Newmarket’s Fastest-Growing Neighbourhoods explores growing communities, housing options, amenities, and lifestyle to help you choose where to live.
Reviewed by: Steven B. Cheung, Broker
Last Update: September 21, 2026
⏱ 12 mins read
Newmarket’s planning framework identifies areas for redevelopment, intensification and future growth. The Yonge Street and Davis Drive corridors are a major focus of planned redevelopment, while southwest Newmarket is seeing significant residential development through the Shining Hill community. Other current projects, such as the planned mixed-use redevelopment at 514 Davis Drive and the opening of Mulock Park, provide additional examples of change in the community.
For buyers, the important question is not which neighbourhood is supposedly “fastest-growing,” but what development is actually planned, approved or underway near the home you’re considering.
Growth can take several forms.
It may involve:
For this guide, growth refers to documented planning, redevelopment, intensification and development activity identified through Newmarket’s official planning documents and municipal announcements.
It is not a ranking of neighbourhoods by population growth, popularity or expected property-value appreciation.
This distinction is important. A development that is proposed is not necessarily approved, and an approved development is not necessarily under construction.
Newmarket’s Official Plan guides the Town’s growth and development. The Urban Centres Secondary Plan provides more specific planning direction for redevelopment and intensification in the Yonge Street and Davis Drive Urban Centres.
The Yonge Street and Davis Drive corridors are one of the clearest examples of planned growth in Newmarket.
The Town states that the majority of Newmarket’s planned growth will occur through redevelopment of the Davis Drive and Yonge Street corridors. The Urban Centres Secondary Plan guides this redevelopment.
The plan covers approximately 290 hectares (716 acres), with approximately 130 hectares (321 acres) identified as prime for redevelopment. It permits a mix of residential, commercial and community uses and provides for increased density through intensification.
The plan also envisions a more mixed-use, pedestrian-inclusive urban environment supported by higher-order transit, parks, and open spaces. These are planning objectives, rather than statements that every part of the area currently has these characteristics.
The Urban Centres Secondary Plan forecasts the area developing into a community of approximately 33,000 residents and 32,000 jobs. These figures describe the plan’s future vision and should not be interpreted as the area’s current population or employment count.
That distinction matters, especially for buyers researching future development.
The Town’s current Urban Centres information states that the transformation of Davis Drive and Yonge Street has begun. It notes that multiple residential and office developments are in process, approved or already under construction. It also identifies the completed Davis Drive Viva rapidway and work on the Yonge Street Viva rapidway.
The report also provides specific examples of approved residential development.
In June 2024, Newmarket Council approved 983 residential units at 201 Davis Drive and 615 Davis Drive. The approval included 216 units at 201 Davis Drive and 767 apartment units at 615 Davis Drive.
For a buyer, the important point is that these approvals demonstrate the type of higher-density residential development permitted within this planned growth area.
However, an approval should not be treated as evidence that all 983 units have been built or occupied. Buyers interested in a specific project should check its current status separately.
Another current example is 514 Davis Drive.
In January 2026, the Town issued a notice about removing the property’s holding provision. The purpose was to permit construction of a six-storey mixed-use building containing office, retail and self-storage uses.
The Town had previously received a complete application for Official Plan and Zoning By-law amendments for the property in 2024. That application proposed the six-storey mixed-use building and changes to certain permitted development standards.
This is a useful example for buyers because it shows why checking the current status of individual properties and applications can provide more useful information than simply describing an area as “up and coming.”
Southwest Newmarket provides another example of documented residential development.
In June 2026, the Town announced an updated agreement with Shining Hill Estates Collection Inc. that will see more than 1,000 homes developed in southwest Newmarket.
The Town’s announcement also states that the agreement includes or builds on community features such as:
The Town also says the earlier agreement involved transferring 80 acres of environmentally sensitive land into public ownership and building a sustainable community along Yonge Street.
For buyers, the key distinction is that these are features and commitments tied to the development agreement. They should not automatically be interpreted as amenities currently available throughout southwest Newmarket.
Development in Newmarket isn’t limited to housing.
At Yonge Street and Mulock Drive, the Town is opening Mulock Park, a 16-acre public park.
The Town announced in August 2026 that the park will officially open on September 18, 2026, with opening celebrations continuing through September 20.
The park includes features such as:
The Town describes Mulock Park as a four-season destination and a major community project.
For buyers considering homes near Yonge Street and Mulock Drive, this is relevant information about a significant new public amenity.
However, a new park does not guarantee higher property values. Buyers should consider it as one factor alongside the home’s price, condition, location, transportation and other needs.
Development can change an area’s physical characteristics and available services, but the effect depends on the specific project.
New residential development adds housing units to an area.
Housing types can range from apartments and condominiums to townhomes and detached homes.
For buyers, additional development may create more housing choices, but it can also change an area’s density and physical character.
Some projects include parks, trails or other community features.
Shining Hill, for example, includes new trails and other community features under its agreement with the Town. Mulock Park adds a major new public recreational space at Yonge Street and Mulock Drive.
