Official Community Plan

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Mixing uses, strategically focusing increased densities and attention to high-quality urban form are important land use ingredients that together deliver on a number of benefits to a community’s success: • Community Character – This refers to the “look and feel” and overall attractiveness of a city. The height and type of buildings, and the uses within them, influence street life and help shape a distinguishable visual identity that creates a unique sense of place. • Housing Choices – Different building types offer different housing choices (e.g., single residential house, townhouse, apartment) available for individuals and families. Land use policies that enable housing diversity to reflect a community’s diversity contribute to a community’s housing affordability. • Transportation Choices – The intensity and distribution of buildings, along with land use and transportation infrastructure, greatly impacts how people choose to move around. Some forms of development make it convenient, safe, and desirable to move around on foot, by bike, or by transit, while other forms of development effectively limit transportation choices to travel by car. Transportation choice in turn influences an individual’s level of physical activity, and thus their health and safety. Owning a car is also the second-greatest expense in many households after housing, therefore more transportation choices contribute to a household’s affordability. CO-BENEFITS OF THOUGHTFUL LAND USE PLANNING

• Protection of Agricultural Land and Natural Environment – The physical footprint of a city and the degree to which growth is managed within existing built up areas greatly influence a community’s ability to protect its surrounding natural areas and agricultural lands from encroaching development. • Sustainable Servicing – This includes municipal infrastructure, ranging from roads to sewers to parks. The efficiency and sustainability of providing these services to citizens across the city is influenced by the distribution and intensity of development. • Municipal Finances and Taxes – Municipal servicing efficiency in turn impacts the cost of providing services, which affects the City’s financial bottom line and ultimately the taxes paid by residents and businesses.

City of Courtenay Official Community Plan