Beyond the Document: Economic and Socio-economic Planning Processes

Executive Summary: Key Findings This report summarizes and extrapolates current policy-­‐relevant findings from our research study on demography and development in rural Atlantic Canada.ii Our research reviewed economic development and community economic development literature, policies and programs—in particular, the OECD’s work on rural development. It examined theories and considered measurement and related tools which underpin and condition policy, programs and expectations for results. Finally, the study conducted four community field studies, one in each of the Atlantic Provinces and a review of two comparative practices (the policy of rurality in Quebec and the European Union’s LEADER Program).

The Growth Strategies Statutes Amendment Act of 1995 seemed ready to rejuvenate regional planning in British Columbia through the provision of tools for growth management planning. Yet it has been observed that regions in northern British Columbia seem ambivalent to the new planning tools. Through a case study, this research explores the response of the Cariboo Regional District, as a rural region of northern British Columbia, to the British Columbia style of growth management planning. The primary research question asks: Why is regional growth management planning not being implemented in the Cariboo Regional District? A review of regional districts and regional planning in British Columbia provides context for understanding the approach taken toward growth management planning in British Columbia. A review of literature from the United States then describes the concept of growth management planning and how it has developed over the last thirty years. The evolution of growth management planning programs, from mandatory, coercive systems, to more voluntary and collaborative systems including a softening of the consistency doctrine, is highlighted. The British Columbia growth management planning legislation is then described and set in the context of the experience in the Unites States. Using a case-study methodology in a single-case embedded design, this research focuses on the response of the Cariboo Regional District to growth management planning. Since a regional district includes participation of constituent communities, the response to growth management planning of the municipalities of 100 Mile House, the City of Williams Lake, and the City of Quesnel has also been considered. Interviews of key personnel from the provincial government, the Cariboo Regional District, and the three municipalities provide the core information for this research. A profile of the study area and a review of current community plans in each jurisdiction also contribute to the research.

As the community economic development landscape has changed, so too has its governance. Specifically, local actors and communities are increasingly expected to be the major impetus for development. If development approaches are going to entail community-driven, bottom-up approaches, then we need to understand this landscape and how it works; understanding community capacity is critical. We need to ask: how are development ideas coming to the fore; who is involved; what do these relationships look like; where does the capacity lie; what is the impact; and how can such approaches be better structured and supported? Our research aims to answer these questions, and understand and describe the shifting landscape of governance and development at a community level. To do so, we focus on four rural communities—one in each Atlantic province—as well as undertake a review of comparative practices (namely, the national policy of rurality in Quebec and the European Union’s LEADER Programme).

Journal of Rural and Community Development, 2014

In rural development literature, subsidiarity and the merits of local community participation are increasingly extolled. Targeted, nationally-derived sectoral (e.g., agricultural) policies and subsidies are increasingly rejected for a more inclusive, place-based, partnership-driven, community-led, and investment-oriented approach to rural development. This shift can be seen across OECD countries and has been lauded by the organization as 'a new paradigm for rural development.' As such, rural development is conceptualized as a process that emanates from the local level, involving a variety of stakeholders in decision making, such that policy development is viewed as more participatory, reflective of and responsive to community needs. Given this, what role (and capacity) might there be for municipalities to meaningfully engage in rural development activities? This paper examines this question through a case study of two rural Atlantic Canadian communities. In doing so, it find...

This article examines the impacts of the Kingsland Community Plan (KCP), a document prepared by a local neighbourhood group, in shaping the built environment of Kingsland, Calgary. The research methodology combines document analysis with Actor-Network Theory as a theoretical approach. Applications to 'rezone' land within the Kingsland community district, filed from the KCP's creation in October 2009 to December 2016, were analyzed for reference to and conformity with the goals and intent of the KCP. Overall the KCP has not been effective at directing land use change in Kingsland. However, the Plan has acted as an 'informal' intermediary, rendering visible the local neighbourhood group's influence and interests within the planning process. Given recent initiatives to formalize civil society participation in Calgary's planning system, this research may aid decision-makers in determining the appropriate role for neighbourhood groups.

