An Official Plan acts as a community’s road map for City-building. It provides planning policies to manage and direct the physical growth and development of the city and considers the effects of physical change on the social, cultural, economic and natural environment. The Official Plan’s land use designations and policies provide the context for the review and approval of development applications. It is a legal document that guides the location and type of housing, industry, offices and shops, as well as the infrastructure needed to support a growing city – streets, parks, transit, schools and recreational amenities. The goals and objectives set out in the Plan work to balance the interests of each property owner with those of the greater community.