Municipal and Land Development
Goodmans Municipal and Land Development practice group is deeply rooted in the commercial real estate and land use planning sectors, with a diverse administrative law practice that has played an integral role in the firm since its inception.
Our lawyers are strong client advocates with rock-solid credibility among property owners and governing bodies alike. We practice with fairness and integrity, and our approach is grounded in responsive, transparent and clear communication, fostered through decades-long relationships with clients, government officials and industry stakeholders. Clients trust our smart, strategic, practical, solution-driven style, and officials respect our flawless track-record, industry knowledge and straightforward professionalism.
Our clients range from individuals to large corporations, institutions and municipalities. We provide legal advice and representation which encompasses every stage of the development approval process, and often extends to complex planning issues related to the environment, natural and cultural heritage, servicing, civil engineering, infrastructure financing, transportation, market impact, community services and growth management, among many others.
We regularly appear before municipal committees and councils, administrative tribunals and courts in respect of development appeals, property tax assessment disputes, expropriation proceedings and a wide range of other municipal and regulatory matters.
Our lawyers have an impressive record of hearing successes – particularly before the Ontario Land Tribunal (formerly the Ontario Municipal Board / Local Planning Appeal Tribunal) in respect of land use policy disputes and development applications. However, we also have the judgment to understand when our clients’ desired outcomes are better achieved through negotiated resolution than through a contested hearing, and the skill to deliver favourable results in those circumstances.
As an example of our ability to combine creative techniques with successful traditions, Goodmans was the first law firm to hire a full-time land-use planner in the 1970s. Our collective experience and collaborative mindset sets us apart from our peers, and we approach every client matter with an open mind and a steadfast commitment to providing the highest quality advice and representation.
Expertise
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Development Changes and Infrastructure Financing
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Environmental
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Expropriation
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Property Assessment and Taxation
Explore People in Municipal and Land Development
Meet our teamFeatured Work
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Municipal and Land Development
Madison Properties Inc. Redevelopments at Yonge and Eglinton
Goodmans LLP is acting for Madison Properties Inc. in connection with various high-profile redevelopments near the intersection of Yonge Street and Eglinton Avenue in the City of Toronto… -
Municipal and Land Development
Oxford Properties Group Redevelopment at Scarborough City Centre
Goodmans LLP is acting for Oxford Properties Group in connection with the official plan and zoning by-law amendment applications for a mixed-use redevelopment west of Scarborough City Centre… -
Municipal and Land Development
Oxford Properties Group Expansion of Square One Shopping Centre
Goodmans LLP is acting for Oxford Properties Group in connection with implementing previously obtained land use approvals for the expansion and revitalization of the Square One Shopping Centre in… -
Municipal and Land Development
Dream Unlimited and Great Gulf Multi-Phased Redevelopment of 351-369 Lakeshore Boulevard East
Goodmans LLP is acting for Dream and Great Gulf in connection with obtaining approval for the mulit-phased redevelopment of 351-369 Lakeshore boulevard East in Toronto’s eastern waterfront, with two… -
Municipal and Land Development
Dream and Great Gulf Redevelopment of Victory Silos
Goodmans is acting for Dream and Great Gulf in connection with obtaining approval for the multi-phased redevelopment of 351-369 Lakeshore Boulevard East in Toronto’s eastern waterfront… -
Municipal and Land Development
Northcrest Development's Downsview Development
Goodmans LLP assisted PSP Investments and its development company, Northcrest, with respect to land use approvals for its lands within the Downsview Secondary Plan Area. PSP and Canada Lands Company…
Insights
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Environmental
Ontario Amends the Mining Act to Streamline Closure Planning and Mineral Recovery Requirements
On May 18, 2023, the Province of Ontario granted Royal Assent to various amendments to the Mining Act through Bill 71, the Building More Mines Act, 2023 (“Bill 71”). The government’s stated purpose of… -
Dispute Resolution
Limits of Climate Change Suits Against the Government: Mathur v. Ontario Decision
The Superior Court of Justice has now released its decision in Mathur v. Ontario, a case we wrote about earlier this year and which is now a further example of an unsuccessful claim against a… -
Municipal and Land Development
Site Alteration: Digging Into Municipal Authority on Excess Soils, Ontario Bar Association
Matthew Lakatos-Hayward is a contributor to the OBA Newsletter. This article appeared in the 2023 issue.Excerpt from "Site Alteration: Digging Into Municipal Authority on Excess Soils":This paper… -
Municipal and Land Development
Bill 23: Seismic Changes to Ontario’s Land Use Planning Framework Proposed
On October 25, 2022, the day after municipal elections across the province, the Province of Ontario introduced the More Homes Built Faster Act, 2022, which proposes a host of significant legislative… -
Energy
Canada’s New Clean Fuel Standard & The Emergence of a Carbon Credit Market
On June 21, 2022, the federal government registered the Clean Fuel Regulations (CFR)1 under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999.2 The goal of the CFR is to advance the growth of Canada’s… -
Cleantech
Province of Ontario Proposes Establishment of a Clean Energy Credit Registry
On August 2, 2022, Ontario’s Ministry of Energy released its proposal for a clean energy credit registry (the “Registry”) for public comment on the Environmental Registry of Ontario (ERO). The…
Awards & Recognition
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The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory Most Frequently Recommended, Property Development 2023
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Chambers Canada Band 1, Real Estate: Zoning/Land Use Ontario 2023
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The Legal 500 Canada Tier 4, Environment 2023
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The Legal 500 Canada Tier 4, Environment 2022
News & Events
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Environmental
Goodmans Welcomes Joanna Rosengarten
Goodmans is pleased to announce that Joanna Rosengarten has joined the firm as counsel in our Environmental Group. Joanna has a wealth of knowledge and expertise on a broad range of environmental… -
Banking and Financial Services
The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory 2023 Continues to Recognize Goodmans
We are proud to announce we have once again been recognized in The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory 2023.85 Goodmans lawyers have been recognized as top-tier in their fields and leaders across… -
Municipal and Land Development
Max Laskin and Anne Benedetti at ULI Toronto's Unpacking Bill 23: Who Does What? - Making Sense of the New Planning and Development Approval Process
Join Max Laskin and Anne Benedetti for a critical and up-to-date understanding of the evolving approvals landscape (immediate and longer-term) in the wake of last fall’s massive reforms impacting the…