Opinion: How Metro Vancouver can stop industrial investment from leaving the region | Daily Hive

Existing condition of the land area of the 256 Street Industrial Area Plan. (City of Maple Ridge)

Written for Daily Hive Urbanized by Eric Aderneck, who is an urban planner with a focus on industrial lands and employment uses, and the program manager for the City of Maple Ridge’s Industrial Lands Program.

Much of the dialogue about population growth in Metro Vancouver focuses on housing — prices, sales, approvals, and construction. Yet industrial land scarcity and its economic consequences deserve equal attention.

This is not simply an industrial real estate issue. Industrial lands support 31 per cent of Metro Vancouver’s GDP and hundreds of thousands of jobs across sectors, including manufacturing, production, construction, logistics, and warehousing. These businesses provide above-average paying jobs, support local and national supply chains, and diversify municipal tax bases.

Unlike housing shortages, expanding industrial land supply is far more difficult than densifying residential areas. From initial concept to final permit, industrial development operates on long timelines. Road upgrades, utility connections, environmental mitigations all need to be planned well before lands can be made available for occupancy.

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Fortunately, cities like Maple Ridge are making hundreds of acres of industrial land ready for future growth.

The shortage is already being felt

Over the past decade, industrial land has become one of the region’s most constrained resources. Vacancy rates are low, land costs are high, and businesses looking to expand must compete for limited space.

Demand continues to grow from both established and emerging sectors. And in popular filming locations such as Maple Ridge, movie and television productions require space for equipment and staging.

The result is a widening gap between the supply of industrial land and the industrial space needed to accommodate ongoing economic growth.

One of the associated challenges with industrial land scarcity is that its effects are often not visible to the public. When businesses cannot find a place to grow, investment may be delayed or go elsewhere, compromising job creation, market competitiveness, and economic resilience.

The Metro Vancouver region is home to the largest port in Canada as well as associated transportation infrastructure, off-dock logistics, and supporting industry activities. These facilities include port terminals, rail yards, and distribution centres that serve national trade functions, ranging from the import of consumer goods from overseas to the export of natural resources from western Canada. Trade volumes are expected to continue rising, along with trade diversification, investments in port infrastructure, and major resource projects.

Maple Ridge’s role in the regional response

Maple Ridge’s new industrial plan is significant from a regional perspective. Adopted on June 23, 2026, the North 256 Street Industrial Lands Area Plan introduces approximately 500 acres of new industrial land. Combined with Maple Ridge’s existing industrial land base, this represents one of the largest industrial expansion initiatives in the region.

256 Street Industrial Area Plan Maple Ridge

256 Street Industrial Area Plan. (City of Maple Ridge)

A “bring-to-market” effort was completed by the City of Maple Ridge to assess lands with industrial potential, document challenges, and advance practical solutions.

The North 256 Street area has a complex mix of pre-existing institutional uses, varied industrial activities, and topographical and environmental constraints, yet also clear opportunities. Through an area-scale environmental assessment and servicing strategy, and working with local landowners, these matters were addressed and incorporated into the final area plan.

As population growth continues to move eastward across the Lower Mainland, businesses are increasingly looking beyond traditional industrial markets for scalable and financially viable opportunities. Communities that secure industrial lands through plans and policies are better positioned to attract business investment.

An evolving city

Perceptions exist about different parts of the region. There’s still a view that Maple Ridge is a “bedroom community” removed from the broader regional economy. The reality is changing.

Maple Ridge is connected through established and emerging major transportation corridors, including the Lougheed Highway and the Golden Ears Bridge, as well as TransLink’s planned Bus Rapid Transit line connecting the city centre to the new SkyTrain station in Langley.

With more than 106,000 residents today and a population projected to grow by 40 per cent over the next 20 years, Maple Ridge has an expanding labour force and customer base. Combined with its workforce of 58,000 and proximity to more than 3.3 million people across the Lower Mainland, there are strong advantages for businesses serving the community and region.

New and updated area plans, transportation upgrades, infrastructure planning, and industrial land opportunities are creating the conditions needed to support durable growth. With ongoing investments in both road and transit, the “outer” parts of the region are increasingly connected to the core.

Housing and jobs belong in the same conversation

The region needs to think about employment and housing as part of the same conversation.

A complete community requires both homes and places for residents to work. In a changing world, we still need traditional and modern forms of industry.

Cities that are focused on protecting industrial lands and employment uses, planning ahead, and investing in long-term infrastructure are best positioned to sustain economic prosperity.

Decisions made today shape economic success years into the future.

The question is not only where people will live as the region grows. It is also where they will work, where businesses will expand, and how we will keep positive opportunities within the region.

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