To view the full RFP visit https://london.bidsandtenders.ca/Module/Tenders/en/Tender/Detail/fbea6f26-36e8-438c-b53b-896f41caf439

Purpose

The City recently completed a new official plan — the London Plan — which was adopted by City Council in June, 2016 and approved by the Province in December, 2016. We are now beginning the process of replacing the Zoning By-law, one of the main tools to implement the new Plan and achieve its vision for development. This Request for Proposals is for the work to be completed in Phase One of this project. A separate request for proposals will be prepared that includes the work required for Phase Two. This Request for Proposals includes information for the entire project including both phases, and the Scope of Work details what work will be completed in each phase.

The London Plan is more than an official plan, it is a community vision that covers all aspects of city building. It is a call to improve the way London grows to be more sustainable in terms of growing economic prosperity, mitigating environmental impact, and building great neighbourhoods. The use, intensity, and form of new development is critical to achieving the vision of great places that is established in the London Plan, and the way we apply zoning in London is an inherent piece of realizing that vision. ReThink Zoning is the process that the City has outlined to prepare the new zoning by-law for London. Two reasons why this name is important include:

1. to link this project to the successful and award-winning engagement program called ReThink London and the London Plan
2. to promote creativity and innovation

ReThinking zoning means starting from the beginning, without any obligation to maintain the current zoning by-law or approach. There are several reasons why this is important and necessary for London to move forward towards our planning and city building goals. these reasons include:

1. to meet the Ontario Planning Act requirements
2. to implement the London Plan
3. to promote innovation
4. to improve access to the planning process

Background

The Overarching goal for ReThink London is: To continue the momentum of ReThink London, implement the London Plan, and foster the growth and development of a great city.

The objectives for ReThink London include:

• To create the best implementation tool to fit London's current and future needs
• To implement the London Plan's vision, values, and key directions
• To implement the London Plan place types in terms of use, intensity, and form
• To create a user-friendly and plain language document while recognizing the regulatory nature of the by-law
• To make use of new technologies available for the application and administration of zoning
• To allow for flexible application of the by-law while maintaining a level of certainty and predictability
• To create a tool that allows for efficient planning processes

Desired Outcomes for ReThink London include:

• Quality developments across the City that contribute to our city-building goals
• Efficient planning processes that result in great neighbourhoods
• A by-law that can be understood by all users involved in the planning process — including developers, professionals, community groups, and the general public
• A by-law that meets all legislative requirements, is defensible on its planning merits, and includes clear, enforceable regulations.
• A by-law that is intrinsically linked to the London Plan with obvious connections to the use, intensity, and form requirements of the place types as well as the City Building, Environmental Policies, and Our Tools parts of the Plan.

The London Plan Approach

When City Council approved the London Plan it made the important decision to change how we plan for London's grow and evolving character. There are many parts of the Plan that speak to this, but several aspects of the London Plan are especially important for ReThink Zoning. It is essential that we identify the right approach to work towards the City vision that was prepared through ReThink London and is now contained in the London Plan.

Some of the key aspects of the plan to be implemented through zoning include:

A Place-Based Plan:

One of the most obvious changes from the previous 1989 Official Plan to the London Plan is that we no longer use land use designations to define different parts of the city, having replaced them with Place Types. The London Plan includes that "for London to be highly prosperous — exciting, exceptional and connected in 2035, our city will need to represent a mosaic of outstanding places. These places will have their own unique functions and distinct identities and will offer a multitude of benefits to those who experience them" (policy 746). Development within each place type needs to be considered in the context of a specific vision for the Place Type's character and function within the broader city structure.

The London Plan includes ten urban place types, three rural place types, and two place types that apply in both urban and rural contexts. A new zoning by-law needs to recognize the different characters of each place type and provide a regulatory framework where that character can be achieved.

Use, Intensity, and Form:

Part of achieving the unique places that are described in the London Plan is identifying what needs to be regulated for that vision to be achieved. It was recognized early in the process of preparing the London Plan that land use is only one part of the planning equation for a great city. The intensity and form of development are also essential to creating great places, and these considerations need to be treated equally to achieve the best outcomes. Within each Place Type chapter there is a vision for the Place Type and a description of how it fits within the broader city structure. What follows are policies that direct the use, intensity, and form of development. When considering our approach to development regulation in these place types we must treat each of these considerations equally and find an approach that does not overemphasize land use while not sufficiently considering the form and intensity.

Focus on Sustainability:

London recently joined a growing list of cities by declaring a climate change emergency, which included a call to consider the environmental impact of all decisions we make. This declaration and the required action is supported by policies in the London Plan that support sustainability, including the direction to "become one of the greenest cities in Canada." Sustainability is a theme throughout the Plan, and all of the policies about forms of development seek to reduce environmental impact through the city structure as well as specific actions. This is summarized in the Green City Strategy section of the Plan, which speaks to how we will improve sustainability through actions that pursue Green jobs, green mobility, green development, green infrastructure, green energy and clean air, a healthy watershed, clean water and water conservation, and managing our waste.

Plain Language:

One of the objectives for the London Plan was to ensure it remains understandable and accessible to Londoners who have little or no experience with planning or legal documents and policies. It was written as much as possible in plain language to minimize the barriers to anyone trying to understand the Plan and vision for London. While we recognize that by-laws and regulations often require technical and precise wording, every effort should be made through wording, use of graphics, document layout, and other means to ensure that this new by-law could be understood by anyone who wishes to read it.

Scope of Work, Project Description, Work Plan, Deliverables, Project Schedule, Required Expertise, Evaluation Criteria, etc.

Detailed information on all of these topics is covered in the RFP document, available at Bids & Tenders on the City of London website: https://london.bidsandtenders.ca/Module/Tenders/en/Tender/Detail/fbea6f26-36e8-438c-b53b-896f41caf439

Bids for this important project are due on October 25, 2019.