The new government of Ontario has inherited a framework of land-use planning, infrastructure and tax policies that encourage, facilitate and subsidize urban sprawl. If it is to avoid finding itself again in the situation of being unable to protect ecologically important areas, like the Oak Ridges Moraine, from urban development, then the government needs to move quickly to set a fundamentally new direction for provincial policy.
Those are the conclusions of a major new study on controlling urban sprawl in Ontario released today by the Pembina Institute entitled Building Sustainable Urban Communities in Ontario: Overcoming the Barriers.
"Despite the previous government's statements about 'smart growth,' it did little to alter the provincial rules and regulations that were producing sprawl," said Dr. Mark Winfield, Director of the Pembina Institute's Environmental Governance Program and author of the report. "If the new government allows the framework of laws and policies left by its predecessor to remain in place, then it will find itself trapped over and over again in the kind of situation it has faced in its efforts to protect the Oak Ridges Moraine in Richmond Hill" added Dr. Winfield.
Flowing from a detailed analysis of current provincial laws, regulations and policies, the Pembina Institute's study highlights priority action areas for the new government to curb urban sprawl and promote environmentally, socially and economically sustainable communities in Ontario. These include
- The reform of the Planning Act, provincial land-use policies and the Ontario Municipal Board appeal process, and the removal of provincial financial incentives to urban sprawl.
- Cultural and mandate change within key provincial agencies, particularly the Ministry of Transportation and Ontario Realty Corporation, the establishment of a mandate to contain urban sprawl for the new Ministry of Public Infrastructure Renewal, and improved coordination among provincial agencies on urban development issues.
- The establishment of mechanisms for regional coordination in the GTA, with strong mandates to curb sprawl, promote public transit and protect ecologically significant areas.
- The assurance of financial sustainability for municipalities, reducing their dependence on property taxes and widening their revenue base, including dedicating a portion of provincial gasoline revenues for public transit.
Ontario looses 3,000 hectares of prime farmland to urban sprawl every year. The continuation of current development patterns is projected, over the next twenty years, to result in the economic costs of traffic congestion in the GTA alone growing to nearly $4 billion per year, while transportation-related emissions of greenhouse gases will rise by 42%. "Ontario cannot afford the environmental and economic price of continuing on its current path," concluded Dr. Winfield.
For more information contact:
Mark Winfield, Ph.D.Director, Environmental Governance
(416)-978-5656
Cell (416)-434-8130
The Pembina Institute is an independent, not-for-profit environmental policy research and education organization. The report, Building Sustainable Urban Communities in Ontario: Overcoming the Barriers can be viewed at www.pembina.org.