Planning Wrapped 2025

News & Insights

Dec 5, 2025

12/5/25

7 Min Read

From fourplex permissions to zoning overhauls, Cityscrape monitored every council move that reshaped Ontario’s development landscape in 2025. Here’s what we learned — and what’s coming next.

What We Learned From Tracking 1,000+ Planning Meetings in Ontario in 2025

City halls across Ontario were buzzing in 2025 – and we have the data to prove it. By automatically monitoring council meetings and planning agendas province-wide, Cityscrape kept a finger on the pulse of every zoning change, policy tweak, and housing plan that unfolded this year. Here’s a look back at the key insights and trends from tracking over a thousand planning meetings, and what they mean for the road ahead.

Volume: An Unprecedented Scale of Planning Data

Ontario’s municipalities delivered a huge volume of planning activity in 2025. Cityscrape monitored 1,000+ planning and development meetings across dozens of municipalities, from major cities to rural towns. In total, we sifted through thousands of agenda documents and staff reports, creating a centralized stream of intel from Ontario’s 444 local governments. This province-wide scope meant no important update went unnoticed – whether it was a big-city policy overhaul or a small-town zoning amendment, we caught it.

Tracking such scale unearthed valuable patterns. We saw common issues popping up in council discussions across the map, and we could quantify which cities were running hot with development files. The sheer breadth of data ensured that trends weren’t just anecdotal; they were backed by numbers. By year’s end, Cityscrape’s archive had become a living record of Ontario’s 2025 planning landscape, one that simply wouldn’t be possible to assemble manually.

Patterns: Five Big Planning Themes of 2025

Amid all this activity, distinct zoning and policy themes emerged again and again. Here are five of the most important patterns we saw in 2025 council chambers:

  • Widespread ARU Adoption: Municipalities province-wide moved to allow additional residential units (ARUs) – like basement apartments and coach houses – in low-density zones. Many updated their bylaws to permit 2–3 units per lot, and some went even further. This push for gentle density was a cornerstone of the year’s housing strategy.

  • Pre-Zoning Around Transit: Councils increasingly pre-zoned land in Major Transit Station Areas (MTSAs) to spur transit-oriented development. Instead of waiting for developers to request rezonings, many municipalities proactively up-zoned station-area properties to streamline approvals.

  • Housing Target Alignment: 2025 was the year provincial housing targets filtered down to every town. Dozens of municipalities rushed to approve housing to meet provincial goals and secure incentive funding. Many of them hit or exceeded their targets, triggering bonuses and more aggressive development activity.

  • Driveway and Parking Debates: With ARUs and infill rising, cities re-examined zoning around driveways and front-yard parking. Council discussions focused on limiting driveway widths to preserve streetscape character while still allowing functional off-street parking.

  • Official Plan Updates: Many municipalities launched or finalized comprehensive Official Plan (OP) reviews to align with new provincial policies. These OP overhauls often triggered major land use map changes, increased density permissions, or new secondary plan areas tied to transit and growth.

Signals: Early Indicators Caught by Cityscrape

Not all important decisions made headlines in 2025. In fact, many planning signals flew under the radar – unless you had Cityscrape keeping watch. Our system surfaces critical changes the moment they hit public records, often weeks before news outlets or industry chatter catches up. This gave our users a crucial head-start.

From Toronto’s low-profile vote to allow small businesses in residential zones, to Markham’s four-unit permissions across low-density lots, Cityscrape flagged these policy shifts early. In many cases, this meant users could act on new development potential or re-evaluate portfolio assumptions before the rest of the market even noticed.

Cityscrape also tracked less-obvious changes like Windsor’s five-year freeze on development charges and Guelph’s new affordable housing policies – changes with clear implications for deal economics, density strategy, and municipal incentives. We made sure those shifts didn’t slip through the cracks.

Impact: How Early Alerts Drove User Decisions

Early knowledge isn’t just interesting – it’s actionable. In 2025, Cityscrape users turned timely insights into strategic moves:

  • Portfolio Reviews: Several investors rebalanced their portfolios based on up-zoning patterns and planning signals, shifting capital toward markets with newly expanded density permissions.

  • Site Re-Evaluations: Developers reconfigured projects mid-design in response to zoning updates, like increased height limits or reduced parking minimums. Acting early helped them optimize density and value before submitting.

  • Land Offer Timing: Some users accelerated acquisitions based on infrastructure alerts or council reports showing future policy shifts. Others backed away from land when Cityscrape flagged upcoming restrictions or public resistance.

This is where real value emerges: not just knowing what's happening — but knowing it first.

What’s Next in 2026: Trends to Watch

The planning landscape won’t slow down in 2026. Here are the key signals we’re watching:

  • PPS 2024 Rollout: Ontario’s new Provincial Planning Statement replaces the old Growth Plan and PPS. Every municipality must now adjust their Official Plans and zoning to reflect new land supply, intensification, and MTSA rules.

  • Bill 97 Implementation: With changes to employment land definitions and other key planning levers, developers may push more site conversions. Expect increased applications tied to underutilized retail, office, and commercial lands.

  • Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) Pressure: Dozens of municipalities that received CMHC HAF funding are on the clock to deliver results in 2026. Many will roll out fast-track approvals, four-unit permissions, or new zoning rules — and we’ll be tracking them all.

  • Next-Boomtown Growth: We expect St. Thomas, Caledon, Clarington, Belleville, and Innisfil to lead in policy activity and planning volume. Infrastructure, industrial investment, and growth-friendly zoning are turning them into Ontario’s next hotspots.

Ready to Track Planning Changes in 2026?

The coming year will bring even more complexity — and with it, more opportunity for those who stay ahead. Cityscrape gives you a real-time feed of planning activity across Ontario, alerting you to zoning changes, council approvals, and policy shifts the moment they happen.

No more chasing PDFs or hearing about a change after it impacts your project. Book a demo today and see how Cityscrape can help you track everything from Official Plan updates to driveway width changes — all in one place.

Let’s make 2026 the year you stop reacting — and start leading.

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