Webinar Series (April - May 2022)

Thank you for joining us on April 20^th, April 27^th, May 9^th, and May 12^th for the Vaughan Official Plan Review Webinars. Webinars covered a specific topic area that was identified through City-wide public engagement events and is related to the Official Plan Review process. Each webinar featured a guest speaker that shared their knowledge in the topic area and related that knowledge to the Vaughan context. Interested in learning more about the topics or viewing the webinars? Check out the videos below and leave a comment or question for the City through the forum.

Climate Change Resilience and Adaptation (April 20, 2022)
This webinar discussed climate change mitigation and adaptation - including how municipalities are at the forefront of climate change policy in Canada. Watch the webinar here or contribute to the forum by leaving a comment here.

Affordable Housing (April 27, 2022)
This webinar discussed the future of housing affordability in Vaughan - including how youth can realistically afford to expand their families and how seniors can age in place. Watch the webinar here or contribute to the forum by leaving a comment here.

Placemaking (May 9, 2022)
This webinar discussed placemaking and urban design - including how Vaughan can create great urban spaces, parks, and streetscapes through the lens of sustainability. Watch the webinar here or contribute to the forum by leaving a comment here.

Healthy Communities (May 12, 2022)
This webinar discussed developing healthy communities - including considering accessibility, making cities inclusive and fostering social cohesion through design. Watch the webinar part 1 here and part 2 here or contribute to the forum by leaving a comment here.

Vaughan is Growing and Evolving

Vaughan's communities are constantly growing and changing. Vaughan is one of the fastest growing cities in Canada with a population of 340,700 people and 240,100 jobs in 2021. Between 2021 and 2051, Vaughan will become home to 234,500 more people, bringing the total population to 575,200 people. Vaughan will also provide nearly 112,200 more jobs bringing the total employment to 352,300 jobs. This expected growth will account for almost one-third of the region's growth over the next three decades. It is important the City plans for new growth in a way that is strategic, thoughtful, appropriate and aligned with what our residents and businesses value most.

What is an Official Plan?

The Official Plan is a strategic planning document that establishes a policy framework to guide the physical, social, environmental and economic development of the city. It is a document that:

• Implements goals, objectives and land use policies to serve the city's communities
• 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 the city's long-term evolution

Updating the Vaughan Official Plan

The Vaughan Official Plan 2010 contains a vision for the future that stresses responsible governance, sustainable planning, economic leadership, transparency, accountability, and inclusivity. This vision has guided Vaughan’s growth and development over the past decade.

It is now time to update the Official Plan through the Official Plan Review to better meet the needs of current and future citizens, workers and visitors. The updated Official Plan must conform 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 which was approved by the Province on November 4, 2022.

The Official Plan Review will follow a principled approach rooted in environmental sustainability, social responsibility, and economic development to plan for complete communities and guide the city’s growth for the next 30 years and beyond.

The Official Plan Review Process

The new Official Plan will contain an updated vision for the future stated through goals and policies. The Official Plan Review process will occur in four phases and will include community engagement throughout.

Phase 1: Visioning and Background Review

Phase 1 involves the development of a community-based vision and goals through community participation on activities on this page and through webinars and events.

The City looks forward to hearing your answers to questions such as:

• What's your vision for Vaughan?
• What should Vaughan's goals be for the future?

Phase 1 also involves research into seven key topics shown as icons below.

A team of experts in these topic areas are completing research and will share their findings with the community through topic-based webinars and through activities on this page. Engagement on the Background Papers will follow our collaboration on the community-based vision.

Phase 2: Policy Development

Phase 2 involves the development of new policies and the new Draft Official Plan, informed by engagement events such as public open houses and city-wide town halls (dates to be announced).

Phase 3: Official Plan Adoption

Phase 3 involves revisions to the new Draft Official Plan, the statutory public open houses and statutory public meeting (dates to be announced), and Council adoption of the new Official Plan.

Phase 4: Official Plan Approval

Phase 4 involves the submission of the new Official Plan to York Region for approval, Project completion and final approval of the new Official Plan.

Get Inspired; Get Involved!

We want to hear from you! The feedback you provide will help us identify your needs and priorities as the City continues to engage with the community in a way that is open, transparent, accessible and inclusive. There are many ways for you to get involved in the Official Plan Review and share your feedback that will help inform the updated Official Plan.

Below you will find activities that you can participate in. The tools and questions will change as the project progresses and as we learn more about the community's needs and interests, so check-in often and tell us what you think!

The City is committed to reporting back to the community on what we heard throughout each phase of work (see the "Project Timeline" to the right). You can access these reports as they become available on this page. More information can be found on this page, through vaughan.ca/OPR, by following the City's social media updates or by signing up to receive updates - see the sign up feature on this home page!

Have a say in Vaughan's future. With your active participation in the Official Plan Review, you can help ensure the City we call home will continue to rank as one of the best places to live, work, learn and play in Canada!