A spatial approach to biodiversity planning – University of Calgary
How municipalities can integrate biodiversity into their decision making
Integrating land development and biodiversity planning can be complicated. Alberta’s regional plans set objectives for biodiversity and is the foundation for consideration and collaboration among municipalities for ecological assets. Integrating biodiversity planning into municipal decision making can be achieved by considering landscape connectivity and function at a regional scale – and that is where regional plans help out.
Land development decisions and biodiversity planning don’t often go hand-in-hand, but regional plans are a tool to connect the two approaches. A researcher from the University of Calgary noted in 2017 that “this regional coordinating mechanism has the potential to provide legislative support for ecological considerations and conservation planning in a land use context at a regional landscape scale.”
By creating the baseline for all land use decisions, Alberta’s regional plans have the potential to address issues at a large scale and coordinate issues among municipalities. The challenge is finding an effective approach for local decision makers to continually consider broader ecological factors.
To improve biodiversity planning within local decision making, the researcher looks to municipalities in New York state. The key was continuing education and support for municipal official and planners to integrate biodiversity and water management into their decisions. Education is the critical component.
The researcher concludes that there are few resources and studies looking into effective approaches to integrating biodiversity planning with local land use decision making. Planners and municipal land development departments are at the forefront of innovative planning practices.
Read the entire paper on integrating biodiversity planning into local land use decisions.
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