Provincial Policy Statement, 2020
Learn how the Provincial Policy Statement sets the rules for land use planning in Ontario. It covers policies about managing growth, using and managing natural resources, protecting the environment, and public health and safety.
Provincial Planning Statement, 2024
Ontario has released a new streamlined provincial planning document that will replace the Provincial Policy Statement, 2020 (PPS 2020) and A Place to Grow: Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe 2019 (APTG), as amended in 2020. However, PPS 2020 and APTG will continue to apply where the Greenbelt Plan refers to them to maintain existing protections for the Greenbelt.
Learn more about Provincial Planning Statement, 2024, which came into effect on October 20, 2024.
About the Provincial Policy Statement, 2020
The Provincial Policy Statement, 2020 is an important part of More Homes, More choice: Ontario’s Housing Supply Action Plan. It is in effect on May 1, 2020.
The PPS works with other changes to land use planning systems like the changes to the Planning Act through More Homes, More Choice Act, 2019 and A Place to Grow: Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe. Together, they support the government’s goals related to:
- increasing housing
- supporting jobs
- reducing red tape
Download a PDF of the Provincial Policy Statement
If you need this information in an alternative format, please contact provincialplanning@ontario.ca.
2019 consultation on proposed policy changes
The government held a public consultation on proposed changes to the Provincial Policy Statement, 2014 in summer and early fall of 2019 as part of a review of the Provincial Policy Statement.
This consultation helped us with the development of the Provincial Policy Statement, 2020.
The goals of the proposed changes were to:
- encourage an increase in the mix and supply of housing
- protect the environment and public safety
- reduce barriers and costs for development and provide greater certainty
- support rural, northern and Indigenous communities
- support the economy and job creation
You can read the decision on the changes to the PPS, 2014 on the Environmental Registry of Ontario.
Background
The Provincial Policy Statement (PPS) is a consolidated statement of the government’s policies on land use planning. It gives provincial policy direction on key land use planning issues that affect communities, such as:
- efficient use and management of land and infrastructure
- the provision of sufficient housing to meet changing needs, including affordable housing
- the protection of the environment and resources including farmland, natural resources (for example, wetlands and woodlands) and water
- opportunities for economic development and job creation
- the appropriate transportation, water, sewer and other infrastructure needed to accommodate current and future needs
- the protection of people, property and community resources by directing development away from natural or human-made hazards, such as flood prone areas
The PPS is issued under section 3 of the Planning Act and according to the act all decisions affecting planning matters shall be consistent with the Provincial Policy Statement.
Municipalities are the primary decision-makers for local communities. They implement provincial policies through municipal official plans and planning related decisions.