What is a Zoning Bylaw?

    Land use planning refers to how cities are planned and designed. A Zoning Bylaw is one tool that can be used to help achieve this.


    A Zoning Bylaw allows Council to separate parts of the city into different land use categories using maps. Examples of land use categories are:

    • Residential,
    • Commercial and 
    • Industrial. 


    In each of these categories there may be a series of zones. Each zone has a set of rules about:

    • how land may be used, for example the kind of activities and businesses allowed,
    • the size, type and location of buildings and other structures that may be on a property,
    • the lot sizes and dimensions, the number of storeys and units and
    • number of parking spaces and location.


    Zoning is part of a bigger planning framework.  In Ontario, the Planning Act is the law that governs land use planning. Planning is also guided by provincial land use documents, such as the Provincial Policy Statement. An Official Plan sets out the vision and policies to manage growth and future land use and must align with the provincial laws. Burlington’s Zoning Bylaw is a legal document that carries out the City’s Official Plan vision and policies. Staff uses the Zoning Bylaw in their day-to-day administration of land use rules.


    Why are we creating a new Zoning Bylaw?

    We are creating a new Zoning Bylaw to help carry out the vision and policies of the City’s new Official Plan (OP, 2020). The Zoning Bylaw update is required under the Planning Act. It also provides an opportunity to update our zoning bylaw. It is more than 20 years old and contains hundreds of amendments. This updated zoning bylaw will help by:

    • making the rules easy to use,
    • reflecting modern zoning practices and
    • streamlining development approvals.


    Our goal is to:

    • reduce the number of applications submitted to the City, 
    • help Burlington meet its provincial housing and growth targets and
    • encourage healthy and sustainable growth within the City of Burlington over the life of the Burlington Official Plan, 2020.

    What is the project approach and timeline?

    Our new Zoning Bylaw will:

    • be done in phases,
    • Phase 1 – Residential Zones will focus on supporting housing options in Burlington neighbourhoods,
    • Phase 1 will include: Step 1: Research and Analyse, Step 2: Build and Engage and Step 3: Close and Appeals and
    • Phase 1 is targeted for completion in Q1 2025.