Ontario Professional Planners Institute Announces the Publication of a Climate Change Adaptation Practice Guide

Communities across Ontario are already experiencing the impacts of climate change. Rising temperatures, shifting precipitation patterns, and more frequent extreme weather events are affecting built, ecological, cultural, and socio-economic systems. Land use and community planning play a critical role in advancing climate adaptation and building resilience in ways that reflect local needs and priorities. Climate change has been recognized as a key consideration in land-use planning and policy development at both the provincial and regional levels.

Designed for planners and those working in adjacent professions, the Climate Change Adaptation Practice Guide acknowledges that planning is a diverse field with practitioners across the public, private, not-for-profit, and academic sectors all working to shape safe, healthy, and resilient communities. It also recognizes the important role professional planners play in helping Ontario adapt to climate change and support individual communities in building resilience against the unique climate threats they may face. In recognition of the fact that planning policies and decisions have the potential to exacerbate climate vulnerabilities and inequities, the guide encourages readers to adopt an equity-focused climate adaptation lens and provides links to several useful resources for further learning on this important topic.

The Climate Change Adaptation Practice Guide explores climate change adaptation through a range of innovative planning tools and interventions designed to reduce risks posed by climate-related hazards. It highlights 12 planning interventions that can help mitigate climate risks and strengthen community resilience. From high-level strategies like Official Plans to more targeted tools such as urban design guidelines, this guide equips planners with knowledge and practical approaches to address climate impacts, including flooding, extreme heat, drought, and wildfire. Interventions are supported by real-world case stories demonstrating how an Ontario community has successfully leveraged this tool to enhance climate resilience.

Individuals who practice planning in Ontario or work closely with planners or in planning concepts may find the guide to be a useful resource in their professional work.

"Integrating wise practices related to climate change adaptation into planning has been a major educational priority for OPPI members, and that importance will only continue to grow as we witness climate change events. We are privileged to have had the opportunity to collaborate with our partner organizations to develop this resource. It is designed to enhance members’ practices and support professional learning in this crucial area."
-Claire Basinski, Chair, Ontario Professional Planners Institute

"The Climate Risk Institute is proud to collaborate with OPPI and ICLEI Canada on this comprehensive guide to climate adaptation practices. The Guide offers valuable tools for a wide range of planning practitioners involved in land-use and development. Drawing on experiences from communities across Ontario, it demonstrates practical applications and provides insights for future use. This compilation of climate adaptation and planning tools will be a critical resource for building resilient communities in the years to come."
-Stephanie Gagnon, President, Climate Risk Institute

“The Ontario Resource Centre for Climate Adaptation is delighted to support this resource, recognizing that land-use planning is a powerful tool for advancing climate adaptation across Ontario and beyond. Effective planning not only helps communities prepare for climate risks but also can help to break down silos and encourage collaboration across sectors. By equipping planners with practical interventions and real-world examples, this guide supports the Ontario planners in building climate-resilient communities.”
- Ewa Jackson, Director, Ontario Resource Centre for Climate Adaptation

The development of the practice guide involved several key steps, with contributions from multiple partners and an advisory group. OPPI, CRI and ORCCA each played an active role, providing professional insights and expertise throughout the process.  An advisory group, composed of Registered Professional Planners (RPPs) from municipal, conservation authority, and private sector backgrounds, reviewed outputs and provided valuable feedback, ensuring the guide was grounded in real-world experience. As the guide evolved, it was refined with input from all partners and the advisory group, ensuring that the final product reflected a well-rounded, practical perspective.

The Climate Change Adaptation Practice Guide represents the first in a series of practice guides to be published by OPPI in 2025 and beyond, on topics of importance to the planning profession.

 

Ontario Professional Planners Institute
Good planning is the key to building great communities. The Ontario Professional Planners Institute (OPPI) is the recognized voice of Ontario’s planning profession with over 5,000 members who work in government, private practice, universities, and not-for-profit agencies in the fields of urban and rural development, community design, environmental planning, transportation, health, social services, heritage conservation, housing, and economic development. Members must meet quality practice requirements and are accountable to OPPI and the public to practice ethically and to abide by a Professional Code of Practice. Only full OPPI members are authorized by the Ontario Professional Planners Institute Act, 1994, to use the title Registered Professional Planner (or RPP). This work is guided by public interest and includes considering where people live, work, go to school, and spend their free time. In Ontario, the planning process involves many professions, but Registered Professional Planners (RPPs) are the only experts with the training necessary to balance short-term and long-term public needs and are duty bound to advocate for the needs of the community. Their goal is to create communities where people want to live.

Climate Risk Institute
The Climate Risk Institute (CRI) is a non-profit, academically affiliated organization focused on advancing practice and delivering services related to climate change risk assessment, adaptation planning, policy evaluation and resiliency. We run programs and develop and coordinate projects to mobilize knowledge, improve capacity, and deliver results for climate resiliency. CRI works with all levels of government, Indigenous communities, and private sector organizations to support the consideration of climate change in various planning and management processes, including enterprise risk management, hazard identification and risk assessment, corporate planning, infrastructure renewal and official plan development. We were very pleased to work with ORCCA and OPPI in the development of this practice guide.\

Ontario Resource Centre for Climate Adaptation
The Ontario Resource Centre for Climate Adaptation (ORCCA) supports Great Lakes communities and Ontario users in adapting to climate change and building resilience. As part of a national climate services network, ORCCA provides municipalities and leaders with information and support to enhance climate resilience across the Great Lakes basin and Ontario. This pilot initiative, led by ICLEI Canada, is funded by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation, and Parks and alongside financial support through the federal Department of Environment and Climate Change Canada.