Presentation to

Municipalit ies Newfoundland and Labrador Symposium

Stephen B. Jewczyk, FCIP

May 11, 2012

Regional Planning In Canada

A Thought

“Would you tell me which way I ought to go from here?"

asked Alice. "That depends a good deal on where you want to get"

said the Cat. "I really don't care where"

replied Alice. "Then it doesn't much matter which way you go"

said the Cat.

Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865), novelist and poet (1832-1898).

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Overview

� Regional Planning

� Canadian Overview

� Recent Provincial Initiatives

� Newfoundland and Labrador

� Pros/Cons

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Regional Planning Defined (1 of 2)

�  Regional context

�  Deal with land use, natural resources, social, and community services, housing, cultural and heritage resources, economic development, finance, environment, transportation and infrastructure.

�  Municipal setting - deals with the efficient placement of land use activities, infrastructure, and settlement growth across a larger area of land than an individual city or town.

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Regional Planning Defined (2 of 2)

�  Regional planning in one form or another is being used in every province and territory across Canada

�  Form and purpose varies and responds to the priorities of the province or territory

�  Can be a provincial or municipal function or combination of both

�  Is alive and strong across Canada and there have been recent initiatives to strengthen regional planning in several provinces

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Regional Planning Boundaries

�  Regional Planning Boundaries can be based on: §  Political boundaries §  Administrative Boundaries §  Natural Boundaries §  Resource Boundaries §  Special Interest Areas

�  Presentation to focus on municipal level

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Regional Planning - A Provincial Responsibility

�  Municipal land use planning provincial responsibility

�  Regional planning enacted through provincial legislation

�  Regional planning powers are referenced in 9 of the 10 provinces planning legislation (PEI excepted)

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Regional Planning Areas

�  Composition of planning areas varies §  A number of abutting urban areas §  One large urban municipality surrounded by smaller urban or

rural municipalities and unincorporated areas §  A number of abutting rural and unincorporated areas §  Large municipality which consists of urban and rural areas

�  Some Provinces divided into regional planning areas, some are limited to specific growth or special interest areas

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Regional Planning Organizations

� Different names and organizational structures

§  Regional Planning Boards

§  Regional Districts

§  Regional Commissions

§  Regional Planning Authority

§  Regional Municipality

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Canadian Overview (1 of 5)

�  British Columbia §  Regional planning at the municipal level can be traced as far

back as 1949 with the creation of Lower Mainland Regional Planning Board

§  27 regional districts provide regional planning services

§  Planning jurisdiction for electoral areas, adopt zoning bylaws and official community plans

§  Region-wide planning role by developing a regional growth strategy

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Canadian Overview (2 of 5)

�  Manitoba §  Capital Region §  16 municipalities including the City of Winnipeg §  Regional Planning Advisory Committee

�  Ontario §  Nine regional municipalities §  Places to Grow Land Use Plan

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Canadian Overview (3 of 5)

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Canadian Overview (4 of 5)

�  Quebec §  86 Regional County Municipalities (RCMs)

�  Nova Scotia §  3 regional municipalities §  1996 Halifax Regional Municipality

�  Yukon §  The Yukon Land Use Planning Council advocates land use

planning in 8 regional planning commissions

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Canadian Overview (5 of 5)

�  Nunavut §  Nunavut Planning Commission (NPC) prepare and implement

regional land use plans that guide and direct resource use and development

§  2 regional plans approved

�  North West Territories §  5 regions §  Regional offices

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Recent Provincial Initiatives (1 of 3)

�  Alberta §  2009 Alberta Land Stewardship Act (ALSA) implements

Alberta's Land-use Framework. §  Provincial Government guides regional land-use planning

education and discourse §  Regional Plan to contain a vision for the planning region, at

least one planning objective and may contain information relevant to the region including its geography, demographic, economic, environmental, and social characteristics.

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Recent Provincial Initiatives (2 of 3)

�  Saskatchewan §  2010 Planning for Growth (PFG) enhance regional planning

capacity, sustainable growth and development.

§  Program: ÷ supports coordination of infrastructure and land; ÷ deals with the efficient placement of land use, infrastructure, and

settlement growth; ÷ demonstrates best planning practices; and ÷ builds municipal and professional planning capacity in

municipalities and regions.

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Recent Provincial Initiatives (3 of 3)

�  New Brunswick §  12 District Planning Commissions §  December 2011 - An Action Plan for a New Local Governance

System in New Brunswick §  February 2012 announcement of establishment of 12 Regional

Service Commissions will help communities to communicate and collaborate regionally, as well as plan on a regional basis.

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Newfoundland & Labrador (1 of 3)

�  Urban and Rural Planning Act 1970 §  Regional planning responsibility of Minister of Municipal

Affairs §  A number of regional planning initiatives §  1976 St. John’s Urban Region Regional Plan

�  Urban and Rural Planning Act 2000 §  Minister may designate a council, person or group of persons

or a combination as a regional authority for the regional planning area.

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Newfoundland & Labrador (2 of 3)

�  Current Initiatives §  April 2007 - Labrador Inuit Settlement Area (LISA).

÷ Regional Land Use Plan completed ÷ Submitted to the two governments for approval. R ÷ Regional planning authority for LISA has been disbanded.

§  June 2007. Corner Brook-Humber Valley Regional Plan

÷ Advisory Authority Established ÷ Draft Regional Plan and Regional Development Regulations

Prepared ÷ Draft plan has been submitted to govt for review

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Newfoundland & Labrador (2 of 3)

§  February 2009 - North East Avalon Regional Plan ÷ Process commenced

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Pros (1 of 2)

� Effective planning solutions are more achievable through the application of regional perspectives to land use, economic development and environmental issues

� Creates a land use framework in which municipalities work together for their future sustainability

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Pros (2 of 2)

� Provides guidance and support for detailed municipal planning

� Promotes intermunicipal cooperation and collaboration

�  Increases administrative capacity for effective planning responsibilities at both regional and local levels

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Cons

? �  Increased time and energy involved in the planning

process �  Additional layer of planning policy and regulations �  Regional planning initiatives may differ from or

place a different focus on local municipal planning initiatives

�  Municipal Plans would be required to comply with Regional Plan policies

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A Closing Thought

“Always plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the ark.”

- Richard Cushing, novelist

Thank You

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