Regional planning in Canada: History, practice, issues, and prospects

Regional issues have always been important in Canada's economic and political development. Regional planning, however, was not established as a conscious, formal activity of governments until the 1950s and 1960s. Two basic forms have emerged: statutory regional land planning, which focuses on land use, is authorized and administered by provincial governments, and is undertaken by voluntary associations of communities; and regional development planning, which focuses on socioeconomic development and is undertaken by provincial governments and the federal government, both independently and jointly. The above functions are undertaken separately, under different legislation, by different agencies, and by bureaucrats using different values and mind-sets. The functions should be integrated, or at least coordinated, if regional planning in Canada is to be effective in the future.