The city of Surrey has released a draft version of its plan to support its estimate of having one million residents by 2050, projecting it to become B.C.’s most populated city.
Surrey’s official community plan, also called Surrey 2050, is the updated version of its plan from 2013, laying out the city’s goals for infrastructure, housing, jobs, transportation, schools and more.
Changing legislation, rapid growth and transforming needs of residents have made an updated plan essential, the city states.
“This is a major milestone in planning for the future of Surrey,” Mayor Brenda Locke said in a statement.
“Surrey 2050 reflects the dynamic nature of our growing city as it approaches one million residents, supporting more affordable homes, stronger infrastructure, and responsible growth for all. We take pride in putting forward a plan that respects Surrey’s past, acknowledges the realities of the present, and looks to a vibrant and bright future.”
The city boasts its new OCP as being more modern and simplifies planning rules by reducing the number of city policies from more than 600 down to about 200. It also claims to streamline land-use designations to limit the need for future bylaw amendments.
Various municipalities are releasing updated OCPs to be more in line with the province’s new guidelines to update community plans every five years and be in line with the B.C. government’s legislative changes around housing supply.
For a city growing as quickly as Surrey, issues could arise for “congestion, housing affordability issues, and stress on infrastructure and services,” the plan states.
“Planning and policies must anticipate the needs of a larger population and ensure that Surrey’s livability continues to rise.”
File photo: Skytrain construction along Fraser Highway near 166th Street in Surrey on Jan. 7, 2026.
The city of Surrey does not state when it intends to approve the draft plan, but it is expected to be in the next few months.
Surrey says its population could reach one million residents by 2050, beating out Vancouver to become the province’s most populated city. Currently, Surrey has a population of approximately 700,000, while Vancouver has over 750,000 residents.
Five priorities are highlighted in the city’s draft plan: housing for all, a vibrant downtown, a thriving economy, livable neighbourhoods and a healthy natural environment. These priorities come from the city’s core stated values of affordability, safety and livability.
Some of the work featured in Surrey’s plan are already underway, like the Surrey-Langley SkyTrain extension, the building of Simon Fraser University’s new medical school with an accompanying office tower and the 10,000-seat arena for sports and entertainment in the heart of the city’s downtown the mayor also wants to make into an entertainment district.
Those projects are expected to create more jobs for not just local residents, but to also attract workers from other municipalities. With Surrey’s large supply of industrial land, the city also says it plans to allow more development and think outside the box when it comes to employment uses for the land.
“Surrey can build on its reputation as a place in which businesses invest and people want to live, work, and visit. The city can become a regional cultural hub and destination for people who want to experience the exciting events and festivals that highlight Surrey’s diversity,” the plan states.
For housing supply, the draft plan states it wants to increase the supply of purpose-built and below-market rental housing in transit-oriented areas in town centres.
Surrey also plans to increase commercial and residential density along transit corridors. For a city heavily reliant on driving, the plan states that by increasing density in present and future transit hubs, it can reduce vehicle-usage in the city.
To support the local school district, which has been struggling with enough space and services for years, the plan also outlines possible additional sites for new schools.
According to the map, the city has identified six possible locations for new secondary schools in the district and 23 sites for additional elementary schools. According to Surrey school district’s most recent five-year capital plan for 2026-27, it states a need of 27 new schools in the city.
Surrey’s eight town centres, including Surrey City Centre/Whalley, Guildford, Fleetwood, Newton, Cloverdale, Clayton, Grandview Heights, and Semiahmoo, would continue to be the city’s pillars for future decisions around housing and other services.
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