Each municipality is required to maintain a current Official Plan (OP). An official plan is developed to determine the land use patterns and designations within the municipal geography.

The City of Windsor aptly describes the purpose of its official plan;

The Official Plan provides guidance for the physical development of the municipality over a 20-year period while taking into consideration important social, economic and environmental matters and goals. For example, the City of Windsor Official Plan provides the policy framework that will guide the following:

• Where new development can locate
• How existing and future neighbourhoods will be strengthened
• How Windsor's environment will be enhanced
• What municipal services, such as roads, water mains, sewers and parks, will be provided
• When and in what order Windsor will grow

Furthermore, the Planning Act provides that no public works shall be undertaken and, except as provided in the Act, no by-law passed for any purpose by the Municipality that does not conform with the Official Plan. An Official Plan is a policy document adopted by Council under the provisions of the Ontario Planning Act. As such, it reflects matters of provincial interest and applies to the entire city. Using the Plan as a guide, Council may adopt more detailed planning policies such as secondary plans and community improvement plans for specific neighbourhoods, and it also directs the development of new subdivisions. The use and development of individual parcels of land is also influenced by the Official Plan, which establishes more specific regulatory measures related to land subdivision, zoning and site plan control.

Under the Planning Act, Official Plans are required to be reviewed at intervals of not less than once every five years. This review ensures the Plan remains relevant to the changing circumstances within Windsor and to current provincial legislation, policies and appropriate guidelines.