December 19, 2006

Statement to the Legislature: Concerning the Daniel Burnham Award
by David Caplan, Minister of Public Infrastructure Renewal

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am delighted to be here today to tell my colleagues that our government has won a prestigious American Planning Association national award for the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe.

I’m pleased that Ontario is being recognized internationally as a leader in growth planning. The Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe is the cornerstone of an ambitious package of government initiatives that include the Greenbelt, the Greater Toronto Transportation Authority, and of course Renew Ontario, our five-year $30 billion plus infrastructure renewal program.

It’s a plan that will help us realize a sustainable, prosperous future.

The Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe is the first plan from outside of the United States to win the American Planning Association’s Daniel Burnham Award.

The American Planning Association is the pre-eminent national professional planning organization in the United States, representing 39,000 professional planners, officials and citizens.

Mr. Speaker, this is a true honour and puts Ontario at the forefront of efforts in sustainable development.

The American Planning Association gives the award to the plan that best illustrates progress, community benefit and contribution to the advancement of the planning profession.

It is awarded to the plan that best represents the APA’s slogan of “Making Great Communities Happen.” — Which is what this government is working to achieve through the Places to Grow Act — creating healthier, more sustainable communities and improving quality of life.

The Growth Plan reduces development pressures on important natural areas and agricultural lands and ties long-term growth planning with infrastructure decisions.

Carol Rhea, the chair of the awards committee, called the Growth Plan both visionary and pragmatic. She went on to say that it provided a strategic, innovative and coordinated approach to sustainable growth and development.

In other words, the Growth Plan was selected for meeting the award’s criteria in an exemplary way. — Criteria like being original, innovative and progressive. Having high-quality research and attention to detail. Showing an effort in public engagement, participation and consultation.

We couldn’t have done this alone, nor did we want to. Mr. Speaker, we had the help and input of thousands of citizens, stakeholders and experts. The process for developing this plan has been one of very careful consensus building, drawing on internal and external planning expertise, and with support coming from all sectors – municipalities, developers, environmentalists, and residents – all of whom recognized the need for a big picture plan and strategy for growth.

Thanks to all that work, we have an unprecedented consensus that Ontario will be more successful and prosperous by following a set of smart planning principles.

I would like to congratulate everyone involved in creating this award-winning plan.

I think Daniel Burnham, one of the most famous planners in the United States, would be proud of our effort. He said, “Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir men's blood and probably will not themselves be realized."

Our Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe will build opportunities for the people of Ontario by promoting economic prosperity and creating better-planned communities. It will help create complete communities, with a greater mix of businesses, services, housing and parks that will make them more livable.

We’re presenting better choices for a better future. Through the plan and our complementary initiatives, we will help give Ontarians the communities they want and deserve.

Please join me in celebrating Ontario’s achievement.

Thank you.