Official Community Plan Review

The City of Coquitlam adopted the Interim Official Community Plan (OCP) on April 27, 2026. The new, streamlined OCP is better aligned with the new Provincial Housing Changes, and did not update existing policies unless required or necessitated by new provincial legislation. The Interim OCP will provide the foundation for a future OCP update project, anticipated to begin in 2027.

Schedule I: Regional Growth Strategy Supporting Policies and Maps (Bylaw 5526, 2026) is currently under review with the Metro Vancouver Regional Board. Pending approval, this bylaw will replace Schedule I as the City’s Regional Context Statement.

Project Background

In 2023, the Official Community Plan Review Project was launched to address the growing size, complexity and administrative challenges associated with the current OCP. Since its adoption in 2001, the OCP had been amended and added to over time, resulting in layers of redundancies, repetition and inconsistencies between various policies, as well as other City plans and strategies. At more than 1,000 pages, the previous OCP included four Area Plans, eight Neighbourhood Plans and over 150 maps and figures. This complexity created significant challenges for applicants and staff in interpreting policy intent and applying policy consistently. 

The result of the OCP Review Project is an OCP that has been reduced by almost two-thirds including:

  • A 70% reduction in policies
  • A consolidation of over 60 maps down to 19 
  • 55 Land uses down to 18 and
  • Over 1000 Design Guidelines down to 175

The Interim OCP offers a simplified structure, consistent design, improved usability, and will better support city-building through clarity and consistency of policy direction

Background