ALI Panel at the AAMDC Fall Convention

Regional and municipal planning in Alberta is set to change this fall, as the provincial government seeks to implement its new Modernized Municipal Government Act (MGA) –– the first revision of municipal government legislation since 1995.

Among the changes proposed within the amended act are new requirements for regional planning, and coordination with the Land Use Framework. These requirements will prove significant for all municipalities across the province, but rural municipal districts and counties –– especially those with larger borders and fewer resources –– may be particularly impacted.

Each municipality’s obligations under the new MGA will be unique, and how those obligations can be met will depend on a variety of factors. In order to help provide some clarity for rural officials who are interpreting what these changes will mean for them, ALI is partnering with the Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties to offer a panel at the upcoming AAMDC Fall Convention.

On Tuesday, November 15^th, ALI researcher Dr. Sandeep Agrawal will join other AAMDC members for the panel:

Regional Planning in Practice: Experiences from Alberta and Beyond (Alberta Land Institute) - Regional planning plays a significant role in the revisions to Alberta’s Municipal Government Act. Numerous potential options exist for municipal districts and counties the province, but how can regional planning work in real-world practice?

Dr. Agrawal is the Director of the University of Alberta Planning Program, and he recently released the ALI report Urban, Suburban and Wet Growth in Alberta, in which he made recommendations related to regional planning and the control of urban sprawl. During this 90-minute panel, he will discuss his research and take practical questions from the audience related to specific regional planning obligations, and the ways in which they might be met.

More information about the session will be available in the coming weeks at the AAMDC website.