Planning Resources

 

There are many ways that government planning tools, incentives, and programs can play a role in your project. These resources cover government legislation, programs, and policy; planning and development; development frameworks; brownfield redevelopment; grants and rebates, and more.

 

Government Legislation, Programs, Policy
Overarching legislative documents govern urban space, including policies, plans, statements, and acts. While some are broad visions, others explain concrete rules and regulations for the use, rehabilitation, maintenance, conversion, construction, and conservation of the places in which we live.

Provincial Policy Statement
The Provincial Policy Statement provides direction for the Ontario Planning Act for all issues regarding land-use and development. Sections relevant to cultural development include: 1.0 Building Strong Communities, 1.4 Housing, 1.5 Public Space, and 2.6 Cultural Heritage and Archaeology.
http://www.mah.gov.on.ca/Page215.aspx

Places to Grow
Places to grow designates employment, transportation, environmental, and land use policies to address the challenges imposed by population growth in Ontario, and includes the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, and Growth Plan for Northern Ontario.
https://www.placestogrow.ca/index.php

Ontario Commercial Tenancies Act
Ontario’s Commercial Tenancies Act outlines the relationship, rights and obligations between commercial landlords and tenants.
http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/statutes/english/elaws_statutes_90l07_e.htm

Ontario Residential Tenancies Act
The Ontario Residential Tenancies Act gives the government the authority to enact regulations related to rights and responsibilities between landlords and tenants.
http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/statutes/english/elaws_statutes_06r17_e.htm

Ontario Social Housing Reform Act
The Ontario Social Housing Reform Act mandates regulations for social housing service providers.
http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/regs/english/elaws_regs_010298_e.htm

Ontario Heritage Act
The Ontario Heritage Act gives municipalities and the provincial government powers to preserve the heritage of Ontario.
http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/statutes/english/elaws_statutes_90o18_e.htm

Ontario Municipal Act
The Ontario Municipal Act designates responsibilities for municipalities and the province. Sections relevant to creative placemaking include: 106 Economic Development Services, 110 Municipal Capital Facilities, 204 Business Improvement Areas and 365.2 Tax Reduction for Heritage properties.
http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/statutes/english/elaws_statutes_01m25_e.htm

Ontario Development Charges Act
In Ontario municipalities, developers are required to pay development charges which help recover growth-related infrastructure costs from servicing new projects as designated by the Ontario Development Charges Act.
http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/statutes/english/elaws_statutes_97d27_e.htm

Ontario Assessment Act
The Ontario Assessment acts regulates how the value of property is assessed across Ontario.
http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/statutes/english/elaws_statutes_90a31_e.htm

Ontario Planning Act
The Ontario Planning Act sets the rules for setting land use planning policy in Ontario and gives authority to municipalities to prepare official plans and zoning bylaws. Section 28 explains Community Improvement Plans.
http://www.mah.gov.on.ca/Page1760.aspx

Ontario Environmental Protection Act
The Environmental Protection Act is Ontario’s key legislation for environmental protection.
http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/regs/english/elaws_regs_040153_e.htm

Ontario Building Code
The Ontario Building Code describes regulations for building residential and commercial space including requirements for design, ventilation, sewage, heating, and occupancy.
http://www.mah.gov.on.ca/Page7393.aspx

City of Toronto Act
The City of Toronto Act is a legislative framework that provides a series of bylaws for how the City will fulfill both provincial and municipal responsibilities. Section 74 references culture, parks, recreation and heritage.
http://www.mah.gov.on.ca/Page343.aspx

Toronto Zoning Bylaw
The Toronto zoning bylaw lays out the rules for how land in the city can be used and what can be built when lands are redeveloped.
http://www.toronto.ca/zoning/index.htm

Toronto Official Plan
See section 4.7 Regeneration Areas. The City of Toronto is currently undertaking a statutory 5 Year Review of its Official Plan. For more information, click here.
http://www.toronto.ca/planning/official_plan/introduction.htm

 

Planning and Development
The City of Toronto provides many resources relevant to the planning of new development activity including information on site plan approval, development charges, heritage preservation, permitting, urban design, permitting, zoning, and other development standards.

City of Toronto: Committee of Adjustment
http://www.toronto.ca/planning/comm_adj.htm

City of Toronto: Project Review Programs
http://www.toronto.ca/building/project_review.htm

City of Toronto: Development Application Forms
http://www.toronto.ca/planning/planning_app.htm

City of Toronto: Development Charge Bylaw
http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/bylaws/2009/law0275.pdf

City of Toronto: Development Charges Information
http://www.toronto.ca/finance/dev_charges.htm

Heritage Preservation Services
http://www.toronto.ca/heritage-preservation/index.htm

Construction Permit Information
http://www.toronto.ca/transportation/construction_permits/t_ey_street_occ.htm

City of Toronto: Tree Removal
http://www.toronto.ca/faq/trees.htm#q8

City of Toronto: Sign Bylaw Unit
http://www.toronto.ca/signbylawunit/sign_bylaw.htm

City of Toronto: Green Development Standard
http://www.toronto.ca/planning/environment/greendevelopment.htm

City of Toronto: Building Division – Permit Applications
http://www.toronto.ca/building/building_permits.htm

City of Toronto: Zoning Bylaw
http://www.toronto.ca/zoning/

 

Frameworks
Cities can direct growth and investment by creating targeted plans for employment, regeneration, and other improvements. The following resources are guiding frameworks with information related to programs, policy, assistance and incentives relevant to targeting areas for creative placemaking.

