Participation in Land Use Planning: When you have a say and when you don (Part 1)

Alberta has seen unprecedented growth in recent years. This has direct implications on land use and land use planning. From the local and municipal level to the provincial level, residents of Alberta are able to guide land use to varying degrees. In some decision-making processes residents have a say, in others they do not. As development moves more and more to our backyards there is an increased chance of conflicting values when it comes to land use. These conflicts raise important questions about the extent to which citizens can participate in the planning process. What laws and policies are there to help citizen’s voices be heard? When do the decision makers have to listen? And is participation the exercise in futility it often seems? Speaker: Jason Unger Jason Unger is Staff Council at the Environmental Law Centre in Edmonton. Prior to joining the Centre in early 2005 he practiced law in Calgary and Edmonton. He also worked for an environmental non-governmental organization. During Jason’s schooling at Dalhousie Law School in Halifax, he specialized in environmental law. His current area of focus includes forestry law, water law, administrative law, and land-use law and policy. Download the Audio of this session.
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