Official Plan Review

Providing opportunities for a range of affordable housing options is a key priority for the City, as noted in the Housing Strategy. The City and Region have policies that encourage both affordable and rental housing; however, we will be considering how to strengthen and implement these policies in the new Official Plan. 

 Both Peel Region and the City of Mississauga are working on financial incentive programs to encourage developers to build affordable rental housing.  The Region’s program will launch in 2021.  The Region has also launched a second unit renovation grant program to encourage homeowners to renovate second units.

 One of the challenges we face is that it is very costly to acquire land in the downtown for affordable housing. Partnerships with developers can result in units coming on stream faster. In this regard, a building nearing completion will offer 174 affordable units through a partnership between Peel Region the Daniels Corporation. Additionally, inclusionary zoning is another tool that may be used to require a percentage of new housing units to be affordable in locations around transit services. There are several overlapping major transit station areas in the Downtown where inclusionary zoning could apply. The City is currently working with a consultant to identify the appropriate share of units in new buildings to be affordable. 

 In addition to the Official Plan Review, the City is in the process of developing a Downtown Strategy to guide the future growth and transformation of the Downtown. As part of this project, the City has been engaging with the community to identify improvements to help build a vibrant downtown core. Through a 2019 online survey, the City heard a lot of feedback about Downtown parks and greenspaces. Residents wanted to see additional park equipment, trees and better ways to move around the neighbourhood.  An additional online survey in summer 2020 focusing on Downtown parks engagement sought input on how to build or rebuild three parks in the Downtown—Zonta Meadows, John “Bud” Cleary and the future park at M City.  The feedback gathered will help to inform and develop recommendations for the future of Downtown Mississauga. You may wish to sign up to stay informed and provide feedback on the Downtown Strategy as the project develops.

The City’s Official Plan contains many policies related to achieving design excellence for new buildings and public and private spaces in Mississauga. These policies will be examined as part of the Official Plan Review process in an effort to improve them where possible. Most new multi-unit residential, commercial and institutional buildings in the City undergo a comprehensive design review by urban designers and landscape architects as part of the site plan approval process. For more significant development proposals in Mississauga’s Downtown and other high growth areas, applications are further reviewed by the Mississauga Urban Design Advisory Panel. Their additional comments are used to improve the site and building design of these projects. Staff do have to adhere to provincial legislation, which limits the regulation staff can impose on specific architectural treatments proposed by developers (e.g. materials, colours, architectural style and aesthetics, etc.).

City of Mississauga Council recently endorsed the Parking Master Plan and Implementation Strategy. One of its recommendations is to develop an updated approach to off-street parking regulations that considers the City’s urban structure, transit investments, development trends, proximity to multi-modal transportation, and best practices. Staff is planning to initiate a comprehensive review of the parking regulations in the Zoning Bylaw in the near future. The review will strive to align with the City’s intensification, affordable housing and urban design policies while supporting a balanced transportation system.

The Region of Peel is presently undertaking a study of all major transit station areas (MTSAs) in the City of Mississauga in consultation with city planning staff. Information about the study is found here. 

MTSAs are areas within a 500 to 800-metre radius of a transit station (about a 10-minute walk). All stations along the Mississauga Transitway and the Hurontario Light Rapid Transit (LRT) line are considered MTSAs. The study will identify and delineate MTSA boundaries across Peel Region and provide direction on the density of development that should occur within each MTSA. The opportunity for mixed-use including residential uses will be considered through this study; however, it will recognize the existing City structure where residential uses area not permitted. The Airport Corporate and Gateway Corporate Centre Character Areas are intended for employment uses and do not permit residential uses. The Corporate Centres are within the Toronto Pearson International Airport Operating Area (AOA) and therefore do not permit residential development. Mississauga Official Plan policies that pertain to Aircraft Noise and address the AOA, are found here.

A comprehensive review of the Official Plan is required to take place every ten years. It is an opportunity to ensure that the official plan continues to address local priorities and changing community needs. Mississauga’s current Official Plan came into effect in November 2012.

We will review key studies which impact land use planning. We will also review our current policies and determine if they “conform and are consistent” with the province, region and city. We will consult with our key stakeholders and the community. 

City of Mississauga Official Plan

Citizen’s Guide – Province of Ontario