Land use planning helps municipalities manage land and resources and guides decisions about where:

• to build homes and factories
• to put parks and schools
• roads, sewers and other essential services are needed

Land use planning helps each community to set development goals while keeping social, economic and environmental factors in mind. It also balances the interests of individual property owners with the wider interests of the whole community.

The municipality:

• makes local planning decisions that will determine the future of communities
• prepares planning documents, such as:
  • an official plan, which sets out the municipality’s general planning goals and policies that will guide future land use
  • zoning bylaws, which set the rules and regulations that control development as it occurs
• ensures planning decisions and planning documents are up-to-date and consistent with the Provincial Planning Statement and conform or do not conflict with provincial plans

Under the Planning Act, municipalities can put approval processes in place that help make planning work clearer and faster, where it is possible and appropriate.

© King’s Printer for Ontario, 2012-26