Niagara Region Official Plan Table of Contents
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Niagara Region Official Plan - Table of Contents Chapter 1 Imagine Niagara 1. Imagine Niagara 1-3 Physical and Economic Background 1-3 Physical Characteristics 1-4 Industry 1-5 Agriculture 1-5 Tourism 1-5 Present Urban Pattern 1-6 Planning Context 1-7 Purpose of an Official Plan 1-7 Existing Local Planning Controls 1-7 Present and Future Planning Responsibilities 1-7 Preparation of the Regional Plan 1-9 Chapter 2 Growing the Economy 2. Growing the Economy 2-3 Strategic Objectives 2-3 2.A Tourism 2-6 2.A.1 Tourism and Recreation 2-6 2.B Greater Niagara Circle Route 2-7 2.B.1 Objectives 2-7 2.B.2 Policies 2-9 2.C Twenty Valley / Jordan Harbour Tourism Area 2-13 2.C.1 Objectives 2-14 2.C.2 Policies 2-15 2.D Niagara Wine Country 2-18 2.D.1 Objectives 2-19 2.D.2 Policies 2-20 2.E Commerce, Industry and Trade 2-23 2.E.1 Export Distribution Zone 2-23 2.E.2 Centres for Excellence 2-23 Chapter 3 Employment 3. Employment 3-3 3.A Niagara Economic Gateway 3-3 3.A.1 General 3-3 3.A.2 Objectives for the Niagara Economic Gateway 3-4 3.A.3 Policies for Niagara Economic Gateway 3-5 3.B Rural Employment Lands 3-12 3.B.1 Objectives for Rural Employment Lands 3-12 3.B.2 Policies for Rural Employment Lands 3-12 3.C Employment Lands 3-15 3.D Commercial Areas 3-16 3.E Major Office 3-18 Table of Contents iii Niagara Region Official Plan
Chapter 4 Managing Growth 4. Managing Growth 4-3 4.A Shaping Growth in Niagara 4-3 4.A.1 Growth Management Objectives 4-3 4.B Population, Household and Employment Projections 4-4 4.B.1 Provincial Population and Employment Forecasts for Niagara 4-4 4.B.2 Municipal Population, Household and Employment Forecasts 4-4 4.B.3 Housing Growth 4-4 4.B.4 Employment Growth 4-5 4.C Intensification and Greenfield Growth 4-6 4.C.1 General Intensification 4-6 4.C.2 Local Municipally Designated Intensification Areas 4-6 4.C.3 Regional residential Intensification Target 4-7 4.C.4 Municipal Residential Intensification Target 4-7 4.C.5 Greenfield Development 4-8 4.C.6 Greenfield Density Target 4-8 4.C.7 Achieving the Density Target 4-9 4.D Municipal Comprehensive Review 4-10 4.D.1 Urban Area Boundary Expansion 4-10 4.D.2 New Settlement Areas 4-11 4.E Employment Lands Conversion 4-12 4.E.1 Conversion of Land Within Employment Areas 4-12 4.F Phasing of Development 4-13 4.F.1 Managing the Land Supply to Achieve Efficient Development 4-13 4.G Urban Growth 4-14 Our Sustainable Urban Vision 4-14 Our Common Objectives 4-15 4.G.1 Niagara s Urban Community Objectives 4-16 4.G.2 Urban Community Structure 4-16 4.G.3 Sustainable Urban Development 4-17 4.G.4 Regional Urban Structure Objectives 4-17 4.G.5 Niagara Region s Urban Structure 4-18 4.G.6 Settlement Areas 4-18 4.G.7 Urban Areas 4-18 4.G.8 Built-up Areas 4-18 4.G.9 Designated Greenfield Areas 4-19 4.G.10 Downtown St. Catharines Urban Growth Centre 4-19 4.G.11 Local Municipally Designated Intensification Areas 4-19 4.G.12 The Niagara Economic Gateway 4-19 4.G.13 Transportation Corridors 4-20 4.H Hamlets 4-21 4.H.1 Hamlets in the Regional Structure 4-21 4.H.2 Hamlets in the Local Community Structure 4-23 4.H Hamlet Development Policies 4-24 4.I Mixed Use Areas 4-25 4.J Urban Design and the Public Realm 4-26 Table of Contents iv Niagara Region Official Plan
