Building Sustainable Urban Communities in Ontario:
Research Report
Building Sustainable Urban Communities in Ontario:: A Provincial Progress Report
Mark S. Winfield
Copyright Date: Jun. 1, 2005
Published by: Pembina Institute
Pages: 48
OPEN ACCESS
https://www.jstor.org/stable/resrep00260
Table of Contents
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  1. Front Matter
    Front Matter (pp. i-ii)
  2. Table of Contents
    Table of Contents (pp. iii-iv)
  3. 1. Introduction
    1. Introduction (pp. 1-6)

    The past 18 months have been a period of major change regarding provincial policies on urban growth and development in Ontario. The October 2003 election brought with it a new provincial government that had made extensive commitments to the environmental, social, and economic sustainability of the province’s urban communities in its election platform. These commitments included:¹

    The allocation of two cents per litre of the provincial gasoline tax revenues to municipalities for public transit. This was projected to result in a contribution of $312 million per year

    The establishment of clear planning rules to ensure that the Ontario Municipal Board...

  4. 2. A Status Report on Provincial Progress on Urban Sustainability and Smart Growth
    2. A Status Report on Provincial Progress on Urban Sustainability and Smart Growth (pp. 7-29)

    The Pembina Institute’s February 2003 report outlined a provincial policy framework for smart growth in Ontario, drawing on materials from governmental, academic, non-governmental, and institutional sources, ranging from the Federation of Ontario Naturalists (Ontario Nature)25 to the Toronto-Dominion Bank26 and the C.D. Howe Institute.27

    The Pembina Institute’s provincial policy framework for smart growth and urban sustainability focused on five areas: infrastructure funding policies; land-use planning policies; fiscal and taxation policies; sustainable energy; and governance structures. The provincial government’s progress on issues related to sustainable energy were addressed in the Pembina Institute and Canadian Environmental Law Association’s May 2004 report “Towards...

  5. 3. Conclusions and Next Steps
    3. Conclusions and Next Steps (pp. 30-33)

    Significant developments in urban sustainability issues have occurred in Ontario over the past nine months. Major amendments to the Planning Act have been adopted through Bill 26, and a revised PPS has come into force. A GGH greenbelt has been established, and the Province has delivered on a funding formula for the dedication of a portion of provincial gasoline tax revenues for public transit and has begun to provide funding to municipalities under the program.

    Other elements of the Province’s initiatives remain works in progress, and their final directions are less clear. The GGH Growth management initiative, and accompanying legislation,...

  6. Appendix 1: Urban Sustainability and Smart Growth in Ontario — A Chronology
    Appendix 1: Urban Sustainability and Smart Growth in Ontario — A Chronology (pp. 34-37)
  7. Appendix 2: National Round Table on Environment and Economy Infrastructure Funding Criteria
    Appendix 2: National Round Table on Environment and Economy Infrastructure Funding Criteria (pp. 38-38)
  8. Endnotes
    Endnotes (pp. 39-42)
  9. Back Matter
    Back Matter (pp. 43-43)