Grow Together or Sprawl Apart: How professional planners perceive regional growth strategies in the Alberta Capital Region, Metro Vancouver, and the Greater Toronto Area
Date
2015-12-09
Authors
Harper, Ian Everett
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Abstract
Description
This report sought to answer the following question: how are issues of growth and growth management coordination perceived by planning professionals in the Greater Toronto Area, Metro Vancouver, and the Alberta Capital Region? The study examined practicing planners’ perceptions of growth management and analyzes the experiences they describe, with the intent of identifying common concerns and factors supporting or hindering successful growth management. The analysis of planner’s
responses suggested that there are three factors that influence regional growth management:
1. Restraints to growth, either physical, such as oceans, mountains and rivers, or legislative, such as BC’s Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) or Ontario’s Greenbelt Act;
2. Inter-governmental coordination and cooperation among member municipalities, and vertically through levels of government; and
3. Culture of planning that represents an acceptance of plans, goals and visions among planners, politicians and residents.
Keywords
Planning, Growth, Regional Growth Management, Urban, Canadian Planning, Coordination
Citation
Harper, I. E. (2015). Grow Together or Sprawl Apart: How professional planners perceive regional growth strategies in the Alberta Capital Region, Metro Vancouver, and the Greater Toronto Area. Halifax, NS: Dalhousie University.