Municipal Planning

From broad regional planning to local strategies, we work with municipalities to create unique and context-sensitive solutions.

Our experience coupled with our knowledge of evolving national, provincial, regional, and municipal regulatory frameworks allows us to respond to a range of municipal planning needs. We understand the diverse services our municipalities provide to their citizens and we work to integrate multi-departmental perspectives into our planning strategies. We are a team of strategic thinkers that provides a well-balanced, holistic perspective to the projects we work on to support the best possible project outcomes.

MUNICIPAL PLANNING EXPERTISE

Strategic Plans

Strategic planning is paramount to the success of any organization, business, or government. A well rounded strategic plan informed by thoughtful political and community dialogue supports and guides government strategic priorities, corresponding actions and performance metrics. B&A designs and implements a range of government strategic planning initiatives.

A thorough understanding of growth supports long range planning. We prepare growth studies for rural and urban municipalities that provide a comprehensive assessment of historical and forecast population and employment growth trends, demographic analyses and assessments of supply and absorption conditions. Our approach is rooted in reasonable assumptions based on historical / emergent trends, land opportunities and constraints, serviceability and fiscal factors.

Building on our expertise in the creation of clear and compelling rural and urban growth studies, we work with government to support all required engagement, negotiation and application filing requirements for the submission, review, and consideration of an annexation application.

Serving as a non-statutory strategic link between a Municipal Development Plan and an Area Structure Plan, a Regional Context Plan (RCP) requires big picture thinking to provide a strategic land use, transportation, servicing and phasing framework for large land areas earmarked for urban or rural growth. Our team has helped governments and stakeholders create and approve RCP’s in some of Canada’s fastest growing and complex jurisdictions.

Elected Councils are required to manage and steward their community land base. A Municipal Development Plan (MDP) or Official Community Plan (OCP) that is supported by the community and used by Council (with other statutory plans and regulatory tools) to manage growth is important. Our team of accredited professional planners, IAP2 practitioners, data scientist and geomatics professionals has proven experience leading and creating approvals of MDP’s and OCP’s spanning rural and urban jurisdictions throughout Canada.

Intermunicipal Development Plans are statutory planning instruments that support collaboration between one or more government jurisdictions. They provide a framework for how municipalities will work together, how they will develop joint lands and how matters of common interest including land use, parks and open space, transportation and mobility systems and services will be managed. Our blend of planning expertise in rural and urban environments and big picture thinking has enabled B&A to advance a number of intermunicipal development plans and comparable joint planning initiatives throughout multiple jurisdictions.

Informed by an approved Municipal Development Plan or Official Community Plan, and Regional Context Plan, an Area Structure Plan or Sector Plan is a critical statutory planning tool that guides and informs the growth and development of large tracts of land. They provide a comprehensive framework for land use, transportation, servicing and phasing. Our team develops such plans for municipalities and developers for future urban and rural growth areas.

A Neighbourhood Area Structure Plan or Concept / Outline Plan are neighbourhood planning tools typically prepared and advanced by a developer to establish a detailed development vision for a large undeveloped parcel of land. They address land conditions, opportunities and constraints, outline intended land use, road and lane dedication, forecast population and employment density, and define parks and open space, mobility and servicing systems. They also inform land use, subdivision and development applications. B&A has led such plans for leaders within the development industry throughout Canada.

Area Redevelopment or Local Area Plans (LAP) are specialized planning initiatives, typically municipally led, to guide revitalization and redevelopment. They respond to market conditions and typically establish a vision and conceptual planning / policies to guide consideration of proposed redevelopment and intensification. B&A has led many LAP’s spanning downtown revitalization plans, specified area redevelopments plans, and master planning concepts for existing / planned Transit-oriented Development sites.

A land use / zoning bylaw guides the use, subdivision and development of land. It establishes land use districts, the range of permitted and discretionary uses and regulates the size and use of land and buildings. It also outlines a range of requirements for land use, subdivision and development permitting processes. Our team understands the role and purpose of these bylaws and has led both the creation of new land use / zoning bylaws on behalf of government and both zoning and land use bylaw amendments on behalf of industry.

We work with our municipal partners to evaluate surplus land assets to identify highest and best use opportunities and support master planning and approval processes that optimize benefits to governments and taxpayers. We work with civic facilities management teams to develop feasibility assessments, coupled with thoughtful engagement to inform and guide the preparation of new facility master plans. This supports the creation of vibrant civic and cultural hubs central to established and new communities.

FEATURED MUNICIPAL PLANNING PROJECTS

With more than 30 years of experience, our award-winning team delivers

A customized approach across diverse areas of expertise.