The Planning, Infrastructure and Economic Development Department is offering the Planning Primer Program to help residents become more aware of, and more involved in, the land-use planning process.
The program is a series of half-day courses. The series includes two core courses and two elective courses.
The core courses, called Primer I and Primer II, describe the legislative and policy basis under which land-use planning decisions are made, the way policy documents are amended and how to make a development application.
The program aims to:
- Build and maintain a strong working relationship and understanding between the City of Ottawa and communities
- Provide resources and teach skills to aid residents participating in the land-use planning process
Planning Primer Courses and Electives
Primer I
Topics covered:
- What is land use planning?
- The Planning Act and the Provincial Policy Statement
- The Official Plan
- The Comprehensive Zoning By-law
Primer II
Topics covered:
- Six Most Common Types of Development Applications
- The Decision Makers
- Pre-consultation and Submission of Applications
- Public Notification and Application Review
- Issue Resolution and Report Writing
- The Urban Design Review Panel
The core courses are led by planning staff. Electronic copies of the course materials (PowerPoint presentations and other course notes) will be available to participants electronically, or in hard copy at the sessions.
Online materials now available for Courses and Electives
Primer 1 [ PDF 1.182 MB ] PDF opens in a new tab or window Version 1 posted fall 2015
Primer II [ PDF 1.762 MB ] PDF opens in a new tab or window Version 1 posted fall 2015
Electives
Development Charges Elective [ PDF 640 KB ] PDF opens in a new tab or window
Park Planning Elective [ PDF 5.807 MB ] PDF opens in a new tab or window
Residential Intensification and Infill Elective [ PDF 6.083 KB ] PDF opens in a new tab or window
Heritage Planning Elective [ PDF 3.550 MB ] PDF opens in a new tab or window
Secondary Planning Processes Elective [ PDF 9.959 MB ] PDF opens in a new tab or window
Natural Systems Elective [ 4.923 MB ] PDF opens in a new tab or window
Planning for Healthy Communities Elective [ PDF 3.198 MB ] PDF opens in a new tab or window
While attending the courses in person allows one to benefit from the personal knowledge shared by the presenters and the question and answer periods, these online materials will provide a useful summary for use between courses as well as for those who are unable to attend in person.
Expansion of the online Planning Primer materials is under way.
Please register to receive our e-newsletter notification to receive more information about the courses and upcoming dates.
Planning Primer Calendar
| 2018 | Dates | Times and Location |
|---|---|---|
| Primer I | January 26 and 28, 2019 (offered in English) | 8:30 am – 12 pm Colonel By Boardroom, 2nd Floor City Hall |
| Primer II | February 25, 2019 (offered in English)
February 27, 2019 (offered in English) |
8:30 am – 12 pm Colonel By Boardroom, 2nd Floor City Hall6 pm – 9 pm Colonel By Boardroom, 2nd Floor City Hall |
| Elective | March 23 and 25, 2019 (Offered in English) | 9 am – 12 pm Colonel By Boardroom, 2nd Floor City Hall |
Registration opens two weeks before the course date and is on a first come, first served basis. Pre-registration is not accepted.
