Official plan

Learn about the Official Plan and the Official Plan review. Find the plan documents and additional materials. 

On this page

1. About the Official Plan
2. Official Plan review
3. Official Plan
4. Additional materials
5. Planning and land use data

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.

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Official Plan (updated February 2024)

The Official Plan is a long and detailed document. It can be downloaded in individual PDF sections below. View the consolidated version (PDF).

• 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

Schedules are maps that help illustrate policies laid out in the Official Plan. 

You can download the individual PDF schedules below. View the consolidated schedules (PDF).

• 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
    • Schedule A6a - Specific provisions areas 20 and 45
      • Schedule A45a - Street frontage areas and streetscape elements
      • Schedule A45b - Block plan areas
    • Schedule A6b - Erbsville South, Land Use
    • Schedule A6c - Erbsville South, Environmental System
    • Schedule A6d - Erbsville South, Mobility Network
• 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

The online version of the Official Plan is a consolidation of the Official Plan policies in effect as of October 2023. It is provided for ease of reference only. For accuracy, please refer to the original Plan and Plan Amendments as approved by the Region of Waterloo, which are on file with the City Clerk and Ontario Land Tribunal (previously OMB or LPAT). Access decisions at olt.gov.on.ca/decisions/overview

Planning and land use data

Check our planning and land use data webpage to find out how policies in the Official Plan are being put into practice.