Municipal Comprehensive Review
About the project
Durham Region is growing. Today, the region is home to 682,500 people. By the year 2041, our population is expected to grow to 1.2 million people, with over 430,000 jobs in the region. Our vision is to create healthy and complete, sustainable communities within the region, shaping Durham into a great place to live, work, play, grow and invest.
The Durham Regional Official Plan guides decisions on long-term growth and development–providing policies to ensure an improved quality of life–and securing the health, safety, convenience and well-being of present and future residents of the region.
In 2019, the Region is launching Envision Durham – the Municipal Comprehensive Review of our Official Plan. This review will look at:
- How and where our cities and towns may grow.
- How to use and protect our land and resources.
- What housing types and job opportunities are needed for our residents.
- How people and goods will move across our region and beyond.
We’re planning for an attractive place to live, work, play, grow and invest–and we’re asking for your help. Watch the video below to learn more and join the conversation to have your say.
Join the conversation
It’s time to have your say about our future!
Envision Durham is an opportunity to plan for a progressive and forward-looking land use planning vision for the region to 2041.
We are currently in the Discuss Stage of our project and need your input. Please review and provide comments on various theme-based Discussion Papers below.
Current Engagement Opportunities
| Discussion papers (Stage 2-Discuss) |
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The Agriculture and Rural System Discussion Paper was released on March 5, 2019. Comments are requested by June 3, 2019. This Agriculture and Rural System Discussion Paper contains discussion questions, with a supplemental workbook (Appendix A), to help facilitate discussion and input. Responses can be submitted via email to EnvisionDurham@durham.ca or be sent to the attention of: Envision Durham, c/o The Regional Municipality of Durham, Planning and Economic Development Department, 605 Rossland Road East, PO Box 623, Whitby, Ontario, L1N 6A3. Further consultation on this Discussion Paper will be taking place in conjunction with the update of the Region's Agricultural Strategy. Additional information on this consultation is available on our Agriculture page. Additional Discussion Papers will be released on the following themes:
Paper copies and accessible formats are available upon request by contacting EnvisionDurham@durham.ca. Reference copies are also available for viewing at local library branches. |
| Public opinion survey (Stage 1-Discover) - survey is now closed. |
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The Envision Durham public opinion survey is now closed. Thank you to everyone who participated. Survey results will be reported on, and made available in this section, shortly. To be notified of these results, as well as other project related engagement opportunities, please subscribe to this page by clicking on the "Receive email updates" button below. Thank you. |
Additional Resources
| Project timeline |
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| Document library |
| Frequently asked questions (FAQs) |
What is “Envision Durham”?“Envision Durham” is the Municipal Comprehensive Review of the Durham Regional Official Plan. Envision Durham is an opportunity to plan for change, by replacing the current Regional Official Plan and establishing a progressive and forward-looking planning vision for the region to 2041. What is a Municipal Comprehensive Review?A Municipal Comprehensive Review refers to an official plan review by the Region, or an official plan amendment which is led by the Region, working with the area municipalities. In Durham, a “Municipal Comprehensive Review” also refers to a Municipal Comprehensive Review as defined in the Growth Plan, i.e. a new official plan, or an official plan amendment, initiated by the Region under section 26 of the Planning Act that comprehensively applies the policies and schedules of the Growth Plan. What is the Regional Official Plan?The Durham Regional Official Plan (ROP) guides decisions on how and where our cities and towns grow, and how best to protect and enhance the region's rural and natural environments. As Council’s core planning document, guiding Regional decision-making on long-term growth and development, the ROP provides policies to ensure an improved quality of life. Why are we reviewing the Regional Official Plan?Under the Planning Act, we are required to review the existing Durham Regional Official Plan (ROP) every five years. Since the approval of the last ROP update (January 2013), the Province has completed several significant Provincial policy initiatives, including the coordinated review and update to Ontario’s:
The Planning Act requires the Region to complete a Provincial Plan conformity exercise to amend the ROP to conform with Provincial Plans and Policy Statements. This Municipal Comprehensive Review will form a Provincial Plan conformity exercise and five-year review of the ROP, satisfying these Provincial requirements. |
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