LandUsePlanningandAgriculture:MeasuringFarmlandConversion

By:WayneCaldwell,SaraEpp,JamesNewlands

CanadianRuralRevitalizationFoundation- October14,2016

ProjectFunders

• ThisresearchprojectwasfundedthroughtheOMAFRA-UniversityofGuelphpartnershipandwouldnothavebeenpossiblewithoutthisfinancialsupport

• OthergraduatestudentsupportprovidedbyAnissaMcAlpine

PresentationOutline

• Startingpremise–Challengeswithexistingmeasurementtools

• ResearchMethod• Findings• Challenges• NextSteps

StartingPremiseWearechallengedbytheabsenceofdatatoaccuratelydocumentchangestofarmland

availabilityovertime

Source:GeoOttawa

ExistingMethodscomewithChallenges

• Census – Onlydocumentslandinproduction(e.g.commodityprices).Itmaybedecadesbeforelandcomesoutofproductionfollowingalandusedecision.

• Aerialimagery– Variesacrosstheprovinceandmayormaynotdocumenttheimpactoflandusedecisions.

• MunicipalPerformanceMeasurementsystem–Provinciallymandatedandmaybehelpfulbuthaschallengesassociatedwithdataaccuracyandconsistency(methodologyiserraticbetweenmunicipalitiesandovertime).

• Delaybetweenapprovalsandlanddevelopment– Landoftencomesoutofproductionyearsafterapprovalshavebeengranted

–Whennewhousesarebuiltaformeragriculturaluseisvisiblylost

• AssumedpolicyfailureofGreenbeltorCountyorRegionalPlanning– Peopleseehousesbuiltonprimelandor“sprawl”andassumethatthe

planninginstrumentisn’tworking

LandApprovalsandDevelopment

ResearchMethodsThisresearchspecificallylookedatapprovedofficialplanamendmentsbyregion/countytoidentifytheamountoflandlosttourbanexpansionandother

non-agriculturallanduses.

Source:http://elcr.org/rural-sprawl/

ResearchMethods

• Themethodologyalsoincludedreviewingplanners'reports,officialplanpoliciesandprovinciallegislation

• 100soffileswerereviewedon-siteorwhenavailable,electronically

• Region/countystaffhavebeenconsultedforaidininterpretingindividualfileswhennecessary.

Timeframe– ResearchParameters• Startwiththeyear2000to2014• Capturedbothdatabeforethe2005PPSandbeforetheGreenbelt

StudySitesCompletedandinProgress

LegendCompleteInProgress

AgriculturalDesignationsOvertheYears- 2005

ApprovedbyRegionJune2005AppealedtotheOMBApprovedbyOMBDecember2006– 2,428hectaresofland

AgriculturalDesignationsOvertheYears- 2006

Twoexpansionstotalingapproximately7,000hectares

AgriculturalDesignationsOvertheYears- 2014

SettlementAreaBoundaryExpansion-208hectares

AgriculturalDesignationsOvertheYears– FutureGrowthExpectations

RedboxindicatestheMayfieldWestRuralServiceStudyAreaofapproximately5,000acres

Some FindingsSoFar

County/Region

NumberofapprovedOPAs

relatedtothelossofprime

agricultureland

Prime agricultureredesignated for:

DevelopmentDesignation(residential,commercial,industrial,

recreational,etc.)(Ha)

SecondaryAgriculture(Ha)

Non-farm usesthroughsite-specificpolicy

amendments (Ha)

Halton 12 2,656 0 287

Huron 2 25 0 0

Niagara 42 943 240 849

Peel 4 3,274 0 127

Perth 61 217 7 413

Wellington 35 817 16,295 86

York 16 5,233 1,755 0

NiagaraRegionFindingsorganizedbyapplicationdateandgeography

OutsidetheGreenbeltPlanArea

WithintheGreenbeltPlanArea Total

pre-2005 2005- 2014 pre-2005 2005-2014

PrimeAgricultureLandLost(Ha) 943 10 218 0 1,171ha

SiteSpecificNon-AgriculturalUses(Ha) 182 547 120 0 849ha

GreenbeltAreaTotals(Halton,Niagara,Peel,WellingtonandYork)

OutsidetheGreenbeltPlanArea

WithintheGreenbeltPlanArea Total

pre-2005 2005- 2014 pre-2005 2005-2014

PrimeAgricultureLandLost(Ha) 23,656 6,901 7,615 48 54,515ha

SiteSpecificNon-AgriculturalUses(Ha) 370 619 360 0 1,349ha

Challenges• RegionalVariation– Sitespecificpolicies• Permitteduses

• Definitionoffarmland– Secondaryagricultureandruraldesignations

NextSteps

• Completecasestudies• Analysis/report– Summaryoffindings– Trends

• Toolkit– Outlineofmethodology– Bestpractices

ThankYou