Journal of Rural and Community Development, 2014

In rural development literature, subsidiarity and the merits of local community participation are increasingly extolled. Targeted, nationally-derived sectoral (e.g., agricultural) policies and subsidies are increasingly rejected for a more inclusive, place-based, partnership-driven, community-led, and investment-oriented approach to rural development. This shift can be seen across OECD countries and has been lauded by the organization as ‘a new paradigm for rural development.’ As such, rural development is conceptualized as a process that emanates from the local level, involving a variety of stakeholders in decision making, such that policy development is viewed as more participatory, reflective of and responsive to community needs. Given this, what role (and capacity) might there be for municipalities to meaningfully engage in rural development activities? This paper examines this question through a case study of two rural Atlantic Canadian communities. In doing so, it finds that these two rural municipalities are institutionally constrained from engaging in rural development initiatives and that provincial and federal funders are focused on economic, rather than community, development. It is argued that municipal capacity needs to be greatly enhanced through institutionalized mechanisms in order for them to become meaningful partners in the development process. Keywords: Atlantic Canada; rural municipalities; new regionalism; community economic development; endogenous development

Universal Journal of Agricultural Research, 2020

Over the last half century, most small regions and communities in Saskatchewan, Canada, have been facing a decline in their population. Major reasons for such a decline is outmigration of residents to larger centers that provide better quality of life as well as lack of new businesses moving into these communities, perhaps due to somewhat unattractive business climate. To secure economic development, some rural communities (including Rural Municipalities-RM) have attempted to lure business and residents through various types of incentives, including the use of tax and nontax incentives. Examples of such incentives have included, but not limited to, property tax incentives-municipal tax abatement, property tax incentives, and commercial and industrial tax incentives. This study was based on a case study of five Saskatchewan rural municipalities (RM) in Saskatchewan to inquire about the effectiveness of such tax and nontax incentives. These communities were surveyed using a well-structured questionnaire. In most cases, interviewee was the economic development officer of the R.M., or failing that its mayor. Results of the success of the measures were mixed, as only one community indicated some success in attracting new consumer (tourists oriented) services / businesses. Even here, since this RM is located on a major national highway, marginal contribution of these incentives cannot be ascertained fully. Another R.M. indicated that the community was too small to have an economic development programs and joined neighbouring R.M. for joint collaboration. For other three RMs, the success of these incentives was noted to be nil to limited, although in one case, it was argued that the lead period between the implementation of the incentives and current reporting period was too short. This study confirms much of the evidence found in the literature that such impacts typically do not result in attracting new businesses or new residents. Other factors, particularly those related to attractiveness of the community (region) might play a more important role in rural economic development.

The Northern Review

As rural regions in Northwestern Ontario are faced with dynamic changes, it is important they are equipped with the tools and strategies needed to maintain healthy environments, resilient communities, and robust economies. There is a need for innovative approaches to rural planning that incorporate the values and tools of sustainability planning and, as such, will be more equipped to address the diverse strengths and challenges of rural regions. This article attempts to identify the potential for place-based and northern adaptations of sustainability planning. It highlights challenges for sustainability planning in rural areas and discusses how smart growth approaches have the potential to guide planning processes in rural locales. It then examines an existing rural smart growth framework and gaps in that framework from a northern perspective. The article concludes with some proposed adaptations to the rural smart growth framework to address the unique characteristics and needs of northern, rural communities and regions; adaptations that might help to further development of regional, place-based, sustainability planning in Northwestern Ontario and across Canada's Provincial North.

2008

An important tension of relevance to plan rationalisation is the balance between central prescription-to ensure that central government priorities are addressed locally-and local flexibility-ensuring that the ways in which policies are interpreted and applied are sensitive to local needs. Plan rationalisation tends in the direction of greater local flexibility. 1.4 Content and structure of the report This report focuses on the process evaluation of plan rationalisation and draws together and summarises the findings from all parts of the evaluation. It primarily summarises the outputs from three existing reports, which themselves presented findings from the range of outputs provided by the different strands of the evaluation regarding plan rationalisation 1. These reports are 2 : 1 The section on central government and plan rationalisation is entirely taken from Darlow, A