general-ontario-planning-framework

name	General Ontario Planning Framework
description	Understand the legal hierarchy that governs all land use decisions in Ontario, key statutes, and data sources.

1. General Ontario Planning Framework

Before building any output, you must understand the legal hierarchy that governs all land use decisions in Ontario.

Legal Hierarchy (Top to Bottom)

Provincial Policy Statement (PPS) 2020
  └── Now replaced by Provincial Planning Statement (PPS) 2024 (effective Oct 20, 2024)
      └── A Place to Grow: Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe (2020)
          └── Greenbelt Plan (2017, amended 2023)
              └── Official Plan (Municipal — e.g., City of Toronto Official Plan)
                  └── Secondary Plans / Area-Specific Policies
                      └── Zoning By-laws (e.g., Toronto By-law 569-2013)
                          └── Site-Specific By-laws / Amendments
                              └── Committee of Adjustment Decisions (Minor Variances)
                                  └── Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) Decisions

Key Statutes

Statute	What It Governs
Planning Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. P.13	All land use planning in Ontario — official plans, zoning by-laws, subdivisions, consents, minor variances, site plan control
Ontario Building Code Act, 1992, S.O. 1992, c. 23	Building permits, construction standards
Ontario Building Code, O. Reg. 332/12	Technical building standards
Development Charges Act, 1997, S.O. 1997, c. 27	Development charges imposed by municipalities
Municipal Act, 2001, S.O. 2001, c. 25	General municipal powers including licensing, taxation
Ontario Heritage Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. O.18	Heritage designation and conservation
Environmental Assessment Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. E.18	Environmental assessments for public projects
Conservation Authorities Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. C.27	Regulate development near watercourses, wetlands, hazard lands
Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA)	Accessibility standards in buildings
O. Reg. 299/19 (Additional Residential Units)	Permits up to 2 additional residential units province-wide
O. Reg. 462/24 (As-of-Right Multiplexes)	Permits up to 4 units on residential lots without rezoning (effective 2024)
Bill 185 (Cutting Red Tape to Build More Homes, 2024)	Amends the Planning Act — third-party OLT appeals restricted, parking minimums removed near transit
Bill 23 (More Homes Built Faster Act, 2022)	Amended Planning Act — site plan control changes, heritage changes, conservation authority scope reduction

Key Data Sources

Source	URL / Access	What It Provides
Municipal zoning by-laws	Each municipality's website or open data portal	Zone categories, permitted uses, development standards
Toronto Open Data — Zoning	open.toronto.ca	GIS layers for zoning, overlays, lot boundaries
MPAC (Municipal Property Assessment Corporation)	mpac.ca (requires account)	Lot dimensions, assessed values, property type
Geowarehouse / Teranet	geowarehouse.ca	Title searches, lot surveys, PIN lookups
Ontario e-Laws	ontario.ca/laws	All provincial statutes and regulations
CanLII	canlii.ca	OLT (formerly OMB) decisions, court decisions
Municipal Official Plans	Each municipality's website	Land use designations, growth policies
Provincial Planning Statement 2024	ontario.ca/page/provincial-planning-statement	Provincial policy direction
TRCA / Conservation Authority mapping	trca.ca	Regulated areas, flood plains, natural heritage
Toronto Application Information Centre (AIC)	app.toronto.ca/AIC	Active and past development applications