Community Planning & Design

The Community Planning and Design Section manages cultural and natural heritage planning, urban design, and several facets of community planning including Secondary Plans, Neighbourhood Plans, and special projects. The scope of work ranges from broad-ranging policy and by-law development to handling individual development and permit applications.

Heritage Planning

• Manages archaeology, built heritage, and cultural landscapes
• Develops and maintain heritage policy and management plans
• Manages programs to conserve heritage resources
• Administers the designation of heritage properties and heritage permits
• Provides heritage input on development applications and Public Works projects, the official plan, secondary, and neighbourhood plans

Natural Heritage

• Involves developing strategies and programs for protecting, enhancing, and monitoring Hamilton's natural areas and their ecological functions.
• Takes into account Official Plan policy, watershed and subwatershed plans, Secondary Plans, tree cutting and fill and grading by-laws, and development review.

Neighbourhood Plans

• Provides a guide for future development for small areas or neighbourhoods.
• Includes a land use map and policies to identify future uses and how these will be developed.
• Half of the 137 neighbourhoods in the former City of Hamilton have been prepared to date.

Secondary Plans

• Land use plans for areas of the City of Hamilton, such as groups of neighbourhoods or other defined areas.
• Provide direction for future development, by means of land use plans and policies.
• They are adopted by amendment into the Official Plan, to ensure that their intent is binding.

Urban Design

• Develops and coordinates urban design strategies for the City of Hamilton.
• Staff develop Master Plans, Urban Design Guidelines and other policy documents and strategies that guide the development and improvement of our urban environment, also providing urban design input into secondary plans for new and existing neighbourhoods, specific site plans, and advise Public Works on the implementation of master plans and guidelines related to urban design.