Official Plan

The City of Cambridge 2018 Consolidated Official Plan is a policy document providing direction for general land use in the City. The Plan supports long-term growth and development in order to meet the community's needs. It also provides a way to manage issues related to land use, while still meeting the interests of the City, and achieving conformity with the Region of Waterloo Official Plan and the Provincial Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe.

An Official Plan includes written information and maps related to general land use. The Cambridge Official Plan includes policies describing land use designations within the City and a general list of permitted uses in each of the designations. Maps also show which lands fall under which land use designations.

The Official Plan includes policies for the following areas:

  • Housing
  • Commercial
  • Industrial
  • Cultural heritage
  • Natural heritage
  • Agricultural
  • Parks and open space
  • Transportation and infrastructure

An Official Plan is a legal document. The City periodically reviews this document to ensure that it still meets the changing economic, social and environmental needs of the City, and addresses Provincial and Regional policies. Sometimes a review identifies required changes to certain policies and/or map designations.

Changes (also called amendments) to the Official Plan must go through the amendment process outlined in the Ontario Planning Act. This process includes opportunities for public input before the City finalizes any changes to the document. After the City adopts an Official Plan amendment, it goes to Regional Council for approval.

Before drafting a new Official Plan, the City undertakes extensive analysis and consults with the public, stakeholders and technical agencies.

Passed by the Province of Ontario, the Planning Act is a legal document that sets out the ground rules for land use planning in Ontario.

The City's Official Plan is an over-arching document that guides a number of local processes, such as:

  • Zoning By-laws
  • Site Plans
  • City budgets

The Official Plan applies to all land within the City of Cambridge. It provides a vision for future growth and generally guides where new homes, schools, businesses and parks should be located. The Official Plan includes policies with respect to the construction of new services, such as roads and sewers, as well as protecting our natural and built heritage.

On May 7, 2012 Cambridge City Council adopted the 2012 Cambridge Official Plan. The Plan was approved by the Region of Waterloo Council on November 21, 2012, with a Notice of Approval including modifications and deferrals.

The Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) received several appeals for the Cambridge Official Plan after the Region's approval, some of which have been resolved. To learn about policies not yet in effect, contact our planning department to view our list of Official Plan outstanding appeals.

The following reports and documents helped the City develop our current Official Plan:

  • Growth Management Strategy: Land Inventory and Capacity Analysis (October 2009, Hemson Consulting Ltd.)
  • Cambridge Intensification Study (May 2010, The Planning Partnership)
  • Official Plan for the Regional Municipality of Waterloo (approved June 18, 2015)
  • Provincial Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe (2006)

The Official Plan sets out the City's general policies for current and future land uses. Our Zoning By-law outlines the permitted uses (e.g. commercial or residential) and the required standards (e.g. building size and location) in each area.

Zoning By-law regulations implement the policies of the Official Plan with more detailed regulations. Most municipal Zoning By-laws divide the municipality into different land use areas referred to as zones. Detailed maps show these zones within the City. A municipality can't issue a Building Permit for construction of new development that doesn't meet Zoning By-law requirements.

The annual Growth and Staging of Development Report reviews residential development that occurred during the year and reviews the inventory of units on applications. The report comments on the ability of the current development applications to meet the forecasted demand for the next three and ten years and longer-range growth targets.

To view our Growth and Statging of Development Reports, email our policy planner.