Be part of Vaughan’s Official Plan Review
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Get Inspired; Get Involved: join an upcoming webinar to share your feedback
The City of Vaughan’s Official Plan Review will guide the community’s growth into 2051 – and you can help shape it. Public engagement is a vital component of the review process. The feedback you provide through each phase helps the City identify the community’s needs, outline key priorities and draft the updated Vaughan Official Plan. As the review progresses, the City is hosting a series of topic-based webinars to engage with the community and encourage citizens to continue providing input before Phase One of the review process is complete.
The City of Vaughan’s Official Plan Review will guide the community’s growth into 2051 – and you can help shape it. Public engagement is a vital component of the review process. The feedback you provide through each phase helps the City identify the community’s needs, outline key priorities and draft the updated Vaughan Official Plan. As the review progresses, the City is hosting a series of topic-based webinars to engage with the community and encourage citizens to continue providing input before Phase One of the review process is complete.
Throughout April and May, four webinars will be hosted, each focusing on a different topic related to the Official Plan Review. The themes have been identified as priorities from previous public engagement opportunities. The webinars will feature presenters who will share their knowledge and experiences and lead interactive question-and-answer periods. Details for each session are below:
Climate Change Resilience and Adaptation Webinar
- Date: Wednesday, April 20
- Time: 7 p.m.
- Speaker: Christina Schwantes, Advisor of Climate Change, Resilience and Sustainability at WSP
- Description: How can Vaughan’s Official Plan be updated to respond to the climate emergency? Christina will speak about climate change mitigation and adaptation – including how municipalities are at the forefront of climate change policy in Canada.
- Registration: visit vaughan.ca/OPR or click here.
Affordable Housing Webinar
- Date: Wednesday, April 27
- Time: 7 p.m.
- Speaker: Johanna Hashim, Manager of Housing Policy and Research at SHS Consulting
- Description: What can the City do to make sure Vaughan is a place that welcomes residents of all incomes, ages and stages of life? Johanna will speak about the future of housing affordability in Vaughan – including how youth can realistically afford to expand their families and how seniors can age in place.
- Registration: visit vaughan.ca/OPR or click here.
Placemaking Webinar
- Date: Monday, May 9
- Time: 7 p.m.
- Speaker: Anne Mcllroy, Principal and Urban Designer at Brook McIlroy
- Description: How can the City create gathering spaces that build community? How can these spaces be sustainable and mitigate the effects of climate change? Anne will speak about placemaking and urban design – including how Vaughan can create great urban spaces, parks and streetscapes through the lens of sustainability.
- Registration: visit vaughan.ca/OPR or click here.
Healthy Communities Webinar
- Date: Thursday, May 12
- Time: 7 p.m.
- Speaker: Antonio Gomez-Palacio, Partner and Urban Designer at Dialog Design
- Description: How can the way the City designs communities improve the physical and mental health of residents? Antonio will speak about developing healthy communities – including considering accessibility, making them inclusive and fostering social cohesion through design.
- Registration: visit vaughan.ca/OPR or click here.
Feedback received from all engagement opportunities to date, including workshops, surveys, public meetings and more, will help shape the development of a community-based vision and guiding principles for the updated Vaughan Official Plan. This feedback will be captured in an Engagement Summary Report, which will also include an updated vision for the Vaughan Official Plan. This vision will continue to evolve as the project continues. The report will be shared at vaughan.ca/OPR in spring 2022, so check back often for updates.
What is an Official Plan?
An Official Plan outlines the vision for the future of a city, including responsible governance, sustainable planning, economic leadership, transparency, accountability and inclusivity. It is a strategic planning document that establishes a policy framework to guide the physical, social, environmental and economic development of the city’s communities. The City of Vaughan’s Official Plan:
- implements goals, objectives and land use policies to serve the community.
- directs density, housing supply, protection of environmental features and agricultural areas, cultural heritage preservation and more.
- guides growth and development to implement the vision for Vaughan’s long-term evolution.
The updated Vaughan Official Plan must align with new Provincial policies and plans, including the Provincial Policy Statement, Greenbelt Plan, Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, and 2051 growth targets for people and jobs. It must also conform with the York Region Official Plan, currently being updated through the York Region Municipal Comprehensive Review.
Why is the Vaughan Official Plan being reviewed?
Vaughan’s communities are constantly growing and changing. Vaughan is one of the fastest growing cities in Canada with a population of more than 341,600 people and 240,100 jobs in 2021. By 2051, Vaughan will become home to an additional 228,800 people, bringing the total population to 570,400. In addition, nearly 111,400 more jobs will be created, bringing the total number of jobs to 351,500. This expected growth will account for almost one-third of the region’s growth over the next three decades. The City is updating the existing Vaughan Official Plan 2010 to better meet the needs of current and future citizens, workers and visitors, and help guide this expansive growth to ensure Vaughan continues to be a great place to live, work and play.
How long will the Official Plan Review take?
As a progressive and growing Greater Toronto Area municipality, Vaughan is large and complex. It is expected the Official Plan Review will be completed in approximately a year and a half. Time will be required to review all existing policies, conform with recent changes to provincial plans and policies, and align with York Region’s ongoing Municipal Comprehensive Review. The City will involve the community every step of the way and report back to on progress throughout the life of the project.
How can community members stay informed?
Learn more about the City’s Official Plan Review at vaughan.ca/OPR. Future public engagement opportunities will also be posted to this webpage. An Official Plan Review mailing list has also been created – visit vaughan.ca/OPR, call 905-832-8585, ext. 8699 or email oprmanager@vaughan.ca to be added.