Saskatoon will need six new neighbourhoods and 26,000 new dwelling units by 2035 to keep up with a growing population.
The city’s planning and development division said based on the current annual growth rate of 2.0 per cent, Saskatoon’s population will grow to just over 380,000 by 2035.
READ MORE: Officials unveil plan to accommodate half-million Saskatoon residents
Net migration is expected to account for between 69 per cent and 74 per cent of the city’s population growth over the next 20 years.
A large increase in the number of people over 65 is expected as the baby boomer generation ages. It is estimated seniors will make up 14.1 per cent of the total population by 2035.
The median age is expected to rise to 37.4 from 35.8 in 2015.
Lesley Anderson, the city’s director of planning and development, said it is an exciting time, but that change is inevitable.
“This change will be managed. Saskatoon will be able to accommodate this growth and remain a city where citizens continue to enjoy a high quality of life,” Anderson said in a statement.
“Some of our recently adopted long-range plans, such as the Growth Plan to Half a Million, will be integral in setting our city up for the future.”
The growth plan, released last year, focuses on a rapid transit system, adding another bridge and developing specific areas of the city.
READ MORE: Census 2016: Saskatoon third-fastest growing city in Canada
Last month, Statistics Canada reported Saskatoon was the third-fastest growing city in the country, with a population increase of 12.5 per cent from 2011 to 2016.
Saskatoon’s metropolitan area (CMA) population on May 10, 2016 was 295,095. City officials expect Saskatoon’s CMA population to grow to just under 449,000 by 2035.
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