Development can also involve construction activity and changes to the surrounding environment.
If you are considering a property near a development site, find out:
This can give you a more realistic understanding of what living near the project may involve.
Intensification can add homes or residents to an established area.
Newmarket’s Urban Centres Secondary Plan specifically uses intensification to accommodate increased density in the Yonge Street and Davis Drive Urban Centres.
Whether that is desirable depends on your preferences.
Some buyers may prefer a more urban environment with additional housing and services, while others may prefer lower-density surroundings.
This distinction is important for anyone considering a developing area as a potential real estate investment.
Planned development does not guarantee future property-value increases.
New housing, public amenities and infrastructure can change an area’s characteristics, but future property values depend on many factors, including market conditions, supply and demand, the individual property and broader economic conditions.
Instead of assuming that development will increase a home’s value, ask:
Would I still want to live in this location based on the home and neighbourhood as they exist today?
That question can help keep your purchase decision focused on your actual needs rather than an uncertain future outcome.
When researching development near a potential home, the project’s status matters.
Planned
Identified within a planning framework or long-term policy
Proposed
A development or planning application has been submitted and may still be under review
Approved
The relevant approval has been granted, although construction may not have started
Under construction
Physical construction is underway
Completed
The project has been built
These terms should not be treated as interchangeable.
A planning policy does not mean every potential project will be built. Likewise, an approved development does not mean that the completed homes or commercial spaces are already available.
Newmarket provides planning documents and development information that buyers can use to investigate changes affecting a property.
If future development matters to you, don’t rely only on a real estate listing or a general description of the neighbourhood.
Newmarket’s Official Plan guides the Town’s growth and development.
Secondary plans provide more detailed direction for particular areas.
The Urban Centres Secondary Plan, for example, guides redevelopment and intensification around Yonge Street and Davis Drive.
Look for applications affecting the property or surrounding area.
Pay attention to whether a project is:
Infrastructure projects can affect the living experience in an area.
Review the project’s scope, location and expected timing rather than assuming that every announced project will affect the property in the same way.
Planning documents tell you what may change.
A visit tells you what the area is like today.
If possible, visit on both a weekday and weekend and consider:
Before purchasing, ask:
Evaluate the neighbourhood based on its existing homes, amenities, transportation and services.
Don’t assume that every proposal will be built.
Understand the project’s size, use and location.
A project that is only proposed is different from one already under construction.
Consider whether additional density, new buildings or changing land uses fit your lifestyle.
This is an important test.
A home should make sense based on its current characteristics and your own needs, rather than solely on expectations about what the surrounding area might become.
The Yonge Street and Davis Drive corridors are a major focus of planned redevelopment and intensification under Newmarket’s Urban Centres Secondary Plan. Southwest Newmarket is also subject to significant residential development through the Shining Hill community.
Yes. Newmarket’s Urban Centres Secondary Plan identifies the Yonge Street and Davis Drive corridors as a major focus for redevelopment and intensification. The plan supports mixed-use development and increased density within the area.
In this context, intensification means accommodating additional development and density within an existing urban area. Newmarket’s Urban Centres Secondary Plan uses intensification as part of its approach to redevelopment along the Yonge Street and Davis Drive corridors.
No. Planned development does not guarantee future property-value increases. Buyers should consider the specific property, current market conditions and the actual status of nearby projects.
The Town provides planning documents and development information that can help buyers understand proposed and approved changes affecting an area. The Official Plan provides the broader planning framework, while the Urban Centres Secondary Plan provides more detailed direction for the Yonge Street and Davis Drive Urban Centres.
It depends on your priorities. Development can add housing and public amenities, but it can also involve construction and changes in density or neighbourhood conditions. Review both the property’s current surroundings and documented plans for the area before making a decision.
Newmarket’s development story is more useful to buyers when viewed through specific planning documents and confirmed projects, rather than labels such as “fastest-growing” or “up-and-coming.”
The Yonge Street and Davis Drive corridors are a major focus of planned redevelopment and intensification. Southwest Newmarket’s Shining Hill community is covered by an agreement covering more than 1,000 homes, while 514 Davis Drive is a current example of planned mixed-use redevelopment. Mulock Park is also adding a significant new public amenity at Yonge Street and Mulock Drive.
For home buyers, the most useful question isn’t:
Which Newmarket neighbourhood is growing the fastest?
It’s:
What is changing around the property I’m considering, and is that change right for me?
Review official planning documents, check development status, understand what is actually approved or underway, and visit the neighbourhood yourself.
That approach provides a more reliable basis for comparing Newmarket homes than relying on broad labels or predictions about future property values.
Understanding both the current neighbourhood and documented development activity can be an important part of choosing the right home.
The Niche Real Estate Team helps buyers compare Newmarket properties and neighbourhoods based on their housing needs, lifestyle and long-term plans.
Website: The Niche Real Estate Team
Phone: 416-709-2342
Email: [email protected]
