What is a regional plan?
A regional plan is a tool that helps guide planning for growth, infrastructure, and servicing across municipal boundaries. It is not a masterplan or an infrastructure plan. It is, however, a plan that sets a long-term framework for policy that crosses jurisdictions. Here in Manitoba, The Planning Act, created by the Province, sets requirements for regional plans. This includes a substantial list of land use and development criteria that a regional plan needs to consider. These requirements help guide the vision established by the WMR Board that together inform the contents of a regional plan.
Why a regional plan?
Regional planning helps municipalities address challenges, risks, and opportunities that cross municipal boundaries. It also helps municipalities access funding from the provincial and federal governments, as many funding opportunities are only available to regions with regional plans. Through regional planning, municipalities can coordinate their efforts and present shared priorities, showing how the region is coordinated, ready, and planning with purpose.
Planning in Manitoba:
Planning in Manitoba is organized as a tiered system. At the top level, the Province sets planning direction through legislation. Planning regions build on this direction by preparing a regional plan that provides a policy framework to guide growth across their member municipalities. Municipalities still plan locally. They create and manage their own development plans, secondary plans, zoning bylaws, and other local bylaws. These documents reflect the character, needs, and priorities of each community. Provincial legislation requires that municipal plans align with the regional plan. This helps planning decisions across the region work together and provides a way to address shared priorities and challenges.
