The City of Guelph is located in the Greater Golden Horseshoe Area, which is currently the fastest growing urban centre in Ontario, Canada. The Provincial government has developed a 30-year growth management plan, the Places to Grow Plan (PGP), which is intended to improve upon past planning strategies. The Plan's 40% intensification target for new development has been set and Guelph must meet this target by 2015 and maintain it thereafter until 2031. To address the issue of residential intensification for Guelph, a pattern language of European residential intensification is identified and applied to a study site within Guelph, and is evaluated on the extent to which the site corresponds to this pattern language, which consist of various targets and policies within both the PGP and Guelph's Official Plan. Results of this test may offer insight into a feasible and potentially more sustainable option for residential intensification in Guelph.