Vaughan is constantly expanding and evolving – and the City is strategically planning for new growth in a way that will continue to align with what residents, businesses and visitors value most. How would you like to get around the city? What does a complete community look like to you? How can Vaughan be more sustainable? On Wednesday, Oct. 13, a virtual public meeting will be held to explore these topics and more. Through the City’s Official Plan Review, an approach will be developed to guide growth, environmental sustainability, social responsibility and economic development in Vaughan for the next 30 years and beyond. You can get involved and help inform the plan at this stage of the process. Learn how at vaughan.ca/OPR.

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 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 City’s Official Plan being reviewed?

Currently, 341,600 people live in Vaughan and there are 240,200 jobs. As one of the fastest growing cities in Canada, Vaughan is projected to be home to an additional 227,100 people and nearly 111,800 more jobs will be created over the next three decades. This accounts for almost one-third of York Region’s expected growth to 2051. 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.

Vaughan’s Official Plan Review process

As a progressive and growing Greater Toronto Area municipality, Vaughan is large and complex. The Official Plan Review is expected to take approximately three years to complete to ensure accuracy and that the plan reflects the vision of citizens and visitors today and into the future. The process will be broken out into four phases, with public engagement being a vital component throughout. Learn more about each phase at vaughan.ca/OPR.

Get inspired; Get involved!

What is your vision for Vaughan? The feedback you provide throughout the review process will help the City identify needs, outline priorities and draft the updated Vaughan Official Plan. There are many ways to get involved.

Virtual public meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 13 at 7 p.m.

While Vaughan City Hall remains closed to the public in response to COVID-19, citizens can participate by:  

• speaking live via teleconference to Members of Council during the meeting. To pre-register to speak at the public meeting, send a completed Request to Speak form (PDF) to clerks@vaughan.ca or call Access Vaughan at 905-832-2281. Participants will be provided instructions on how to connect to the meeting. A test meeting will also be held before the meeting to allow participants to test their connection and software. You can also connect through your computer, smartphone or tablet.
• speaking live from a telephone (regular landline or cellphone) during the meeting. To pre-register to speak via telephone, please contact the Office of the City Clerk at clerks@vaughan.ca or call Access Vaughan at 905-832-2281.
• submitting a written communication for review by Members of Council as part of an agenda item. All written communications can be emailed to the Office of the City Clerk at clerks@vaughan.ca.

All speaker requests and written submissions must be received by noon on the last business day before the meeting – Tuesday, Oct. 12. For additional details about this process, visit vaughan.ca/HaveYourSay. A livestream of this meeting will be available at vaughan.ca/LiveCouncil at the start of the meeting.

In addition to the public meeting, digital public engagement opportunities will be available throughout the review. Your participation will help answer questions like:

• What should communities in the future look and feel like?
• What kind of business development and job opportunities should the City plan for?
• How will people move around Vaughan?
• How can the City continue to act as environmental stewards, create a sustainable environment and increase resilience to climate change?
• How can the City continue to create a vibrant place for people to live, work and play?
• How can the City design accessible communities that will continue to meet the needs of all residents and allow people to age-in-place?

As the Official Plan Review progresses, questions and opportunities for public input will continue to be shared. Check in often to have your say throughout the process.

For more information or to be added to the project’s mailing list, visit vaughan.ca/OPR or email oprmanager@vaughan.ca.

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