Tweaks To The Planning System Continue: Bill 17 Seeks To Expedite Housing And Transit Projects

On May 12, 2025, the Province of Ontario introduced the Protect Ontario by Building Faster and Smarter Act, 2025, also known as Bill 17, the provincial government's first suite of legislative amendments focused on land use planning and development since its re-election in February 2025. Continuing the Province's efforts in its previous terms, the legislation is intended to remove barriers to building homes and infrastructure. While that objective is ambitious, the proposed legislative amendments and associated regulations refine, rather than overhaul, certain aspects of the planning process, including complete application requirements, the payment of development charges and the Province's Ministerial Zoning Order (MZO) powers. The key amendments proposed are outlined below.