The OCP will serve as a framework for City Council decision-making and city-wide planning by guiding where and how development can occur, including residential, commercial, industrial and recreational areas. Following adoption, all subsequent bylaws, policies, strategies and plans will need to be consistent with the new OCP. If they are not, an OCP amendment may be required.

Yes. The OCP does not remove single-family zoning. Even after the OCP is adopted, single-family homes can still be renovated or built.

Last year, on July 1, 2024, the City of Burnaby made changes to the Zoning Bylaw. These changes are not part of the OCP project.

The changes were made in response to provincial legislation that required cities to allow more types of housing in single- and two-family areas.

A new zone was created for single- and two-family areas called the “Small Scale Multi-Unit Housing (SSMUH)“ zoning district. This zone still allows single-family homes, as well as laneway homes, secondary suites, duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, and on some properties, fiveplexes and sixplexes.

For more information about the provincial legislation to introduce Small Scale Multi-Unit Housing across BC, click here.

For more information about the regulations in the Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing (R1) zoning district, click here.

If you want to change the zoning rules, for example, to require buildings to be smaller or further apart, you would need to change the Zoning Bylaw, not the OCP.

The OCP is a long-term planning document that will guide the City’s growth for the next 25 years and beyond. As such, the designations in the OCP may exceed baseline provincial requirements in order to account for local growth priorities and to ensure that we are meeting projected community needs into 2050.

We have completed all 4 phases of public engagement. Engagement began in summer 2022 and concluded in spring 2025. The OCP will be submitted for adoption in fall 2025. It will then go through First and Second Reading, Public Hearing, and Third Reading, before Final Adoption by the end of this year.

A Land Use Map is a parcel-based tool that indicates the future land use designation of each property in the city, making it easier to understand potential development and zoning requirements.

The map provides guidance on the potential height of buildings and location of different land uses (e.g. agricultural, residential, industrial, commercial, etc.) and is supported by policies in the OCP.

The Land Use Map will be implemented when City Council adopts the OCP bylaw. It is anticipated that this will happen at the end of 2025. When the Land Use Map is implemented, it will not change the existing Zoning Districts. The Land Use Map will be used to help guide property owners if they wish to apply to change their Zoning District to align with the map. Council will use the map to help guide their decisions on whether to approve a rezoning application. The Land Use Map may be considered a “vision map” that extends well beyond 25 years. There is no expectation that all parcels will change their zoning to align with the OCP land use designations by 2050, since growth and redevelopment will take place organically over time.

• guides development to meet Burnaby’s anticipated residential, employment, environmental and community needs in the long-term
• aligns infrastructure, utilities and transportation planning with future development, ensuring that services are planned in coordination with land use
• provides clarity to residents, property owners and other community members on how Burnaby could develop over time
• is made up of four key components: a) Urban Structure, b) Community Plan Areas, c) Land Use Map, and d) Development Permit Areas

The Land Use Map shows the future land use designation for each parcel of land in the city. Each designation is displayed as a different colour and has corresponding regulations on how it can be developed, including height and types of uses allowed on the parcel.

To allow for more flexibility, some parcels have been assigned two designations: a base designation (shown as a coloured fill on a parcel) and an overlay designation (shown as a coloured outline). Parcels with two designations may include uses from either designation, a mix of both, or have further conditions. Please refer to Table 2: Mixed Use Sites Overlay Conditions in OCP Part B: Land Use Framework.

Land use designations describe the long-term intended use of each parcel in the city, including residential, employment, institutional, park, etc. They indicate the potential future land use if someone voluntarily rezones or redevelops their property.

Land use overlays are shown as a coloured outline around the parcel in the land use map and are used to indicate that additional or alternate uses may be allowed in the future. If a site with an overlay is redeveloped it may include land uses from either the base or the overlay land use designation, or a mix of both, or have further conditions.

It means that there are additional optional uses for this property in the future. The overlay does not impact the base designation.

If you do not wish to sell or redevelop your property: these overlays have no impact as the map is showing future potential uses. It does not change the existing zoning district or the current use of individual homes. Property owners are not required to move, redevelop, or sell if they do not wish to. The purpose of the park or institutional land use overlays is only to guide potential future development.

If you voluntarily choose to sell or redevelop your property: the School District or the City may be interested in your property(ies) and may wish to negotiate acquisition to facilitate the expansion of the school or park in the future. If this is the case, you will still have the choice not to sell the property to the City or School District.

Changes to designations in the Land Use Map reflect work done to align the map with other plans and policies, to incorporate feedback from public engagement, and to ensure fairness and consistency between properties in a neighbourhood.

Properties that had a Parks, open spaces natural areas or Institutional designation with a Residential overlay on previous iterations of the Land Use Map now have the Parks or Institutional designation as an overlay over a base Residential designation instead. This modification does not change the uses allowed on the property but was made for clarity.

A future transportation connection shown on an individual property does not necessarily mean that this specific property would be the location for a pathway or road. Future Transportation Connections indicate conceptual locations for future streets, lanes, green corridors or other public realm connections. They indicate that, if a set of properties were assembled for redevelopment in this area, the site plan will need to include a transportation connection (trail, path or road). The alignment of these connections is conceptual and will be adjusted to reflect local needs. The exact location and type of connection would be determined at the time of redevelopment.

The OCP has the potential to influence property values, as changes in land use regulations or development priorities may impact the market dynamics of certain areas. In terms of property valuation, BC Assessment will consider many factors when determining the highest and best use, including zoning, official community plans and recent development trends. For more information, click here.

Properties that have been designated for apartments in the Land Use Map (either through the base or overlay land use designations) will first have to apply to rezone their property to a Zoning District that permits apartments.

The Zoning Bylaw outlines the requirements for height, lot size and building setbacks for each residential Zoning District. To meet these requirements and be able to redevelop the parcel into apartment(s), consolidation of several properties is usually required to meet site configuration requirements and functionality. If your property does not meet the zoning requirements for the apartment Zoning District, you would not be eligible to redevelop to the designated height.

For example, if you currently live in a single-family dwelling and your parcel has been designated as a 6-8 storey low-rise apartment in the Land Use Map, it is unlikely that you would be able to develop these apartments on a single property. A developer would likely have to purchase some of the neighbouring properties in order to meet the minimum lot size prescribed by the Zoning Bylaw to redevelop to this building form.