Owing to the difficulty of aligning the boundaries of concession roads and data sources, this study area deviates from the square, 2km-by-2km shape. In effect, it is two half-squares laid end-to-end, resulting in a 1km-by-4km study area.
About 90% of the housing stock is single-detached houses. While the net residential dwelling unit density is similar to that of the other post-1980 study areas, Markham Northeast has a high population density due to its high average household size.
The study area is divided in half by Markham St., which contains shops, and a parallel rail line. The residential areas east and west of Markham St. are organized into neighbourhood units with parks and schools in their centres, linked by ring roads. As in Glen Abbey, protected creekland functions as a buffer between neighbourhood units. The street systems within neighbourhood units feature a combination of loops and cul-de-sacs. A GO passenger rail station lies at the south side of the study area. The Duany-Plater-Zyberk?designed neotraditional neighbourhood of Cornell is being built to the east.
There is almost no employment land in the study area, nor is there a shopping centre. As a result, the study area contains few jobs, and almost of half of those that do exist are located in the home. Travel in Markham Northeast is dominated by the automobile for work, school, and shopping trips.
