Bousfields has undertaken numerous assignments to secure planning approvals for commercial and other employment land uses. We have a particular expertise in retail commercial development, having consulted to Smart!Centres (formerly First Professional Management), Price/Costco, Lowes and Wal-Mart on a wide variety of sites throughout Ontario. Other employment proposals have included large hotel projects (the new flagship Four Seasons Hotel in Toronto and the Niagara Falls Hilton), individual industrial proposals (the A&P warehouse expansion in Etobicoke) and large-scale business parks and industrial areas in Stouffville, Ottawa (Riverside South) and Vaughan (Highway 400 industrial estates). Recently, we have developed a particular expertise in planning for power generation facilities, including wind farms.

Bousfields has long been recognized as being one of the foremost firms in the Greater Toronto Area in community and subdivision design. From the early work on the planning and development of the Erin Mills Community, the practice has continued to expand and has been responsible for the planning of many new communities throughout Ontario. The successful implementation of many community plans has been achieved through efficient, well designed and marketable subdivision plans prepared by Bousfields.

Well-respected for their insight, level of preparation and integrity, Bousfields' partners and associates have considerable experience in providing expert testimony at the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal and other tribunals. We have provided evidence on behalf of both public and private sector clients in a wide variety of high-profile hearings in the City of Toronto and elsewhere throughout the Greater Toronto Area.

Bousfields has extensive experience with the development process in its entirety, from land acquisition investigations through to negotiating subdivision agreements, plan registration and beyond. The task of co-ordinating the consultants and professionals to obtain the necessary land development approvals, including but not limited to planning approvals, takes a diligent, detailed and knowledgeable guide. Aspects of the land development process that we effectively manage for our clients include survey plan co-ordination, review of financial security required by various agencies, co-ordination among the various consultants' drawings and submissions, overlapping planning approvals and timing of permitting.

Bousfields has extensive experience in co-ordinating and participating in a wide range of the stakeholder and public engagement sessions. We have successfully organized and implemented workshops, open houses, urban design charrettes, visioning sessions and surveys for both public and private sector clients related to both policy issues and development options.

Bousfields has a wide range of experience in planning for all forms of residential uses, ranging from greenfields subdivision and community plans through medium density residential infill to higher density urban redevelopment projects. Residential projects include new communities and resort-related developments, including Erin Mills, Riverside South, Millcroft, Lora Bay and Bronte Creek. Increasingly, Bousfields is involved in providing planning services for urban intensification projects both within the City of Toronto and in suburban centres throughout the Greater Toronto Area. When such proposals are located within established areas, they can often be complex and controversial, requiring careful analysis of compatibility and built form transition issues. Our expertise in urban design, public consultation and expert testimony has contributed to a high level of success for our clients.

Bousfields provides valuable assistance in determining the highest and best land uses for lands which are subject to expropriation or to lease arbitration through a thorough factual analysis of the land use planning policy and regulatory regime at the time of the event, as well as a professional opinion on the likelihood and timing of securing approvals. The subdivision and site plan design expertise of the firm assists in determining the effects of expropriation before and after the event.

Bousfields has secured planning approvals for a wide variety of institutional land uses, including schools, community health centres, hospitals, community and recreational facilities and long-term care facilities. A number of these projects have included an associated social housing component. We have also participated as part of multi-disciplinary teams in the preparation of master plans for large institutions such as the University of Guelph.

Bousfields has undertaken a number of policy reviews for the Province and for municipalities throughout Ontario. Major public sector clients include the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Prince Edward County, the City of Ottawa and the City of Vaughan. Private sector clients include the Urban Development Institute and the Greater Toronto Homebuilders' Association. The policy studies have included high-level policy analysis and formulation (e.g. the Development Permit Demonstration Project and the Stakeholder Consultation Component of the Provincial Policy Statement Five-Year Review), as well as the policy component of Official Plan reviews and the implementation of community plans. Very often, such studies have included a public consultation program that has been provided by the firm as a component of the study.

On its own or as part of multi-disciplinary consulting teams, Bousfields provides urban design services to clients in both the private and public sectors, in urban, suburban and special condition areas, including: urban design research and analysis; urban design policy and guideline development; urban design policy and guideline interpretation; urban design and community design plans; public participation in the urban design process, including urban design charrettes; planning approval strategies concerning the urban design of development; urban design negotiations; and expert urban design testimony at the Ontario Municipal Board.