About City Planning & Design
The majority of the world's people live in cities and urban governments are on the forefront of the world’s development and economy. More than ever before, cities are the leading production centres for culture and innovation, are the leaders on global issues like climate change, and, if they are to compete successfully for sustainable growth, are required to deliver a high quality of life now, and for future generations.
Like all City of Winnipeg departments, our work is guided by policies found in OurWinnipeg, the City's 25-year development plan. It articulates the City's goals, aspirations and policy at the highest level and guides sustainable leadership, city-building, environmental, economic, health, and social objectives.
Our work is also guided by the Complete Communities Direction Strategy, a city-wide secondary plan that guides sustainable land use and development. It supports a variety of lifestyle choices and opportunities for people of all ages and abilities, which enables access to housing, employment, services and amenities, sustainable transportation, and greenspaces in close proximity to one another.
The Urban Planning & Design Division brings people together to gather ideas, discuss opportunities and challenges, and provide professional advice about current and future land use and development in Winnipeg. This includes Downtown Planning and Urban Design, creating Local Area Plans, enabling affordable housing, and providing urban design advice.
Our work involves responding to urgent planning needs by reviewing proposed developments to make sure they follow existing policies; reviewing designs for buildings and public spaces; providing planning advice to City departments and the general public; and preparing recommendations for decision-makers.
We also plan for future environmental, economic, social development, and physical growth by supporting the creation and implementation of long-range policies through research, analysis and public engagement; planning and designing parks and recreation spaces; developing programs to strengthen community recreation infrastructure and conserve Winnipeg's built heritage.
Our work includes preserving riverbanks and natural areas, and supporting corporate and city-wide environmental sustainability. Developments along riverbanks are reviewed to ensure that they are designed in a way that respects the potentially destructive forces of the river and ensures long-term protection for structures along riverbanks.
To improve quality of life, planning a community needs the help of many people working together to achieve a common goal, including: the public, community groups, developers, other City departments, and elected officials.
Here is a list of Urban Planning & Design projects.
District Planner Assignments
Map of Winnipeg that shows planning districts, the community planners assigned to each district, and their contact information.