Sustainable design for a better future.

The City of Pickering has developed new set of Integrated Sustainable Design Standards for all new development in the city to replace the 2007 Sustainable Development Guidelines.

The new Standards will allow the City to review development through a lens that includes modern green best practices and technology.

This work was funded by The Atmospheric Fund (TAF), as the City received an $86,000 grant. The Region of Durham also contributed $10,000 to support these efforts.

Why was this project completed?

Green development practices have evolved and it’s important that the City's development guidelines reflect the innovative green best practices and technology of today, as well as the work being done by both the City and Region of Durham to address climate change, support urban forests, pollinators, waste reduction, water conservation, energy efficiency, and improve access to local food and greenspaces.

How will the City’s new Integrated Sustainable Design Standards be used?

Much like the existing Sustainable Development Guidelines, the Standards (effective January 1, 2023), will be a technical document, used by City Staff, to evaluate development proposals to ensure they meet the City’s sustainability objectives. As part of development application submissions, applicants will be required to submit a report and a checklist demonstrating how the proposal meets various sustainable development criteria.

Many municipalities across Ontario have established Municipal Green Standards. For an overview and to learn more about the development of Municipal Green Standards, see the Toolkit prepared by the Clean Air Partnership (with support from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities).

The Integrated Sustainable Design Standards project was approved unanimously by Council on Tuesday, September 20th.