Table 4-1 Niagara Region Population, Household and Employment Forecasts by Local Municipality, 2006-2013 provided at the end of the Chapter 4. Chapter 5 Rural and Agriculture 5. Rural and Agriculture 5-3 5.A Objectives for Agricultural and Rural Areas 5-3 5.B Policies for Agriculture 5-5 5.C Policies for Rural Areas 5-16 5.D Polices for Villages and Hamlets 5-20 Chapter 6 Resources 6. Resources 6-3 6.A Mineral Resources 6-3 6.B Objectives for Mineral Resources 6-4 6.C Policies for Mineral Resources 6-5 6.D Peat Extraction 6-9 Chapter 7 Natural Environment 7. Natural Environment 7-3 A Guide to the Policies 7-5 7.A A Healthy Landscape 7-6 7.A.1 Natural Vegetation and Wildlife 7-8 7.A.2 Water Resources 7-9 7.A.3 Air Quality and Climate Change 7-11 7.A.4 Landforms, Geology and Soils 7-12 7.A.5 Shorelines 7-13 7.A.6 Natural Hazards 7-14 7.B The Core Natural Heritage System 7-17 7.B.1 Policies for the Core Natural Heritage System 7-17 7.B.2 Environmental Impact Studies 7-29 7.C Implementation Measures 7-30 7.C.1 Regional Operations 7-30 7.C.2 Integrated Environmental Planning and Development Review 7-31 7.C.3 Supporting Stewardship 7-33 7.D Recreation and Open Space 7-34 Chapter 8 Infrastructure 8. Infrastructure 8-3 8.A Objectives for Infrastructure 8-3 8.B Water and Wastewater Systems 8-4 8.C Solid Waste Disposal 8-8 8.D Utilities 8-9 8.E Energy 8-10 Chapter 9 Transportation Table of Contents v Niagara Region Official Plan
9. Transportation 9-3 9.A Objectives for Transportation 9-3 9.B Policies for Transportation 9-4 9.C The Regional Road System 9-6 9.D Corridor Protection 9-14 9.E Public Transit 9-15 9.F Active Transportation 9-16 9.F.1 Objectives for Active Transportation 9-16 9.F.2 Policies for Active Transportation 9-17 9.G Complete Streets 9-20 9.H Goods Movement 9-21 9.H.1 General Policies 9-21 9.H.2 Railroads 9-21 9.H.3 Airports 9-22 9.H.4 Welland Canal 9-22 9.I Transportation Demand Management 9-23 Table 9-1 Road Allowance Widths provided at the end of the Chapter 9. Chapter 10 Creative Niagara 10. Creative Niagara 10-3 10.A Creative Niagara 10-3 10.A.1 Objectives 10-3 10.B Creative People as the Drivers of a Creative Economy 10-4 10.B.1 Objectives 10-4 10.B.2 Policies 10-4 10.C Creative Places 10-6 10.C.1 Objectives 10-6 10.C.2 Polices 10-6 10.C.2.1 Built Heritage Resources, Cultural heritage Landscapes and Archaeological Resources 10-6 10.C.2.2 Community Infrastructure 10-8 10.C.2.3 Design 10-8 10.D Creative Identity 10-10 10.D.1 Objectives 10-10 10.D.2 Cultural Expression 10-10 10.D.3 Community Identities 10-11 10.E Cultural Tourism 10-12 10.E.1 Objectives 10-12 10.E.2 Policies 10-12 10.F Welland Canal Cultural Heritage Landscape 10-13 10.F.1 Objectives 10-13 10.F.2 Policies 10-13 Table of Contents vi Niagara Region Official Plan
