Sustainable Development

In 2007 the City of Pickering drafted a set of Sustainable Development Guidelines.  The draft guidelines identify required and optional sustainability elements for neighbourhoods as well as draft plans, site plans, rezoning applications and building permits.  

Sustainable Development Guidelines

• Guideline #1 - Neighbourhood Guidelines
• Guideline #2 - Plan of Subdivision, Site Plan, Rezoning, and Building Permit Guidelines 

To be considered "sustainable" under the Guidelines, a development needs to include all required sustainability elements and a specific number of optional elements. The more optional elements included, the higher the level of sustainability. Three levels of sustainability are defined (Levels 1, 2 and 3).

In 2009, Pickering Council approved a resolution requiring that all new development meet at least a rating of "Level 1", with some minor exceptions (Council Resolution #255/09).

Seaton Sustainable Placemaking Guidelines

In 2011, the City of Pickering adopted the Seaton Sustainable Placemaking Guidelines to help create a walkable, transit-supportive community with an active street life, including neighbourhood shops, social facilities and parks. All future neighbourhood plans must meet the minimum standards set out in the guidelines in order to move forward with development.

About 50 per cent of Seaton will remain green, through planned parks, trails, village squares and preservation of open space.

Sustainable neighbourhood planning strives to achieve long-term socially, environmentally and economically healthy communities. The Seaton Sustainable Place-Making Guidelines created for Seaton focussed on:

• compact mixed use community structure
• pedestrian-scaled neighbourhoods
• transit-supportive neighbourhoods
• linked open space system
• natural and cultural heritage preservation
• significant employment areas
• pedestrian and bicycle routes
• minimized impacts to natural features and stream crossings