The pause will give the City time to conduct a comprehensive review of the sector.
City building | September 16, 2026
Today, City Council approved an Interim Control By-law(ICBL) that temporarily prohibits the development of major digital infrastructure facilities such as data centres for up to one year.An ICBL is a provincial planning tool that allows a municipality to temporarily pause a specific type of development in a defined area for further study. This gives municipalities time to determine the best long-term planning approach before new development proceeds.
The ICBL approved today applies to applications for new major digital infrastructure facilities, including conversions or expansions of existing facilities, located across the City (as shown in this map). These large-scale facilities have computer systems, servers and related equipment that store or process digital information. Under the ICBL, facilities that have a total peak power demand of 10 megawatts or more will not be permitted for up to one year.
Guiding future development
During the temporary pause, the City is conducting a comprehensive policy review for major digital infrastructure facilities. The review will assess whether policies and regulations, such as the Official Plan and Zoning By-law, need to be updated. It will also consider any new guidance or requirements from the province’s Data Centre Playbook as they become available.
There will be opportunities for public engagement during the review. An interim report outlining the study scope and timeline will be presented to Council later this year. Updates will be posted on the City’s data centre policy review webpage.
Once the review is complete, City staff will bring recommendations to Council to help guide future planning policies and regulations for data centres and other major digital infrastructure projects.
Background
A data centre is a facility that houses networked computers (servers), data storage drives and networking equipment that store and process digital information. There are various types of data centres including artificial intelligence, hyperscale, enterprise, cloud computing and comparable uses.
Data centres are currently classified as “Warehousing, Distribution and Wholesaling” under the Official Plan, and as “Warehouse/Distribution” or “Science and Technology Facilities” under the City’s Zoning By-law.
There are several data centres already permitted and/or operating in the city of Mississauga.
The City’s efforts to make it easier to build new homes, including significant development charge reductions, helped secure the substantial new funding.
City building | September 3, 2026
Today, the governments of Ontario and Canada announced up to $401.4 million in funding to help Mississauga build housing-enabling infrastructure including important new transit projects.Mayor Carolyn Parrish and Members of Council joined Ontario Premier Doug Ford for today’s official announcement alongside Rob Flack, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Jennifer McKelvie, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure and Member of Parliament for Ajax, and Peter Fonseca, Member of Parliament for Mississauga-East Cooksville.The funding, part of the Development Charges Reduction Program, helps municipalities who have reduced development charges invest in the infrastructure they need to support growth. It is part of the broader Canada-Ontario Partnership to Build.
Mississauga was one of the first cities in Ontario to substantially reduce development charges – by up to 100 per cent – to help get more homes built and make them more affordable. The City has agreed to maintain these reductions until March 31, 2029.
New infrastructure funding
The new funding will help support housing-enabling infrastructure including two key transit projects: a new zero-emissions transit maintenance and storage facility and new downtown transit mobility hub. As Canada’s seventh largest city, significant investment in transit infrastructure is critical to support new housing development.
These investments, which the City has long advocated for, will help support Mississauga’s growing population and deliver lasting benefits for residents and businesses.
New transit maintenance and storage facility
The City is planning a new zero-emission transit facility on City-owned land at 7300 West Credit Avenue to support future growth and improve service.
The City is projecting a 50 per cent increase in transit ridership by 2035 requiring 250 additional buses. MiWay currently operates from its Edward J. Dowling Transit Facility and Malton Satellite Facility. Both facilities are operating at full capacity, which limits fleet expansion and service improvements.
The City’s Climate Change Action Plan calls for significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, making the transition to a zero-emission transit fleet a key priority. The new zero emissions facility will help MiWay switch its bus fleet to cleaner technology, expand capacity and improve transit service.
New downtown transit mobility hub
Mississauga’s downtown is growing rapidly. It is currently home to 36,000 residents and over 1,100 businesses. It is an important retail and commercial centre and key transportation gateway. Mississauga’s downtown population is expected to more than double by 2051.
The City is planning a new Downtown Transit Mobility Hub that will expand the City Centre Transit Terminal and bring together local and regional transit services, including the Hazel McCallion LRT. The hub will provide a central gateway for seamless connections, improve transit reliability and support future ridership growth. It will also support transit-oriented development.
The hub will better integrate transit within the City’s walking, cycling and road networks. This will make it easier for people to travel between homes, jobs, businesses and downtown destinations.
The hub is currently moving through the Transit and Rail Project Assessment Process (TRPAP). A TRPAP is a provincial approval process that helps ensure transit projects are planned responsibly and with public input. The TRPAP is expected to be completed by the end of 2027. The project will then move into design, positioning it for construction to help drive the transformation of Mississauga’s downtown.
