Causing unnecessary divisions in the local community as a result
I have followed with interest the ongoing saga of the proposed ‘rapid housing’ initiative in the north-end of Sydney.
I do not have an opinion of whether the proposed location is the correct location, but I understand the arguments put forth by both sides. As an experienced municipal town planner, it appears that the root of the issue is Nova Scotia’s cumbersome and antiquated land use planning system, which is not fit for purpose in the 21st century.
TOO MANY CONSTRAINTS
It has been reported in the Cape Breton Post that no public consultation will occur because the location of the proposed housing project is already zoned for this type of development. Thus, there is no trigger for such consultation.
On the other hand, it seems that were the land not zoned for this type of development, a long series of hearings, consultations and reports would have to be undertaken before any work could commence. It seems that the current system is either overly cumbersome or overly lenient and speaks to my point: the current system is not agile, not adaptive, and not fit for purpose in our fast-paced, nuanced modern society.
It is a classic case of don’t blame the people, blame the system: the proponents of the project, the concerned surrounding residents, and the municipal planners are all constrained in what they can do to resolve this matter by the inflexible system that they are working within.
A BETTER WAY
I am a deputy in the town planning department of one of the fastestgrowing municipalities in the fastest-growing state in Australia. In the 1980s it became apparent that our planning system was not up to scratch; it was completely overhauled state-wide between 1987 and 1999.
The antiquated, cumbersome, all-or-nothing system similar to that still in use in Nova Scotia was replaced with a modern, agile, responsive and representative system based on individual permits, not zoning. It allows projects to be considered individually on their merits, it guarantees surrounding residents the right to object to a proposal, the right to meet with the proponents of a proposal, and the right to appeal any permit to a state planning tribunal.
Conversely, it also ensures proposals are assessed on their merits, not politics, and allows proponents of proposals to appeal for a final decision from the state planning tribunal if the municipality fails to make a decision within 60 days.
As the system is based on permits, not zoning, a proposal can be located almost anywhere within the appropriate (and very broad) residential, commercial and industrial zones. No rezoning of land is required.
Instead, rather detailed assessments of the specific details of each proposal is undertaken to determine whether the proposed location is appropriate. If it isn’t an appropriate location, or if there is a considerable, legitimate negative response from the public, proposals can easily and quickly be relocated to a more appropriate location.
EMPOWERMENT FOR ALL
Our system is fast, progressive and ensures all parties are empowered to take part in the process. It also requires all proposals be advertised to surrounding residents, ensuring the process is transparent. It is nuanced and it allows all stakeholders to work together to determine the best, fairest, and most appropriate location for a specific use or development. This is the type of system needed right now in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality to deal with the ongoing controversy surrounding the proposed housing project.
The current, antiquated, all-or-nothing planning system is failing, and it is causing unnecessary divisions in the local community as a result — and it could all be avoided if the planning system was fit for purpose.
This commentary was originally published in the Cape Breton Post on 13 July 2023. Photo by @thisisengineering at Pexels.
