I am strongly opposed to the…

I am strongly opposed to the proposed regulations under Bill 17 that would prohibit municipalities from requiring studies on sun/shadow impacts, wind conditions, urban design, and lighting as part of planning applications. These changes would have a negative impact on the build environment and a lowered quality of life for the people who live in strategic growth areas. I urge the province to consider the long term impact of allowing developers to bypass key planning steps, and how it will lead to less safe, less beautiful, and less vibrant cities for decades to come.

- Public Safety and Comfort: Eliminating wind and sun/shadow studies can create dangerous wind tunnel effects and perpetually shadowed public spaces, particularly problematic in strategic growth areas where high-density development is encouraged. These studies are essential for ensuring walkable, comfortable communities.
- Urban Design Quality: Removing urban design study requirements undermines the creation of livable neighbourhoods. Without these assessments, we risk poor-quality development that fails to integrate with existing communities and doesn't support vibrant street life. Urban design studies quantifiably increase property values and quality of life. A study of 303 street segments in New York City found "imageability" as the most statistically significant urban design quality associated with higher property values (Hamidi et al., 2020)
- Safety Implications: Eliminating lighting studies raises serious concerns about pedestrian safety and creates risks of inappropriate lighting that affects both public safety and environmental health.
- Impact on Strategic Growth Areas: These areas require careful planning to ensure intensification enhances, rather than degrades, livability. The proposed regulations remove critical tools that municipalities use to ensure quality development in high-priority growth areas.

These proposed changes appear to contradict the Province's own growth management policies, including:
- The Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe's emphasis on creating complete communities
- Provincial Policy Statement requirements for good urban design
- Climate change adaptation strategies that require consideration of environmental impacts

Faster development approvals are important. But eliminating these study requirements will result in long-term costs to community livability, public health, and environmental quality. The Province should pursue efficiency improvements that maintain planning standards rather than abandoning them.
I urge the Ministry to reconsider these proposed regulations and work with municipalities to develop alternatives that achieve efficiency goals (like Community Planning Permit Systems) while protecting Ontario's built environment quality.

We cannot allow developer interests to override the interest of people who live in these communities. We certainly need more homes. We need people to actually want to live in, and near, these new homes.