FAQs

The purpose of regional planning is to establish a common framework for regional and local planning that will guide future growth and development in a sustainable manner. Regional planning complements and enhances the planning initiatives of individual electoral areas and municipalities by encouraging coordination across political boundaries, responding to opportunities and challenges that affect the region as a whole and aligning regional and local goals and initiatives to make efficient use of resources by fostering collaboration across jurisdictions.

This project will result in implementation and monitoring recommendations that will bring together the results of the technical analysis with community input. The intent is to help better balance the protection of the region’s natural, rural and agricultural qualities while meeting the region’s needs for housing, transportation, infrastructure and community services.

No, this project is an exploratory study that will not result in any changes to existing electoral area and/or municipal land use plans or bylaws. The study's recommendations can be used as a foundation for future planning initiatives by the RDCK and or each participating municipal partner.

This project will not supersede or supplant any plans or planning efforts of the electoral areas or partnering municipalities. It is an exploratory study that will help the RDCK better understand the different needs of residents and communities across the region.

No, some areas will not be well suited for more housing, transportation, infrastructure and/or community services. In addition to the project’s technical analysis, the public engagement process will help identify community values and priorities across the region to ensure the results are reflective of each community’s unique characteristics.

In rural communities, completeness reflects the balance of local community resources and services along with strong connections to neighbouring communities, with the recognition that not all community needs must be met within a resident’s immediate area. Many residents across the region travel to neighbouring towns to meet at least some of their needs, such as healthcare, shops and services and employment opportunities, which are often better addressed at a regional scale.