Part V: Policies

1.0 Building Strong Healthy Communities

Ontario is a vast province with urban, rural, and northern communities with diversity in population, economic activities, pace of growth, service levels and physical and natural conditions. Ontario's long-term prosperity, environmental health and social well-being depend on wisely managing change and promoting efficient land use and development patterns. Efficient land use and development patterns support sustainability by promoting strong, liveable, healthy and resilient communities, protecting the environment and public health and safety, and facilitating economic growth.

Accordingly:

1.1 Managing and Directing Land Use to Achieve Efficient and Resilient Development and Land Use Patterns

1.1.1  Healthy, liveable and safe communities are sustained by:

  1. promoting efficient development and land use patterns which sustain the financial well-being of the Province and municipalities over the long term;

  2. accommodating an appropriate range and mix of residential (including second units, affordable housing and housing for older persons), employment (including industrial and commercial), institutional (including places of worship, cemeteries and long-term care homes), recreation, park and open space, and other uses to meet long-term needs;

  3. avoiding development and land use patterns which may cause environmental or public health and safety concerns;

  4. avoiding development and land use patterns that would prevent the efficient expansion of settlement areas in those areas which are adjacent or close to settlement areas;

  5. promoting cost-effective development patterns and standards to minimize land consumption and servicing costs;

  6. improving accessibility for persons with disabilities and older persons by identifying, preventing and removing land use barriers which restrict their full participation in society;

  7. ensuring that necessary infrastructure, electricity generation facilities and transmission and distribution systems, and public service facilities are or will be available to meet current and projected needs; and

  8. promoting development and land use patterns that conserve biodiversity and consider the impacts of a changing climate.

PROVINCIAL POLICY STATEMENT