Public Engagement in Urban Planning

Public Engagement in Urban Planning

Public engagement is about taking ownership over the future of your city. Why do city planners engage with the public? Engagement allows City planners to hear about the values and visions of the people who live, work, and play in the city. This helps inform the work we undertake and ensures our policies and plans serve your needs.

The City Planning Division engages the public on all sorts of public policy development and projects, both large and small. Your input on how Toronto should grow will ensure we create a city that is sustainable, healthy, and economically prosperous. We want you to get involved in the planning process, and help us develop a vision for Toronto’s future.

For local issues, you can participate in working groups and public meetings about the redevelopment of land, including residential, commercial, and retail developments. We also consult on projects like Secondary Plans or Heritage Conservation Districts, which affect a broader area. Sometimes our work is on a much larger scale, like when we consult on city-wide initiatives like changes to our Official Plan. The public is welcome to share their opinions on all of these projects.

Opportunities for participation exist across the city. Information is sent directly to your home when there is a project that is localized in nature, such as a development project for a new residential building; or when the project affects many communities, such as a study like Eglinton Connects (www.toronto.ca/eglinton). Information related to a new development application is also posted on signs located at the affected site. These notices include the details of the project, such as height and number of proposed units, as well as the contact information for the planner and the date of the public meeting. We encourage you to contact the planner so that you can obtain information about the project if you are interested. In other instances, notices are placed in a newspaper or on our website: www.toronto.ca/planning. The City is also piloting a new design for development application signs, aimed at making the signs more inviting and easier to understand. You can already see these around the city.

We want to ensure we connect with our newcomers and diverse communities to ensure we do a better job at addressing your needs during the planning process. How do you want us to engage you in the planning process? Visit the Growing Conversations website at www.toronto.ca/growingconversations to see how we’re changing the way we engage with the public, and to find opportunities to participate.