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The Planning
and Economic Development Committee provides effective leadership
on key strategic planning policies and initiatives aligned
with the long-term comprehensive vision; Vision 2026 and the
Regional Official Plan. Implementing comprehensive planning
policies for the present, and anticipating the future needs
of a rapidly growing community, is accomplished by balancing
the competing demands of growth, environmental protection,
land use, affordable housing and improving transit, transportation
and infrastructure systems. Managing growth and the evolution
of quality communities is also in response to federal and
provincial initiatives, such as the Provincial Growth Plan
– Places to Grow, The Greenbelt Plan and Oak Ridges Moraine
Conservation Plan.
SUSTAINABLE
NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
Focus:
Prepare and implement strategic initiatives that conserve and
enhance the Region’s natural resources, promote a healthy
environment and guide development.
Achievements:
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Completion of the consultation and approval in principle
of the GTA Agricultural Action Plan. |
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The Greening Strategy - Regional
Securement Criteria was endorsed by Regional Council.
It established a process and criteria for evaluating Regional
securement opportunities. The strategy co-ordinates greenland
and forest initiatives across the Region. |
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Provincial
approval of the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan Conformity
Amendment. |
GROWTH MANAGEMENT
Focus:
Re-examine the Region’s growth management strategy to refine
York Region’s Urban Structure Plan for the next 25 years.
Achievements:
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Re-examined
and provided comprehensive input to the long-term population
and employment forecasts for the GTA in cooperation with
other GTA Regions and cities to support new provincial
initiatives, such as Places to Grow, Planning Reform and
the Provincial Policy Statement review. |
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Regional Council approved three important secondary plans
in King Township, Aurora and Vaughan to create opportunities
for community development, employment growth and environmental
protection. |
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Regional Council endorsed the Centres and Corridors Strategy
– Making it Happen. The Strategy encourages development
that is transit supportive and consistent with intensification,
density and urban design policies set out in the Regional
Official Plan Amendment 43. |
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND TOURISM PROMOTION
Focus:
Sustain the economic vitality of York Region by encouraging
business investments, encouraging technology transfer and innovation,
supporting small enterprise formation and promoting tourism.
Achievements:
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Published
The Economy of York Region Report which provided for the
first time an assessment of the Region’s economic
performance measured by Gross Domestic Product and the
scale and diversity of business structures that exist
within the Region. |
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Developed
an Economic Strategy to define the Region’s public
policy initiatives related to future economic development
and investment attraction plans to support competitive
businesses within the Region. |
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The
Region's 2004 Visitors Guide continued to be a successful
component of the Region’s tourism program. It is
the only regional publication of its kind designed to
promote travel within the Region.
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HUMAN SERVICES
Focus:
Increase partnership opportunities to integrate human service
delivery and address historical under-funding with senior levels
of government to support the rapidly growing and diverse population
of York Region.
Achievements:
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Completed
It’s All Here Employment project, a multi-agency
initiative to recruit and retain human service workers. |
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Released
updated data on health care and social services under-funding.
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Resolution
passed by all nine area municipalities, to support the
Human Services Planning Coalition’s (HSPC) request
for new human services funding models that recognize the
impact of rapid growth in York Region. |
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The
HSPC established a multi-sector action group to lead a
community-wide consultation process to develop The Road
to Inclusivity: An Action Plan for York Region, to make
York Region an ethno-culturally inclusive community. |
GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SERVICES
Focus:
Improve the accessibility of geographic information, technology,
products and services to enhance the Region’s overall effectiveness
in strategic growth initiatives and long-term monitoring.
Achievements:
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Successfully
established a YorkInfo Partnership Charter to define the
organizational framework for geospatial data creation,
information management and the efficient distribution
of products and services. The Charter enhances service
delivery, creates efficiencies and reduces duplication
across York Region’s nine area municipalities, two
local school boards and conservation authorities. |
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Entered
into a four-year maintenance agreement to stabilize the
cost of acquiring digital orthophotography and to ensure
that current information is available for a rapidly changing
geographic area. |
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Awarded
$100,000 federal funding from the GeoConnections Program
Natural Resources Canada to advance the technology of
the Region’s YorkExplorer Web site. The enhancements
have improved access and sharing of geospatial information
and maps. |
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Regional
Council approved three important secondary plans for community
development, employment growth and environmental protection. |
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Successfully
established a YorkInfo Partnership Charter to define the
organizational framework for geospatial data creation,
information management and the efficient distribution
of products and services. |
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The
Greening Strategy established a process and criteria for
evaluating Regional securement opportunities across the
Region. |
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