Climate-Friendly New Development

Caledon has adopted new Green Development Standards

On May 21st, Caledon Town Council unanimously adopted Green Development Standards, which will come into effect July 1, 2024 for new development applications. The program will roll out as a one-year pilot phase to continue gathering feedback from stakeholders and make minor adjustments as needed. The Council materials for the GDS can be found here.

GDS documents and supporting materials will be available on our main website at caledon.ca in the coming weeks. Thank you to everyone who participated in this project!

What are Green Development Standards?

Green Development Standards are voluntary or mandatory climate-friendly standards implemented by municipalities to encourage sustainable community design. These standards are integrated into the planning approvals process for development applications and have been established in various municipalities including the City of Brampton’s Sustainable Development Guidelines, the Toronto Green Standard and more.

What could climate-friendly new development look like in Caledon?

Climate-friendly design standards can include, but are not limited to, the following features:

• High efficiency, low carbon buildings and energy systems;
• Buildings constructed with materials that have a reduced carbon footprint;
• Adequate electricity capacity for the installation of a electric vehicle charging stations;
• Communities with amenities (stores, schools, parks) within walking and/or cycling distance;
• Bike lanes and appropriate infrastructure to make it easy to cycle and walk to your destinations;
• Enhanced green space, healthy and mature trees and natural infrastructure to help manage stormwater; and
• Compact community design that offers more diverse housing options, enables greater walkability and helps preserve surrounding agriculture and green space.

Why does Caledon need climate-friendly design standards?

The Town’s population is expected to triple by 2051. In January 2020, Council declared a climate change emergency and passed greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets of a 36% reduction below 2016 emission levels by 2030 and net zero emissions by 2050. Caledon also needs to prepare for the impacts of a changing climate such as intense storms, greater flood risks and hotter summers.

These standards will be a critical policy tool to ensure that growth does not jeopardize the Town’s ability to meet its climate targets and that new development will benefit current and future residents.