Design Guidelines
Design guidelines are a set of design statements to guide land development to achieve a desired level of design quality for the elements of the physical environment. They outline and illustrate how the city's urban design goals and objectives will be achieved.
Design guidelines may be developed for certain types of building forms, land uses, streetscapes, streets or specific areas in the city. Council-adopted design guidelines are utilized in the review and evaluation of development applications or projects initiated by the city.
The City of Burlington's urban design guidelines reflect our commitment to a high standard of design.
Recently Completed Guidelines
| Pedestrian Level Wind Study Guidelines and Terms of Reference |
| View the Guideline |
| Shadow Study and Terms of Reference |
| View the Guideline |
| Downtown Streetscape Guidelines |
| View the Guideline |
| Mid-Rise Design Guidelines |
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On March 25, 2019 Burlington City Council approved Mid-Rise Building Guidelines. The guidelines will be used by city staff to evaluate development applications where mid-rise buildings between five and eleven storeys are proposed. The mid-rise guidelines address things like building use (e.g. retail, commercial, residential), building step backs from street wall to allow for sunlight and sky views and street level features (e.g. sidewalks in front of buildings, trees, benches). The guidelines do not outline where mid-rise buildings can be located. This is determined by the Official Plan and Zoning By-law. |
| Revised Tall Building Design Guidelines |
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In spring 2017, Burlington City Council approved tall building design guidelines for Burlington. The guidelines play an important part in how the city grows, helping to build communities with a high quality of life and place. Tall building guidelines provide design direction for the components of tall buildings: Building Base (Podium); Building Middle (Tower); Building Top, and promote urban design excellence and support vibrant streets. The tall building guidelines do not outline where tall buildings can be located in the city. This is determined by the city's Official Plan and the Zoning Bylaw. The city's tall building guidelines were created based on:
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| Sustainable Building and Development Guidelines |
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The Sustainable Building and Development Guidelines were approved by Council on December 14, 2021. While the guidelines have been approved, the enabling Sustainable Design policies in the new Official Plan are subject to appeal. Until the approval of the Official Plan, applicants will be encouraged to consider the Sustainable Design policies and the Sustainable Building and Development Guidelines. These guidelines have been prepared to encourage sustainable design approaches through Planning Actapplications, in keeping with the City's declaration as a sustainable community, and in alignment with Burlington's Strategic Plan 2015-2040. For more background information please see staff report PL-07-21 |