critical factors in investment decisions.”

The commentary builds on a series of recent initiatives aimed at accommodating growth. In recent months, Maple Ridge has approved a new industrial lands plan, endorsed Bus Rapid Transit along the Lougheed Highway corridor, adopted a tenant protection bylaw, advanced new recreation facilities to an October referendum, and reported significant reductions in residential permit processing times through its Continuous Improvement Centre.

Lifshiz acknowledged the city remains a work in progress but argued Maple Ridge is no longer reacting to regional growth trends.

“It is actively positioning itself for the next phase of regional growth and investment,” he said.

The commentary concludes that, as Metro Vancouver continues expanding eastward over the next decade, Maple Ridge is becoming “increasingly difficult to overlook.”