Vaughan is growing and evolving – what kind of city do you want Vaughan to be in 30 years? 

The current 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.

The City of Vaughan has been working towards updating the City’s Official Plan through the Official Plan Review process to better meet the needs of current and future residents, businesses and those who visit Vaughan. The review process is 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.

Join a Webinar

Public engagement is a vital component of the Official Plan Review process. The feedback you provide through each phase helps the City identify the community’s needs, outline key priorities and draft the updated Vaughan Official Plan.  As part of the Official Plan Review, the City hosted a series of topic-based webinars to engage with the community and encourage citizens to continue providing input before Phase One of the review process is complete.

Each of the four webinars focused on a different topic related to the Official Plan Review. The themes were identified as priorities from previous public engagement opportunities. The featured presenters who shared their knowledge and experiences and led interactive question-and-answer periods. If you missed the webinars, you can view the webinar recordings below:

Healthy Communities Webinar 

• Speaker: Antonio Gomez-Palacio, Partner and Urban Designer at Dialog Design
• Topic: How can the way the City designs communities improve the physical and mental health of residents? Antonio will speak about developing healthy communities – including considering accessibility, making them inclusive and fostering social cohesion through design. 

Placemaking Webinar 

• Speaker: Anne Mcllroy, Principal and Urban Designer at Brook McIlroy
• Topic: How can the City create gathering spaces that build community? How can these spaces be sustainable and mitigate the effects of climate change? Anne will speak about placemaking and urban design – including how Vaughan can create great urban spaces, parks and streetscapes through the lens of sustainability.

Climate Change Resilience and Adaptation Webinar

• Speaker: Christina Schwantes, Advisor of Climate Change, Resilience and Sustainability at WSP
• Topic: How can Vaughan’s Official Plan be updated to respond to the climate emergency? Christina will speak about climate change mitigation and adaptation – including how municipalities are at the forefront of climate change policy in Canada.

• Speaker: Johanna Hashim, Manager of Housing Policy and Research at SHS Consulting
• Topic: What can the City do to make sure Vaughan is a place that welcomes residents of all incomes, ages and stages of life? Johanna will speak about the future of housing affordability in Vaughan – including how youth can realistically afford to expand their families and how seniors can age in place.