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 Direct Stage of our project.
During this stage, you will have the opportunity to provide feedback on proposed policy directions, including some initial findings of the Growth Management Study component of Envision Durham below.
Current Engagement Opportunities
| Growth Management Study (Stage 3-Direct) - Employment Area conversion requests (Submissions accepted until September 23, 2020) |
| Protecting and maintaining an adequate supply of employment land is important to the economic vitality of the Region. Designated Employment Areas play a specific and unique role in attracting and accommodating businesses and creating local job opportunities.
One component of Envision Durham’s Growth Management Study is to understand the Region’s ability to accommodate the Growth Plan’s employment forecast – 430,000 jobs by 2041 (currently under review by the Province) – and to determine where and how much Employment Area lands may potentially be re-designated to permit non-employment uses (e.g. residential). On June 24, 2020, Regional Council endorsed the Proposed Employment Area Conversion Criteria and Submission Review Process (Report #2020-P-11) which outlines an evaluation criteria and formal process for considering requests for Employment Area conversion through Envision Durham. For additional details, please review the full report here. Please note that in addition to adopting the recommendations of the report, Regional Council amended the recommendations to add "(C) That staff be directed to research and report back to Council on a specific mixed use land use designation." A copy of this Regional Council Correspondence is available here. This direction does not impact the evaluation criteria or formal process and deadline for considering Employment Area conversion requests. Submissions: New and/or amended requests for Employment Area conversion are now being accepted (for a 90-day submission window). The final date to submit an Employment Area conversion request for consideration through Envision Durham will be September 23, 2020. When making a submission, stakeholders should:
Requests for Employment Area conversion, including the Submission Form and any other supporting documentation, will be evaluated by Regional staff and the Growth Management Study consultant team. Area Municipalities will be circulated any requests for Employment Area conversion located within their jurisdiction and will be asked to provide their recommendation. The position of Area Municipal staff and/or Councils will be used to inform the Region’s review. |
| Discussion papers (Stage 2-Discuss) - all six papers are now available |
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Theme-based discussion papers released during the Discuss Stage included:
Each discussion paper contained questions, with a supplemental workbook (Appendix A), to help facilitate discussion and input. Responses were submitted via email to EnvisionDurham@durham.ca or 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. 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 summary now available. |
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The Envision Durham public opinion survey is now closed. The Public Opinion Survey Summary, which includes an overview of the related activities undertaken during the launch of Envision Durham, was released on September 3, 2019. Thank you to everyone who participated. |
Additional Resources
| Project timeline |
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| Document library |
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| 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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