This important transit investment will help shape a more connected and vibrant downtown that supports new housing, economic development and improved access to key destinations.
Next steps
The funding is subject to the City signing a Canada-Ontario Build Communities Strong Fund bilateral agreement and Transfer Payment Agreement with the province. It is also subject to further due diligence and confirmation of approved projects from both levels of government.
Mississauga’s housing reforms
In addition to significantly reducing development charges, Mississauga has introduced a range of housing-focused measures to support new development and improve affordability. Visit Mississauga.ca/housing to learn more.
Quote
“Mississauga acted early to help get more homes built and make them more affordable for our residents. Today’s announcement demonstrates the value of that leadership. This significant investment from our government partners will help us deliver the infrastructure needed to support new homes in every neighbourhood. It will also help better connect residents and visitors to our downtown. Together with our government partners, we are building the homes, transit connections and community assets needed for a growing city.” – Mayor Carolyn Parrish
Images
From left to right: Silvia Gualtieri, MPP – Mississauga East–Cooksville; Deepak Anand, MPP – Mississauga–Malton; Sheref Sabawy, MPP – Mississauga–Erin Mills; Nina Tangri, MPP – Mississauga–Streetsville; Premier Doug Ford; Mississauga Mayor Carolyn Parrish; Rob Flack, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing; Jennifer McKelvie, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure and Member of Parliament for Ajax; Rudy Cuzzetto, MPP – Mississauga-Lakeshore; Peter Fonseca, MP – Mississauga East-Cooksville; Christina Giannone – Board Chair, Ontario Home Builders’ Association, Senior Vice-President, Fram + Slokker
Members of Mississauga Council Stephen Dasko, Martin Reid, Dipika Damerla, Matt Mahoney, Chris Fonseca, Natalie Hart, Brad Butt and Joe Horneck join Premier Ford, Minister Flack, Parliamentary Secretary and MP McKelvie, MP Fonseca, MPP Anand, MPP Cuzzetto, MPP Gualtieri, MPP Sabawy, MPP Tangri and Christina Giannone – Board Chair, Ontario Home Builders’ Association, Senior Vice-President, Fram + Slokker
Please be advised that the City’s electronic permitting system (ePlans) will be unavailable from 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, August 20, 2026, until 7:00 a.m. on Monday, August 24, 2026 to accommodate a scheduled system upgrade.
During this period, users will not be able to access ePlans. Upon restoration of service on August 24, users will access the system through a new URL & redirect.
Users have been notified through established communication channels, and staff are working to minimize disruption during the transition.
Join the virtual engagement anytime until the end of July.
City building | June 23, 2026
The City of Mississauga is reviewing and updating its urban design program. This work will help ensure that the program reflects the needs of those who plan, design and build our city, as well as the people who call it home.
The City is working to create vibrant, well-designed communities while making it easier to build more housing and improve affordability. We want to hear your ideas. Watch a short video to learn more about urban design and tell us what matters most to you.
How does urban design affect you?
Think about a building that stood out or how walkable your neighbourhood is – that is urban design in action. It shapes how we live, from our buildings and streets to the parks and public spaces in between. Whether you’re getting around in the city, spending time at a park or enjoying an outdoor event, urban design shapes the everyday experience of life in Mississauga.
Mississauga has a variety of urban design guidelines that help shape the way our city is designed and built. The Urban Design program review is looking at how we can improve the program so that it meets with the needs of residents today and into the future.
Applewood Towns by Hickory Limited Partnership, architect KIRKOR Architects and Planners and landscape architect MEP DESIGN INC., a housing development located in Applewood, Mississauga. Photo credit: Adil Erturk.
We’re starting the conversation
During the first phase of the Urban Design Program review, we want to understand what matters most to you. That’s why we’ve launched a virtual, on-demand engagement to gather your feedback. Tell us what’s working and where we can improve.
As you take part, think about:
What are your favourite places in the city? What makes them stand out?
What do you think makes good design, or not?
How does urban design affect you in your everyday life?
Your input will help ensure new development fits well into our communities.
It’s easy to tell us what you think
What:
Visit the project website.
Watch the short video.
Complete a quick survey.
Ask our team a question or share a comment.
When:
On demand, 24/7, from Monday, June 22 to Friday, July 31, 2026.
The Living Root Bridge by Bau & Ćos Studio. This public artwork is located on a City pedestrian bridge in Meadowvale, Mississauga. Photo credit: Andres Ulises Bautista.
Background
The Urban Design Program review is part of the City’s ongoing efforts to make Mississauga a great place to live, work, play and visit. The review supports recommendations from the Mayor’s Housing Taskforce and will align with the City’s new Mississauga Official Plan 2051.
The City celebrates excellent urban design through the Mississauga Urban Design Awards. Explore the 2025 winning projects.
