Plan to Achieve: A Review of the Land Needs Assessment Process and the Implementation of the Growth Plan

The Plan to Achieve Report assesses the implementation of the residential Land Needs Assessment (LNA) process as part of the Growth Plan, which aimed to prevent the over-designation of land for development. The Growth Plan came into effect in 2006 to address the effects associated with low-density single-use developments. To achieve this, the plan concentrated on making use of existing infrastructure, conserving farmland and natural areas, and building complete communities.  

This report found shortfalls in the implementation of the LNA process in the first round of municipal conformity updates to official plans, resulting in the designation of more land for development than needed. The over-designation of land can impair the livability of the Greater Golden Horseshoe by causing development sprawl over large geographies, premature municipal investment in greenfield infrastructure and the avoidable loss of prime agricultural land.

The Growth Plan represents a new approach to city-building in the GGH, one which concentrates more on making better use of our existing infrastructure, and less on continuously expanding the urban area.

This report concludes that the policy framework remains relevant, but that stronger provincial direction is needed to improve how land needs assessments are carried out. The report calls for a standardized methodology, clearer rules, and more consistent implementation to better support compact growth and better land use outcomes across the region.