General Ontario Planning Framework

1. General Ontario Planning Framework

Before building any output, you must understand the legal hierarchy that governs all land use decisions in Ontario.

Legal Hierarchy (Top to Bottom)

Provincial Policy Statement (PPS) 2020
  └── Now replaced by Provincial Planning Statement (PPS) 2024 (effective Oct 20, 2024)
      └── A Place to Grow: Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe (2020)
          └── Greenbelt Plan (2017, amended 2023)
              └── Official Plan (Municipal — e.g., City of Toronto Official Plan)
                  └── Secondary Plans / Area-Specific Policies
                      └── Zoning By-laws (e.g., Toronto By-law 569-2013)
                          └── Site-Specific By-laws / Amendments
                              └── Committee of Adjustment Decisions (Minor Variances)
                                  └── Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) Decisions

Key Statutes

Statute