Growing Communities and Making Room for What Matters

Have you ever driven through your community and realized something has changed?

A new neighbourhood taking shape.
An intersection redesigned to move people in a safer way.
A transit stop or community space that wasn’t there before.

Growth often happens gradually… until one day you notice it all at once.

On the road, those changes can mean a smoother drive and more ways to get where you need to go. Turning lanes ease congestion, signals keep traffic moving and new sidewalks and bike lanes make it easier for people to walk, ride or take transit. Across York Region, these improvements support more than 7 billion kilometres of travel each year on a network of over 4,400 lane kilometres of Regional roads, all serving a population that continues to grow.

At home, growth is felt in quieter ways. Reliable water at the turn of a tap. Waste collected week after week. Systems that once served fewer households now support many more while protecting shared resources for the future. The average home in York Region uses about 716 litres of water each day, more than two full bathtubs, yet conservation efforts have saved 27 megalitres of water daily since 1998. At the same time, about 90% of waste is diverted away from landfills through recycling, composting and other programs, helping keep communities clean and sustainable as they expand.

Growth also means creating places where people of all incomes can live and thrive. New community housing developments help maintain inclusive neighbourhoods close to jobs, services and support networks. In 2025, 97 new mixed-income housing units welcomed residents at Mosaic House in the Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville, providing stable homes and strengthening the social fabric of the community.

Step outside, and growth can be seen in the landscape itself. A young tree planted along a street. New shade appearing where there was none before. Since 2019, more than 180,000 urban trees have been planted, including over 12,500 street trees that line neighbourhood roads. These living systems bring balance to development, adding beauty and environmental benefits while supporting long-term sustainability.

But growth isn’t only about infrastructure, it’s also about people.

Thousands of families are starting new chapters each year in York Region. In 2025 alone, approximately 9,400 babies were born across the Region. For many parents, those early days are filled with excitement, questions and a desire to do everything right. Public Health programs help connect families to nurses, experts and reliable information, offering guidance through pregnancy, infancy and early childhood. Nearly 4,000 growing families accessed pre- and post-natal supports last year, and more than 42% of new families engaged with Public Health for trusted advice as they started their parenting journey.

Over time, these changes become part of everyday life. The commute feels familiar again, trees grow taller and communities become more vibrant.

But growth isn’t measured only by new buildings or population numbers.
It’s measured by whether communities remain safe, inclusive and livable as they expand.

Across York Region, that work is ongoing. Essential services and infrastructure are evolving to meet those needs, ensuring that as more people arrive, the Region continues to be a place where residents can live, work, raise families and feel at home.

Discover all the ways York Region works to support you at york.ca/RegionalServices