Abstract
First published advance online December 17, 2019As rural regions in Northwestern Ontario are faced with dynamic changes, it is important they are equipped with the tools and strategies needed to maintain healthy environments, resilient communities, and robust economies. There is a need for innovative approaches to rural planning that incorporate the values and tools of sustainability planning and, as such, will be more equipped to address the diverse strengths and challenges of rural regions. This article attempts to identify the potential for place-based and northern adaptations of sustainability planning. It highlights challenges for sustainability planning in rural areas and discusses how smart growth approaches have the potential to guide planning processes in rural locales. It then examines an existing rural smart growth framework and gaps in that framework from a northern perspective. The article concludes with some proposed adaptations to the rural smart growth framework to address the unique characteristics and needs of northern, rural communities and regions; adaptations that might help to further development of regional, place-based, sustainability planning in Northwestern Ontario and across Canada’s Provincial North.
Highlights
As rural regions in Northwestern Ontario are faced with dynamic changes, it is important they are equipped with the tools and strategies needed to maintain healthy environments, resilient communities, and robust economies
There is a need for innovative approaches to rural planning that incorporate the values and tools of sustainability planning and, as such, will be more equipped to address the diverse strengths and challenges of rural regions (Hahn, 1970; Ryan-Nicholls, 2004)
Beyond the initial eleven proposed in the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) framework, we suggest adding five additional dimensions as discussed below: Technology and telecommunications; Education; Needs of very rural regions and very isolated communities; Support for inmigration; and Reconciliation and self-determination for First Nations
Summary
As rural regions in Northwestern Ontario are faced with dynamic changes, it is important they are equipped with the tools and strategies needed to maintain healthy environments, resilient communities, and robust economies. This article attempts to identify the potential for northern adaptations of smart growth frameworks that could help to address regional sustainability planning needs in Northwestern Ontario. There are several environmental, economic, and social challenges that compromise the sustainability of rural communities and regions in Northwestern Ontario.
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