Official plan

The Official Plan is our city's long-term planning guide for land use and development. Adopted in 2012 after extensive public input, it sets out policies that direct growth and change until 2031. It will be reviewed and updated periodically to ensure it reflects changing conditions in the city.

If you have questions about the plan, or require it in an alternate format, contact our Planning division, at 519-747-8752 or devservices@waterloo.ca.

Accessing the plan

The official plan is a long and detailed document. It can be downloaded in individual PDF sections below. A zip file of all sections and an all-in-one consolidated version (PDF) are also available.

Official plan (updated January 2020)

• Table of contents
• Explanatory note
• Chapter 1 - Introduction
• Chapter 2 - Vision, principles and basis of the of the plan
• Chapter 3 - City form
• Chapter 4 - Arts, culture, heritage, recreation and leisure
• Chapter 5 - Networks
• Chapter 6 - Transportation
• Chapter 7 - Economy
• Chapter 8 - Environment and energy
• Chapter 9 - Mineral aggregates
• Chapter 10 - Land use policies
• Chapter 11 - Specific provision areas
• Chapter 12 - Implementation
• Glossary

Additional materials

Maps that help illustrate policies laid out in the official plan.

• Schedule A - Land use
  • Schedule A1 - Commercial land uses
  • Schedule A2 - Employment areas
  • Schedule A3 - Open space land uses
  • Schedule A4 - Natural system
  • Schedule A5 - Natural hazards
  • Schedule A6 - Specific provision areas
    • Scheduled A6a - Specific provisions areas 20 and 45
      • Scheduled A45a - Street frontage areas and streetscape elements
      • Schedule A45b - Block plan areas
• Schedule B - City structure
  • Schedule B1 - Height and density
  • Schedule B2 - Uptown urban growth area
  • Schedule B3 - Designated greenfield areas
  • Schedule B4 - Sourcewater protection area
• Schedule C - District boundaries
• Schedule D - Heritage district
• Schedule E - Road classification system
• Schedule F - Active Transportation System
• Schedule G - Road widths
• Schedule H - Mineral aggregate resource areas
• Schedule I - Industrial transition areas
• Schedule J - Station areas
  • Schedule J1 - Conestoga station area
  • Schedule J2 - Northfield station area
  • Schedule J3 - Research and technology station area
  • Schedule J4 - University of Waterloo station area
  • Schedule J5 - Waterloo Park station area