Planning Language 101

Some additional terms that we use in Planning:

• An Official Plan is a plan approved by Council that describes how land in a community should be used. Official Plans mainly deal with issues related to:
  • where new housing, employment and shops should be located
  • protecting the environment and heritage
  • what services like roads, sewers, parks and schools will be needed
  • when and in what order parts of your community should grow
• A Zoning By-law controls the use of land on each property in a community. It includes details such as:
  • how land may be used
  • where buildings and other structures can be located
  • the types of buildings permitted
  • the lot size and dimensions
  • parking requirements
  • building heights
• Design Guidelines are a set of design statements to guide land development to achieve a desired level of design quality.
• Neighbourhood Assessments, in the context of Family Friendly Housing would assess how child-friendly a neighbourhood is and would include action plans or strategies for improvements.
• A Housing Options Report is a report that includes proposed housing unit types, sizes, number of bedrooms and anticipated price ranges.
• A Multiple Dwelling is a building that contains three or more dwelling units and includes a wide variety of housing styles and types such as block townhouses, stacked townhouse dwellings and apartments.
• An Amenity Space is a shared indoor or outdoor area that is provided in a development for the recreational use or social use of residents.