Writing a planning justification report:
Give your clients and local planners what they really need
If you’re responsible for writing a planning justification report, also known as a planning rationale, you need to make the strongest possible case for your proposed project. And it can be one of the one of the most important and complicated documents you prepare as a planner!
Your role, as the planner, is to do the research, complete the analysis, and prepare the case. Not only must it provide all of the details of your client’s proposal, it must also present a persuasive, evidence-based case that will convince local planning staff to approve it.
As the writer, your job is to help communicate the value of the proposal, and to make it easy for local planners and decision makers to find and focus on the right information, understand it, and make the decision you and your client are hoping for.
To be effective, your analysis must be comprehensive, readable, and complete. This is all the more important when the proposal involves a request for relief from certain policy or regulatory controls through an official/comprehensive plan amendment, zoning by-law amendment, a draft plan of subdivision or draft plan of condominium, significant site plan control, a change required to the local development permit system, or a combination.
While the level of detail you provide depends on the complexity of the proposal, all planning justifications must address how the proposal will uphold good land use planning principles and be in the public interest.
Remember who you are writing for: another planner who already understands the planning and policy environment! So, for example, do you really need to recite, verbatim, what is provided in the high level planning policies? Maybe. Do you think they will read it if you do? Unlikely. And writing a policy section can take hours of your time.
You want them to see the project the way you do. You want to assure them that you’ve done your due diligence, that you have covered all the bases. Remember, the local planner needs to prepare briefing notes and recommendations based on your report. Your policy discussion does not provide as much value if it is a simple cut and paste of the high level policy directions (e.g., in Ontario, the Provincial Policy Statement). Think about your reader – they already know this stuff. Do you really need to provide them with four pages of policy text that they already know or can look up? Or would they rather read a clear, simple summary, like these?
Follow up with a concise discussion of your conclusions.
The key is to empathize with the reviewer! After all, they’re probably a peer, someone you went to school with, or a friend. Make their life easier! They want to be able to find and lift key information out of your report so they can advise their senior managers, elected council members, and other decision-makers on how to respond.
And, you want to show that you can bring together the high level policies with the on-the-ground proposal. You’re demonstrating relevance, and a sense of where your proposal fits and will contribute to achieving the wider policy goals.
Pro Tip: A summary statement about how the proposal aligns with policy, accompanied by an itemized table of policy numbers and sections can be enough. If you just can’t quite let go of providing the full-text cut-and-paste of the policies, bump them to an appendix as reference material.
Essential components of a justification report
Make it easier for local planners to review, understand, and prepare favourable reports or make a positive decision about your client’s proposal.
Your report typically must include the following:
1. Introduction to the Proposal
The specific request (purpose) of the report,
a general description of the proposed development, and
any unique considerations (e.g., heritage).
2. Context of the Proposed Development:
The site’s history,
the policies and regulations that apply, and
a description of any additional resources used to inform the analysis (e.g., data derived from a technical study).
3. Planning Analysis:
The anticipated impacts,
the rationale or case in favour of the proposed development, and
a concise statement(s) of how it is consistent with (or conforms to) policies and regulations, as well as principles of good planning.
4. What’s Next:
The steps the client will take (e.g., public consultations, specific studies), and
the approvals that are needed.
5. Conclusion:
The summary of the key considerations that reinforce the case you are making.
Be aware that the conclusion the most important section. Make it count! You need to do more here than reiterate a few key points. This is an opportunity to tell a compelling, persuasive story that will help you achieve a favourable outcome.
6. Appendices:
Interesting, related secondary information that supports greater understanding of the proposal, such as additional visual elements (e.g., maps), supporting text (e.g., community comments), full policy text, data tables, and
other content requested by the decision body.
Also remember: Planning justification reports, briefs, and letters usually must also:
be authorized by a Registered Professional Planner, or in some cases, by a Certified Planning Technician, and
include any other unique content requested by the municipality.
Essential components of a justification brief or letter
Sometimes a municipality doesn’t require a full report, and a brief or letter will do, typically for a minor change like a part lot control exemption or a plan revision. Lucky you! Or maybe not - it can be much more difficult to write a short, condensed brief or letter than a long report!
Clarity and brevity are essential in a brief or letter. Get to the point! Don’t waste your time providing everything that would typically be provided in a traditional planning justification report. No one wants it or will read it. Focus on the essential information the local planner needs to quickly understand the proposal and provide advice or approve the proposal.
Be sure to include, at minimum,
a short description of the proposal and the site context;
a summary of how the proposal meets the intent of high level and local policies, and
an explanation of how the proposal is consistent with good planning principles.
A caution: Always check for the specific local requirements, as your report, brief, or letter may require additional, or different, information.
It’s actually more difficult and time-consuming to condense your planning analysis into a couple of pages than it is to provide everything you know based on your analysis of a proposed development!
Take the time to edit your work! Get rid of language that’s verbose, pretentious, elusive, or meaningless (see last week’s post on jargon).
Focus on what the municipal planner needs to know to understand the proposal and make a favourable recommendation based on your best advice.
The amount of thought and skill that goes into writing with brevity is immense. That’s why I strongly advocate that planning students take courses in public administration. These courses provide incredible training in how to take a complex public policy issue and boil down your advice to a senior decision maker in only a couple of pages. Or one page. Or three bullet points. A sentence.
If you’re past that in your career, Apolitical offers solid, first-hand advice; also check out courses offered through professional associations and colleges. There is a ton of great information out there that you can access online.
Over to you!
So, what did I miss? What are the best practices you follow when preparing your planning rationale/justification report? Share your advice in the comments!
And on a personal note: I’ve loved your comments via LinkedIn and in your emails to me, privately. I want to encourage you to share your comments here. We have so much to learn from each other. I know you may feel shy about sharing your experiences, but I genuinely want to hear from you – and I think your colleagues do, too! Share your favourite tips, beefs, questions, challenges… they are welcome!
- Lisa