Asset Management Research & Reports
Communities across Ontario are transforming, as growing and changing populations drive the need for housing and non-residential developments. The need for infrastructure to accommodate growth is increasing along with the need for investment in pre-existing, aging infrastructure that is already delivering services. Asset management is a holistic approach to infrastructure planning that is based on proactive strategies and efficient investment. It is a tool that helps you plan for the future you want for your community.
The 2025 Primer below, Growing Wisely: Growth and Asset Management in Ontario, includes recommendations towards integrating growth and demographic shifts into asset management practices. The companion case studies showcase how different municipalities in Ontario are growing, the impacts of this growth, and how they are planning for growth with asset management and capital planning.
Primer on Growth and Asset Management
Growing Wisely: Growth and Asset Management in Ontario – A Primer
Case Studies
City of Thunder Bay
Regional Municipality of Muskoka
Township of Centre Wellington
Town of Minto
Watch the webinar to learn about the primer and hear more from municipal staff within the case study communities. For further information, refer to the webinar slides and Q&A responses.
In 2025, AMO completed a comprehensive maturity assessment of all asset management plans (AMPs) in Ontario. The assessment found a total current replacement value (CRV) for municipal infrastructure in Ontario of $978 billion (2025 CAD) – as reported by the plans. The information was used to inform an AMP Map which consolidates municipal AMPs and information on demographics and reported CRVs.
In 2023, Asset Management Ontario (AMONTario), a centre of excellence for public sector asset management practitioners across Ontario, provided additional insights into the adoption of asset management practices and the implementation of asset management plans. This involved interviewing dozens of municipalities of different sizes across Ontario.
AMONTario's report provides an integrated framework for sector engagement based on three interrelated pillars: performance guidance, resourcing, and capacity-building. Each of the pillars identifies key findings, themes, opportunities, and recommended actions. Read the full report here.
2022 Primer for Elected Officials
With limited financial capacity, staff resources, and increasing service expectations, planning for future capital investments while minimizing risk exposure is challenging. And yet it is a key responsibility of elected officials. AMO developed an Asset Management Primer for Elected Officials is developed to provide councils with a better understanding of their role in adopting a strategic approach to determine infrastructure investment priorities.
The State of ASSET MANAGEMENT IN Ontario IN 2022
A 2022 report assessed asset management maturity based on a sample of 84 Asset Management Plans. The report found that AM sector progress has been steadily improving over the last decade, especially with regards to completing asset inventories and in the overall acceptance of AM practices by both municipal staff and councils.
Read the full report here.
Municipal Infrastructure Investment and Financial Sustainability
To better understand how Ontario's communities can sustainably invest in infrastructure, AMO partnered with York Region to develop a framework to guide municipal infrastructure investments. Review the research report to learn more about the financial sustainability framework. Results of the research were presented at the 2016 AMO Conference.
The State of Ontario's Infrastructure in 2016
AMO demonstrated the municipal sector’s progress in asset management planning in its 2018 Outcomes Report. To inform this work, AMO sought to assess the current state of infrastructure and the evolution of municipal asset management plans based on a sample of 60 municipalities across Ontario. The case study suggests that the scope of asset management plans - in terms of the number of asset classes covered - more than doubled between 2013 and 2016.
Review the full research report to learn more about municipalities' progress in asset management.
The State of Ontario's Roads and Bridges in 2013
To establish a baseline of asset management progress in Ontario, AMO conducted a comprehensive analysis of the state of Ontario's roads and bridges across 93 Ontario municipalities. The study provides a clear understanding of the state of our largest infrastructure assets and offered key insight into what steps the sector could take to move forward and improve asset management planning.
Read the full report or take a quick look at our backgrounder to learn more.
