The City of Mississauga announced it is moving forward with a comprehensive review of its urban design requirements as part of ongoing efforts to boost housing supply and improve affordability. At a recent meeting of the Planning and Development Committee, City staff outlined early recommendations from the Urban Design Program Review, identifying immediate changes that could help unlock more homes in key urban areas.
“Housing supply and affordability remain key issues facing Mississauga residents,” said Andrew Whittemore, Commissioner, Planning and Building. “Reviewing our urban design program will help remove housing barriers without compromising the standards that make our communities great places to live. Cities are not static. As planners, we must be ready to respond to changing demographics, infrastructure needs and economic conditions.”
Mississauga currently uses a range of guidelines—such as wind and shadow studies—to ensure new development contributes to healthy, vibrant communities. The ongoing review will assess these guidelines, along with related Official Plan policies and zoning by-law regulations, with the goal of removing unnecessary barriers to housing while maintaining strong design standards.
The initiative also responds to recommendations from the Mayor’s Housing Task Force, a group of more than 30 industry and non-profit representatives. The Task Force noted that certain design requirements have increased costs and slowed construction without delivering meaningful community benefits.
Updating urban apartment zones
In late 2024, Mississauga introduced two new urban apartment zones intended to streamline approvals for mid- and high-rise housing. Staff are now recommending updates to design requirements in these areas, including:
Replacing angular plane rules with simpler setbacks. Many cities are rethinking step-back requirements, which can reduce buildable space and increase construction complexity without improving livability.
Reducing tower separation distances from 30 to 25 metres—more typical in urban settings. Staff say this change will support efficient layouts and better site use, especially on smaller or irregular parcels.
More flexibility for amenity areas, ground-floor windows and street-level entrances.
As the review progresses, the City says it will engage developers and residents to refine updates. Proposed zoning changes for urban apartment zones and amenity areas are expected to go to Council in April.