A Guide to Community Building in Pickering

An Official Plan is a statutory document which sets out the land use policy directions for long-term growth and development in a municipality. Municipalities in Ontario are required to adopt Official Plans to guide growth and development that will implement the Ontario Planning Act and other relevant legislation and regulations.

The Durham Regional Official Plan provides the overall framework for Pickering's Official Plan.

Pickering's Official Plan

View the City of Pickering Official Plan - Edition 8, and Schedules

The following Official Plan Amendments were approved after Edition 8 of the office consolidation of the Pickering Official Plan, and must be read in conjunction with the Plan:

• Amendment 31, in effect as of June 28, 2019 (LPAT Approved)
• Amendment 34, in effect as of June 20, 2019
• Amendment 36, in effect as of October 26, 2020
• Amendment 37, in effect as of July 25, 2019
• Amendment 39, in effect as of November 23, 2020

The Official Plan includes schedules of land uses, transportation systems and resource management, and addresses the following land use designations:

• Residential
• Mixed Use
• Employment
• Agricultural
• Open Space
• Study Area

While the Official Plan establishes policies for long-term growth, it is periodically reviewed to ensure that it continues to meet the changing economic, social and environmental requirements of the municipality.

Amending the Official Plan

The Ontario Planning Act and its Regulations include a process which allows a Council or an individual to request an amendment to the Official Plan at any time.

The process provides notice to those who might have an interest in the proposed amendment, allows people to provide input to Council on a proposed amendment, and provides an opportunity to challenge a Council decision at the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal.

A number of amendments have been made to the Official Plan since Council adopted it in 1997, resulting in the current Pickering Official Plan, Edition 8, dated October 2018.

The City is currently conducting a review of the City's Official Plan, and it is being updated through a series of individual amendments.

Visit the City of Pickering Official Plan Review for more information.

Compendium Document to the Pickering Official Plan

The Compendium document contains Development Guidelines for urban neighbourhoods within Pickering that require further guidance on what and where development should occur.

The Development Guidelines address but are not limited to:

• detailed land use mix and arrangement
• scale and intensity of use
• transportation network
• community design requirements
• servicing arrangements

Development applications, including subdivision, rezoning, site plans and building permits must conform to the direction provided by the relevant guideline.

Please see the following for more information on the area specific development guidelines.

Compendium Documents:

Part I - Area Specific Development Guidelines

• Introduction

Part 2 - General Development Guidelines

• Kingston Road Corridor Urban Design

Other Guideline Documents

• Seaton Sustainable Place-Making Guidelines
• Pickering City Centre Urban Design Guidelines
• Urban Design Guidelines for Infill and Replacement Housing in Established Neighbourhood Precincts

For more information about land-use planning, please visit the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing website:

Print Copies

Hardcopies of the Pickering Official Plan, Compendium Document, and other Guideline Documents are available for purchase or for viewing at the City Development Department. Copies are also available for viewing at the Public Library. The PDF documents may be downloaded free of charge from this web page.

Please contact us for further information on the Pickering Official Plan, and/or for information on the Amendment process.