Creative Capital Gains: An Action Plan for Toronto
http://www.toronto.ca/culture/pdf/creative-capital-gains-report-august9.pdf

Community Improvement Planning Handbook, 2009
http://www.mah.gov.on.ca/

City of Toronto: Long-Term Employment Land Strategy
http://www.toronto.ca/business/employment-land-strategy.htm

City of Toronto: Employment Districts Profile 2010
http://www.toronto.ca/demographics/pdf/employment-districts-profile-2010.pdf

City of Toronto: Incentives
http://www.toronto.ca/invest-in-toronto/incentives-imit.htm

City of Vancouver: Metropolitan Core Jobs and Economy Land Use Plan
http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/planning/corejobs/index.htm

 

Brownfield Redevelopment
Brownfields exist in many cities where vacant lands remain unused due to contaminated former industrial sites and the high cost of clean-up. The following resources are useful to organizations undertaking brownfield redevelopment in Canada.

Brownfield Financial Tax Incentive
http://www.mah.gov.on.ca/Page5077.aspx

Canada Green Building Council (CGBC), What is Leed?
http://www.cagbc.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=LEED

Brownfield Remediation Tax Assistance
http://www.toronto.ca/invest-in-toronto/incentives-brta.htm

The Toronto Community Improvement Plan for Brownfield Remediation and Development
http://www.toronto.ca/business/pdf/city-wide-CIP-notice.pdf

Financing a Brownfield Redevelopment
http://www.mah.gov.on.ca/Page223.aspx

Ontario Municipalities with Brownfield Policies
http://www.mah.gov.on.ca/AssetFactory.aspx?did=8901

British Columbia Brownfield Renewal
http://www.brownfieldrenewal.gov.bc.ca/

City of Ottawa: Brownfields Redevelopment Program
http://ottawa.ca/en/brownfields-redevelopment-program

City of Calgary: Brownfield Strategy
http://www.calgary.ca/

 

Rebates and Grants
Cultural facilities and creative places help contribute to the overall character of a city and many governments have established tax rebates, grants, and incentives to encourage this type of development. See Arts Funding Sources for additional information on grants available to the creative sector.

Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing: Section 37
http://www.mah.gov.on.ca/

City of Toronto, List of Grants
http://www.toronto.ca/grants/index.htm

Ontario Heritage Property Tax Relief
http://www.mtc.gov.on.ca/en/heritage/heritage_tax_relief.shtml

City of Toronto: Heritage Property Tax Rebate Program
http://www.toronto.ca/heritage-preservation/

City of Toronto: Heritage Preservation Services
http://www.toronto.ca/heritage-preservation/index.htm

City of Toronto: Heritage Grant Program
http://www.toronto.ca/heritage-preservation/

City of Toronto: Property Tax Rebate Program
http://www.toronto.ca/taxes/property_tax/rebate_charity.htm

City of Greater Sudbury: Registered Charity Rebate
http://www.city.greatersudbury.on.ca/cms/index.cfm?app=div_tax&lang=en&currID=6194

York Region: Rebates, Reductions and Relief Programs
http://www.york.ca/

Peel Region: Property Tax Rebate for Eligible Charities
http://www.peelregion.ca/finance/tax-handbook/property-tax-rebate-program.htm

Niagara Region: Property Tax Relief Programs
http://www.niagararegion.ca/government/budget-taxes/property-tax-relief.aspx

City of Toronto: Incentives-TIEGs
http://www.toronto.ca/invest-in-toronto/incentives-imit.htm

Norfolk County: Tax Increment Grant program
http://www.norfolkcounty.ca/business/resources-and-incentives/tax-increment-program/

 

Additional Links

City of Toronto: Committee of Adjustment
http://www.toronto.ca/planning/comm_adj.htm

City of Toronto: Project Review Programs
http://www.toronto.ca/building/project_review.htm

City of Toronto: Development Charge bylaw
http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/bylaws/2009/law0275.pdf

City of Toronto: Development Charges Information
http://www.toronto.ca/finance/dev_charges.htm

Heritage Preservation Services
http://www.toronto.ca/heritage-preservation/index.htm    

Construction Permit Information
http://www.toronto.ca/transportation/construction_permits/t_ey_street_occ.htm

City of Toronto: Tree Removal
http://www.toronto.ca/faq/trees.htm#q8

City of Toronto: Sign Bylaw Unit
http://www.toronto.ca/signbylawunit/sign_bylaw.htm

City of Toronto: Green Development Standard
http://www.toronto.ca/planning/environment/greendevelopment.htm

City of Toronto: Building Division – Permit Applications
http://www.toronto.ca/building/building_permits.htm

Canadian Mortgage and Housing Council: Sustainable Community Planning and Development: Design Charrette Planning Guide
http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/odpub/pdf/62779.pdf

National Charrette Institute
http://www.charretteinstitute.org/

Canada Green Building Council (CGBC), What is Leed?
http://www.cagbc.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=LEED

Information on Acoustic Consultants
http://www.stcratings.com/

Ontario Environmental Assessments
http://www.ene.gov.on.ca/environment/en/industry/assessment_and_approvals/environmental_assessments/index.htm

Choosing an Architect
http://www.raic.org/architecture_architects/choosing_an_architect/index_e.htm#fees

Canadian Construction Documents Committee
http://www.ccdc.org

How to Hire a Construction Management Firm
http://www.pwmag.com/

Construction Management vs. General Contractor Method of Contracting
http://www.trigoninc.com/CM%20vs%20GC%207pages.pdf

Merx, Canadian Public Tenders
e-procurement portal for public and private opportunities that connects suppliers providing various goods and services to buyers from a complete range of public and private sectors
http://www.merx.com/

Biddingo
e-procurement portal for public and private opportunities that connects suppliers providing various goods and services to buyers from a complete range of public and private sectors
www.biddingo.com

Royal Architecture Institute of Canada
http://www.raic.org/index_e.htm