TDC Development Areas

Development Purpose

TDC programs are often mistakenly seen as purely a conservation tool, when they are in fact, a tool to reconcile conservation and development. This means that, as well as having a conservation purpose, TDC programs should also articulate a development purpose. Like the conservation goal, this goal should be included in the Municipal Development Plan, and then reflected in the purpose of the TDC program(s).

Articulating a development goal is also important for conservation. For communities considering the TDC tool, development pressure is – by definition – a reality (if it is not, TDCs are not the right tool!). The challenge then becomes, not stopping development, but rather encouraging it in a quantity, location and form that minimizes the impact on the community’s valued landscapes. Simple goals of increased density tend to be less effective (and accepted) than more explicit goals regarding (e.g.,) walkability, open space, water use efficiency, transit proximity, proximity to infrastructure, etc.

Legally, the Alberta Land Stewardship Act requires very little with regard to designating TDC Development Areas. The Act simply states that every TDC scheme must include “(e) the designation of an area or areas of land as a development area and any terms and conditions of that designation.”