Chapter 11 Housing and Community Services 11. Housing and Community Services 11-3 11.A Residential Areas and Housing 11-3 11.B Community Facilities and Institutions 11-6 11.C Recreational Uses 11-7 Chapter 12 Engagement 12. Consultation and Engagement 12-3 12.A Vision and Objectives 12-4 12.B Engagement Policies 12-5 12.C Communication and Engagement Tools and Techniques for Public Participation 12-6 12.D Consulting and Engaging with Governments 12-9 12.E Consulting and Engaging with Local Municipalities 12-10 Chapter 13 Site Specific Policies 13. Site Specific Policies 13-3 13.1 Objectives 13-4 13.2 Policies 13-4 13.A Site Specific Policies for Fort Erie 13-5 13.A.1 Land Use 13-5 13.A.2 Servicing 13-7 13.B Site Specific Policies for Grimsby 13-9 13.B.1 Land Use 13-9 13.B.2 Servicing 13-9 13.C Site Specific Policies for Lincoln 13-11 13.C.1 Land Use 13-11 13.C.2 Servicing 13-11 13.D Site Specific Policies for Niagara Falls 13-15 13.D.1 Land Use 13-15 13.D.2 Servicing 13-18 13.E Site Specific Policies for Niagara-on-the-Lake 13-24 13.E.1 Land Use 13-24 13.E.2 Servicing 13-25 13.F Site Specific Policies for Pelham 13-28 13.F.1 Land Use 13-28 13.F.2 Servicing 13-29 13.G Site Specific Policies for Port Colborne 13-33 13.G.1 Land Use 13-33 13.G.2 Servicing 13-33 13.H Site Specific Policies for St. Catharines 13-35 13.H.1 Land Use 13-35 13.H.2 Servicing 13-35 13.I.1 Site Specific Policies for Thorold 13-37 13.I.1 Land Use 13-37 13.I.1 Servicing 13-37 Table of Contents vii Niagara Region Official Plan
13.J Site Specific Policies for Wainfleet 13-40 13.J.1 Land Use 13-40 13.J.2 Servicing 13-41 13.K Site Specific Policies for Welland 13-43 13.K.1 Land Use 13-43 13.K.2 Servicing 13-43 13.L Site Specific Policies for West Lincoln 13-45 13.L.1 Land Use 13-45 13.L.2 Servicing 13-45 Chapter 14 Implementation 14. Implementation 14-3 14.A Vision and Objectives 14-4 14.B Roles and Responsibilities 14-5 14.C How to Read and Interpret this Plan 14-6 14.D The Regional Official Plan 14-8 14.E Local Official Plan Conformity 14-9 14.F Implementation 14-12 14.G Regional official Plan Amendment Application Process 14-14 14.H Financial Sustainability Tools 14-19 14.I Regional Phasing 14-20 14.I.1 Phasing Strategy Objective 14-20 14.I.2 Regional Role 14-20 14.I.3 Local Municipal Role 14-22 14.J General Implementation Policies 14-23 14.K Monitoring and Measuring Success 14-24 Chapter 15 Definitions 15. Definitions 15-3 Schedules Schedule A Schedule B Schedule C Schedule D1 Schedule D2 Schedule D3 Schedule D4 Schedule E Schedule F Schedule G1 Schedule G2 Regional Structure Agricultural Land Base Core Natural Heritage Potential Aggregate Resource Areas Potential Resource Areas: Sand and Gravel Potential resource Areas: Peat and Petroleum Mineral Resources Niagara Region Bicycle Network The Twenty Valley / Jordan Harbour Tourism Area Niagara Economic Gateway Niagara Economic Gateway Employment Lands Table of Contents viii Niagara Region Official Plan
Appendices Appendix A List of Original Documents and Amendments 3 Appendix B Advisory Committees to Regional Council 23 Greater Niagara Circle Route 23 Regional Niagara Bicycling Committee 23 Agricultural Policy and Action Committee 23 Table of Contents ix Niagara Region Official Plan
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