Municipal Comprehensive Review
York Region is expected to grow to approximately 2.02 million people and 990,000 jobs by 2051. To accommodate this growth, York Region has been proactively engaging Regional Council, the community, local municipalities, Indigenous communities and stakeholders on the update to the Regional Official Plan through a process called the Municipal Comprehensive Review (MCR). The MCR was initiated to inform the update to the 2010 Regional Official Plan. The updated York Region Official Plan will be a blueprint to guide growth to the year 2051. The Plan will help ensure we are building communities that are healthy and complete, where both current and future residents of all abilities and ages can live, work and play.
The Plan was last updated in 2010 and since then, many Provincial Plans have been revised. The Regional Official Plan needs to align with revised Provincial Plans, which is why an update is required. Staff will revise the draft as necessary and anticipate Regional Official Plan adoption by Regional Council in mid 2022. As outlined by the Province, the date by which upper and single-tier municipalities must have their Officials Plans in conformity with the updated policies in A Place to Grow is July 1, 2022.
The Draft Regional Official Plan
The draft York Region Official Plan (ROP) released for review and comment in November 2021 promotes forward thinking, action-oriented policies to continue to deliver on the Region’s commitment to protect the environment, guide growth and build strong, caring and safe communities.
The draft ROP:
- Prioritizes building “complete communities” where people can conveniently access most necessities for daily living
- Prioritizes sustainable growth and financial responsibility by phasing growth, infrastructure and other community services over time
- Identifies natural areas for protection and supports designing and building communities resilient to the impacts of climate change
- Includes affordable housing targets and purpose-built rental targets for each local municipality
- Encourages employment close to existing and future transit service and opportunities for people to live and work in their communities
- Plans for an interconnected, efficient and safe public transit system for people of all ages and abilities
- Identifies and protects agricultural areas and supports economic connections, prosperity, and viability of the agricultural sector
View and download the draft York Region Official Plan 2021 and supporting documents:
On November 25, 2021, Council resolved: That should the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing refuse the request for an amendment to O. Reg. 140/02: Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan under the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Act to permit the proposed changes to the settlement area boundary, the whitebelt lands identified in the September 16, 2021 report from the Commissioner of Corporate Services and Chief Planner be incorporated into the Regional Official Plan.
The documents provided below have been updated to include notes on Tables 1 and 6 and applicable maps in this regard.
- 2021 Draft York Region Official Plan (text only) — PDF (13.2MB)
- 2021 Draft York Region Official Plan Maps and Figures — PDF (12.5MB)
- 2021 Draft York Region Official Plan Appendices:
- Appendix 1: Employment Area Zones and Densities — PDF (735KB)
- Appendix 2: Major Transit Station Areas (MTSAs) — PDF (16.3MB)
- Appendix 3: Urban Growth Centres — PDF (2.4MB)
Timeline
2019 to October 2021
Background work on several policy areas and mapping updates including reports identified through the MCR targeted work plan and reports presented to Council.
November 2021
Draft Regional Official Plan presented to Council
Commencement of engagement and public review of the Draft Regional Official Plan
Early 2022
Public Engagement Sessions — visit Have Your Say for details.
Mid 2022
ROP proposed for Regional Council adoption
Have Your Say!
How we plan for the future of York Region requires your involvement and participation. We value your feedback and there are many ways to get involved and have your say. To stay informed of future consultation opportunities, sign up for the MCR newsletter.
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Achievements
Implementation of the 2010 Regional Official Plan has left a positive impact on the Region’s natural environment, economy, development of communities, city building and infrastructure and service provision.
York Region continues to deliver on the objectives of the Regional Official Plan as outlined in the York Region 2018 Official Plan Monitoring Report and 2020 Regional Centres and Corridors Update.
Notable achievements include:
- Increased diversity of housing mix and shift towards higher density forms of housing supported by transit infrastructure
- Strong development activity in Centres and Corridors which support complete communities
- Over 600 hectares of protected and enhanced environmental lands