Regional Municipal Planning Strategy OCTOBER 2014 Regional Municipal Planning Strategy I HEREBY CERTIFY that this is a true copy of the Regional Municipal Planning Strategy which was duly passed by a majority vote of the whole Regional Council of Halifax Regional Municipality held on the 25th day of June, 2014, and approved by the Minister of Municipal Affairs on October 18, 2014, which includes all amendments thereto which have been adopted by the Halifax Regional Municipality and are in effect as of the 7th day of November, 2020. GIVEN UNDER THE HAND of the Municipal Clerk and under the corporate seal of the Municipality this _____ day of ____________________, 20___. ____________________________ Municipal Clerk TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................. 1 1.1 THE FIRST FIVE YEAR PLAN REVIEW ......................................................................................................... 1 1.2 VISION AND PRINCIPLES ................................................................................................................................ 3 1.3 OBJECTIVES ....................................................................................................................................................... 3 1.4 HRM: FROM PAST TO PRESENT .................................................................................................................... 7 1.4.1 Settlement in HRM .................................................................................................................................... 7 1.4.2 Regional Growth ........................................................................................................................................ 7 1.4.3 Development Trends .................................................................................................................................. 8 Fig. 1-1: New Dwelling Units in HRM by type (2004-2011) Source: HRM .................................................... 9 1.5 HRM: A SUSTAINABLE AND PROSPEROUS FUTURE ................................................................................ 9 1.5.1 Economy and Employment ........................................................................................................................ 9 1.5.2 Population and Housing ........................................................................................................................... 10 Fig. 1-2: HRM Population Growth by Age (2001-2031) Base Case Scenario ................................................ 11 Table 1-1 Key Growth Scenario Projection Parameters (2011-2031) Source: Stantec, 2013, Altus (2009) . 12 1.6 MUNICIPAL PLANNING STRUCTURE, IMPLEMENTATION AND INTERPRETATION ...................... 13 1.6.1 Implementation Tools .............................................................................................................................. 13 1.6.2 Interpretations .......................................................................................................................................... 14 1.7 ORGANIZATION OF THIS PLAN ................................................................................................................... 14 CHAPTER 2: ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE .......................................... 16 2.0 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................................................. 16 2.1 OBJECTIVES ..................................................................................................................................................... 16 2.2 GREENBELTING: BUILDING AN OPEN SPACE NETWORK .................................................................... 16 2.2.1 Natural Networks ..................................................................................................................................... 19 2.2.2 Park Classifications .................................................................................................................................. 20 Table 2-2: Parks Classification System .......................................................................................................... 21 2.2.3 Regional Parks ......................................................................................................................................... 22 Table 2-3: Regional Parks .............................................................................................................................. 22 2.2.4 Municipal Parks ....................................................................................................................................... 23 2.2.5 Natural Areas and Natural Corridors ....................................................................................................... 23 2.2.6 Urban Forests ........................................................................................................................................... 25 2.2.7 Greenbelting and Public Open Space Priorities Plan ............................................................................... 25 2.3 WATER RESOURCES ...................................................................................................................................... 26 2.3.1 Potable Water Supply .............................................................................................................................. 26 2.3.2 Wetlands Protection ................................................................................................................................. 27 2.3.3 Riparian Buffers ....................................................................................................................................... 28 2.3.4 Floodplains............................................................................................................................................... 29 2.3.5 Coastal Inundation ................................................................................................................................... 30 2.4 WATERSHED PLANNING .............................................................................................................................. 30 2.5 ENERGY, EMISSIONS AND CLIMATE CHANGE ....................................................................................... 32 2.5.1 Climate Change ........................................................................................................................................ 32 2.5.2 The Community Energy Plan ................................................................................................................... 32 2.5.3 Wind Energy ............................................................................................................................................ 33 CHAPTER 3: SETTLEMENT AND HOUSING ................................................................................... 35 3.0 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................................................. 35 3.1 OBJECTIVES ..................................................................................................................................................... 35 3.2 LAND USE DESIGNATIONS .......................................................................................................................... 36 3.2.1 Urban Settlement Designation ................................................................................................................. 36 3.2.2 Urban Reserve Designation ..................................................................................................................... 37 3.2.3 Rural Settlement Designations ................................................................................................................. 37 3.2.4 Agricultural Designation .......................................................................................................................... 38 3.3 PLANNING AND DESIGN FOR GROWTH CENTRES ................................................................................. 39 Table 3-3: Rural Designation Centres not identified for Growth ................................................................... 42 3.4 MANAGEMENT OF RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT WITHIN RURAL DESIGNATIONS ................... 44 3.4.1 Conservation Design Developments ........................................................................................................ 45 Table 3-4 Conservation Design Development Standards .................................................................................... 47 3.4.2 Island Development ................................................................................................................................. 48 3.4.3 Special Provisions and Other Growth Management Mechanisms ........................................................... 48 3.5 COMMUNITY FACILITIES ............................................................................................................................. 52 3.6 HOUSING DIVERSITY AND AFFORDABILITY .......................................................................................... 52 CHAPTER 4: TRANSPORTATION AND MOBILITY ....................................................................... 54 4.0 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................................................