Blueprint for a Healthy Community
The Local Government Act authorizes the development of Official Community Plans (OCPs) in BC (Sections 875-879). An official community plan is a local government bylaw that provides objectives and policies to guide decisions on planning and land use management within the area covered by the plan. OCPs are significant because, after their adoption, all bylaws and works undertaken by a Council or Board must be consistent with the plan. Every OCP will be slightly different but each will address core aspects of a community such as

• Proposed land use and density;
• Transportation, water and wastewater infrastructure;
• Environmentally sensitive areas, parks and open space;
• Housing needs and policies;
• Public facilities, including schools, health care, etc.
• Neighbourhood character;
• Social policies;
• Economic development;
• Targets, policies and actions for the reduction of GHG emissions.
• The regulation of development
• Building and landscape design guidelines