Official plan
Learn about the city's Official Plan, the Official Plan review, find the plan documents and additional materials.
On this page
About the 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.
Official Plan review
The City of Waterloo is undertaking a review of its 2012 Official Plan. The review will ensure the plan:
- meets updated provincial planning requirements
- provides an opportunity to address local issues and needs
- will ensure the Official Plan is consistent with any other policy documents that may have changed since the approval of the 2012 Plan
For more information about the Official Plan review, including opportunities to participate in the review process, please follow the project through EngageWaterloo.
Official Plan (updated January 2020)
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.
- 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 B - City structure
- 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