According to the executive director of the Conservation Council of Ontario, there’s not enough of the latter happening in Ontario towns and cities. The Conservation Council of Ontario is the leading force behind the formation of the Ontario Smart Growth Network, a team of Ontario organizations working together to stop urban sprawl and promote healthy communities.

Founded on July 11, the Ontario Smart Growth Network is already 30-organizations strong with a commitment “to promote a healthy environment, healthy communities and sustainable local economies through smart land use, transportation and community design in Ontario.”

“It is based on the North American movement of organizations and government to fight urban sprawl and promote community development,” says Chris Winter, executive director of the Conservation Council of Ontario, in a phone interview.

“We need to address this head-on. We have a problem with urban sprawl. If we don’t address it, we’ll be paying for the next hundred years and beyond.” Chris notes urban sprawl will impact the health, social and environmental components of community.

The network believes responsible urban development protects nature, prime farmland and drinking water sources and uses energy efficiently with minimal pollution and waste. It creates communities where walking, cycling and public transit are the desirable transportation modes.

The network was formed following a number of organizations’ concerns about how Ontario’s Smart Growth plan is unfolding, says Chris.

The Province’s Smart Growth initiative, according to the Ontario government’s Web site, consists of five regional panels whose members offer advice to the Province on how to plan for future growth “in a way that enhances the environment.” Panel members were appointed by the government last summer and include community leaders who represent municipalities, business, agriculture, post-secondary education and the environment.

The network envisions ‘smart growth’ communities as ones which are compact, of mixed use and focus on people-centred development. It’s about designing communities better, Chris notes. “It’s basically good community planning.”

The network’s first goal is to stop the sprawl by containing development within urban boundaries and promoting public transit and inter-regional transit systems.

The network will accomplish this by working with governments, developers, landowners and professionals, encouraging residents to participate in community planning and opposing policies and development proposals that support urban sprawl, according to the network’s founding agreement.

For more information or to join, contact the Conservation Council of Ontario at cco@web.ca or call Chris Winter at 416-533-1635.

Send this page to a friend

Articles may be reprinted with permission. Contact us at peaceful@newsroom5.com or 1-800-294-0051