Have Your Say on the Development of the City's Official Plan

The official plan for the City of Peterborough is inching closer to being presented to council.  Currently in the second round of community engagement planning, officials want to hear from you.   

In the end, as explained on the City website, an official plan will be “a legal document which sets the vision and direction that shapes the growth and development of the city to the year 2041. By the year 2041, the City is expected to grow to a population of 115,000 people and 58,000 jobs – an increase of about 32,000 people and 10,000 jobs from 2016.”

Planning officials stress that hearing from all community members is important because, “whether you work or live in the city, the Official Plan affects just about every aspect of your daily life – it provides strategic policy direction on the:

• Affordability and availability of a range of housing types;
• Transportation choice and connectivity within the city and beyond;
• Location and physical form of housing and employment areas;
• Location and range of community services and amenities;
• Design of our neighbourhoods, buildings, streets, and spaces;
• Environmental protection and sustainability measures; and,
• Construction of infrastructure such as sewers, water mains, transit, and roads.”
  

​Phase One (2011-2013) included a review of the current plan, community engagement on the current plan, a community visioning exercise with numerous stakeholders to identify vision principles, and determining the overarching themes for the new plan. These were:

• Complete Healthy Communities
• Environmental Sustainability
• Economic Strength
• Unique and Vibrant Places and Spaces
• Connectivity and Mobility

Phase Two (2013-present) includes the development of draft policies, reaching back into the community for input (this is the current stage), and then finalizing the plan and taking it to council. The design of the Official Plan is called “Plan It Peterborough” and “ensures the growth and development of a city is managed to balance the interests in our built, natural, economic, and social environments and sets the priorities for our city’s future.”

To provide feedback during this latest round of community engagement, the city’s third survey on the official plan is looking for input on Vision and Guiding Principles.  The survey will be open until September 20, 2017.
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Find more background information, upcoming events, reports and presentations, FAQs, and relevant links all related to the Official Plan Review. 

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