FAQs
- Make room for a diversity of housing choices.
- Advance sustainable mobility.
- Create active, attractive and joyful public spaces.
- Updates to the Official Community Plan and neighbourhood plans.
- New design guidelines.
- Updates to zoning, other regulations and policy documents.
What is this process about?
This is a local area planning process that seeks to create neighbourhoods with more housing choices, better transportation options, new services and amenities, and improved public spaces. Work to date has resulted in draft neighbourhood plans and design guidelines that will help to achieve these goals.
Hearing input from the people who live, work or spend time in these areas helps us build a better plan. Your knowledge, values, and priorities inform the policies that shape the final plans.
Why do we have an Official Community Plan and Neighbourhood Plans?
The Official Community Plan (OCP) provides broad guidance for development and growth in the City of Victoria. Local area planning, like this Village and Corridor Planning process enables us to consider how to implement the overarching goals of the OCP and other guiding policies in a local context, while considering unique community needs.
The process results in updated neighbourhood plans that help guide where new housing and businesses may go, what new development can look and feel like, and what services and amenities are needed. To learn more about the City’s foundational policies in areas such as housing, sustainable mobility, climate leadership, parks, open spaces and urban forest, and what Village and Corridor planning explores, see the Project Backgrounder.
What happened to the feedback I gave earlier this year?
You can find a summary of early engagement and Phase 2 engagement feedback in the Documents section. We used this feedback to inform the three draft Neighbourhood Plans and design guidelines.
You are now invited to give your feedback to help create the final plans and design guidelines.
Are there any other ways I can share my thoughts?
You can submit any questions in the “Questions” tab here or you can email your comments to engage@victoria.ca.
What is being done to keep community members and staff healthy?
We are following the advice and recommendations of health officials related to COVID-19 and will continue to find diverse ways for community members to provide feedback while staying safe.
We have designed engagement opportunities with this at the top of our minds. You can choose to engage fully online or can opt into some of our in-person engagement opportunities, which will all have COVID-19 safety plans in place.
What are the goals of neighbourhood planning?
The purpose of this planning process is to guide growth for more sustainable and inclusive communities over the next 10 to 20 years. As each resulting neighbourhood plan is developed, the City works together with the community to explore how to:
How will the plans be actioned?
The final outcomes of this process will include:
Each of these final products are used by the City when considering development proposals and capital projects, and by residents and business owners to learn more about what is important to others in their community. Many of the ideas formed through the planning process will be realized incrementally or in the long-term as budgets allow or redevelopment presents opportunities.
How does this relate to the current Missing Middle Housing Initiative?
The Missing Middle Housing Initiative is aiming to make it easier to build alternatives to the single-family house in areas considered “Traditional Residential” or lower-density areas in our Official Community Plan, and create design guidance for these housing types. This includes duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, and townhouses. These housing types help give households and individuals a choice to stay in Victoria as their needs change.