Exurban development and land transformation: The case of Ontario

Abstract

Exurban development is the major process resulting in the conversion of rural-agricultural land in Southern Ontario. The process and its results are critical in that Southern Ontario contains the majority of land best suited to intensive agriculture in Canada. Over the last 25 years, the area has become something of a “laboratory” for the investigation of exurban development. The results of investigation are reviewed under three main headings: measurement of both overall levels and detailed components of land transformation; the nature of the processes at work; and the responses by professionals, the public and governments. The techniques evidence considerable sophistication, but a comprehensive monitoring base is still lacking. The processes are complex, involving individual, corporate and public decisions. The impact of conversion is recognised, but the critical level of response by government is still lacking and thus the problem is ongoing.