Which municipal plan is mandatory for all municipalities with populations over 3,500?

The Municipal Development Plan (MDP) is a comprehensive framework that outlines future growth, development, and land use policies for a municipality. It is mandatory for all municipalities with populations over 3,500 because it provides essential guidance for sustainable development, ensuring that the community’s needs are met over time. The MDP serves as a tool for decision-making in areas such as zoning, infrastructure, and public services while also considering economic, environmental, and social factors.

By requiring municipalities with populations over 3,500 to create an MDP, provincial regulations ensure that larger communities engage in strategic planning that supports organized development and addresses future challenges. This mandatory requirement reflects the need for more detailed planning in urbanized areas where complex interactions and greater demands on resources and services occur.

The other options, while important in their own right, are not universally mandatory for municipalities of that size. For instance, the Neighbourhood Structure Plan (NSP) and Area Structure Plan (ASP) are often used in specific contexts within urban development but are typically supplementary to the MDP and may not be required in all cases. The Development Permit System also plays a role in the approval process for specific developments but does not serve as an overarching planning document like the MDP.