What is an Official Community Plan (OCP)?
The OCP communicates our values and guides us as we make decisions about how we use land for housing, transportation, parks, environmental protection, economic development, and more. Watch our video titled “What is an Official Community Plan?” to learn more(External link).
An OCP is prepared and adopted as a bylaw in compliance with the Local Government Act. In practice, an OCP informs decisions relating to planning and land use management and the provision of services in a community. While an OCP indicates a desired direction, various instruments (such as zoning bylaws and building bylaws) are required to implement the contents and vision of an OCP.
Lenses that guide us in our planning
We use different lenses to guide how the community grows and changes. Each lens is applied to every aspect of the OCP rather than to specific topics or chapters.
Here are a few examples of the lenses we use:
- our climate action commitments are a critical part of the plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and ensure resiliency in the face of climate change for current and future generations;
- our commitment to creating diverse and affordable housing is paramount to meeting current and future residents’ needs; and
- our commitments to diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and Truth and Reconciliation are critical to fostering a community that considers and welcomes everyone.
To read about all eight lenses that guide the OCP, please see pages 8 and 9 of the Draft 2023 OCP(External link).
