Planning Studies

City-wide studies and guidelines apply to all of Richmond Hill and focus on a variety of topics:

• Official Plan Background Studies
• Parks Plan
• Sustainability Metrics
• Urban Design Guidelines
• Urban Master Environmental Servicing Plan (to view this plan, please contact planning@richmondhill.ca)
• Community Improvement Plan (CIP)
• Comprehensive Zoning By-law Review
• Affordable Housing Strategy

Secondary plans direct future development for specific areas in Richmond Hill. The plans provide policies on land use, urban design and transportation. Usually, they are added to Richmond Hill's Official Plan:

• West Gormley Secondary Plan
• North Leslie Secondary Plan
• Richmond Hill Centre Secondary Plan (in process)
• Yonge and Carrville/16th Key Development Area Secondary Plan (in process) 
• Yonge and Bernard Key Development Area Secondary Plan (adopted by City Council, under appeal at the Ontario Municipal Board)

A Tertiary Plan is a detailed land use study for a smaller geographic area of Richmond Hill. A tertiary plan typically provides direction on land use, urban design, specific development standards, for a specific area of Richmond Hill.

• Benson Hunt Tertiary Plan (contact us for an accessible format)
• South Brookside Tertiary Plan
• Weldrick Road Tertiary Plan

Infill studies direct future development in important infill areas - land in already developed areas of the community. These studies look at where and how development can happen over the long term.

• Harris Beech Infill Study (contact us for an accessible format)
• Bathurst Street Infill Study
• Puccini Drive Infill Study
• Expansion to Puccini Drive Infill Study and Demonstration Scenarios
• Hughey West Infill Study
• Bond Crescent Neighbourhood Infill Study
• Bond Crescent Neighbourhood Infill Development Report Update (contact us for an accessible format)
• Douglas Road Neighbourhood Infill Study
• Anglin Drive/Long Hill Drive/19th Avenue Residential Infill Study
• Elm Grove/Maple Grove/Aubrey Residential Infill Study

Richmond Hill has a number of other area specific studies and guidelines, including:

• Village Core Neighbourhood Design Guidelines
• North Yonge Street Urban Design Study
• Lake Wilcox Special Policy Area
• David Dunlap Observatory
• Downtown Design and Land Use Strategy Background Report
• Downtown Design and Land Use Strategy Final Report
• Richmond Hill Regional Centre Design and Land Use Study Preferred Concept Report
• Richmond Hill Regional Centre Design and Land Use Study Final Recommendations Report
• Flood Remediation Study, Yonge Street and Elgin Mills Road (contact us for an accessible format)