Greater Golden Horseshoe Growth Plan Wins Prestigious U.S. AwardOntario Internationally Recognized As Leader In Growth Planning
TORONTO—The Ontario government has won a prominent American Planning Association award for Ontario’s Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, Public Infrastructure Renewal Minister David Caplan announced today.
“I’m very pleased that Ontario is being internationally recognized as a leader in growth planning. The Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe is the cornerstone of an ambitious package of related new government initiatives including the Greenbelt and the Greater Toronto Transportation Authority,” said Caplan, the minister responsible for the plan. “Long-term growth planning is key to Ontario’s future and will ensure Ontarians have the communities they want and deserve.”
The Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe is the first plan from outside the United States to win the American Planning Association’s (APA’s) Daniel Burnham Award. The award is given to the plan that best illustrates progress, community benefit and contribution to the advancement of the planning profession.
“This plan is a landmark comprehensive plan that is both visionary and pragmatic,” said Carol Rhea, AICP, chair of the 2007 APA Awards Committee. “It provides a strategic, innovative and coordinated approach to sustainable growth and development for 110 different municipalities.”
The Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe focuses on long-term prosperity and quality of life in the Greater Toronto Area. It is the first growth plan to be released under the Places to Grow Act, 2005, outlining the government’s innovative long-term vision for Ontario’s most populous region.
The focus of the plan is to create complete communities, with a greater mix of housing, parks, businesses and services that will make them more livable. The plan sets clear standards for growth and development, while giving local governments the flexibility they need to maintain their unique identities.
"I commend Minister David Caplan for taking leadership on the Growth Plan and congratulate him for winning this well-deserved award,” said Oshawa Mayor John Gray. “It's a plan that recognizes the importance of revitalizing downtowns and urban areas. The Growth Plan complements our vision for Oshawa as a place with a vibrant centre where people can live, work and play."
"The Province's Growth Plan represents the kind of leadership that Ontario has been needing for a long while," said David Crombie, former Mayor of Toronto and President of the Canadian Urban Institute. “This award highlights that this Toronto region can be a real leader in North America. Let's keep up the momentum.”
“I would like to congratulate everyone involved in creating this award-winning plan,” said Caplan. “The Ontario government could not have done this without the help of thousands of citizens, stakeholders and experts.”
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Contacts:
Amy Tang
Minister’s Office
416-325-4048
Lori Theoret
Communications Branch
416-325-1810
