Planning Regional Food Systems: A Guide for Municipal Planning and Development in the Greater Golden Horseshoe was created in 2009 to highlight practices that planners are currently implementing to benefit local food systems and to provide recommendations for what municipal planners could be doing better in areas of policy, land use planning and economic development. The Planning Guide was used for the basis of five workshops held with planners across the Greater Golden Horseshoe area in 2010.

The Planning Guide is divided into four sections that promote: 

• Updating the Official Plan and zoning bylaws with an assessment of the local
  agricultural resource, both in terms of economics and biogeography;
• Engaging farm communities through public education and the coordination of
  Agricultural Advisory Committees;
• Renewing rural capacity by investing in new market research and regional food
  system infrastructure; and
  
• Connecting urban markets to healthy food and farming systems.

The Planning Guide was researched and written by Arthur Churchyard, a Masters student in the University of Guelph School of Planning, in consultation with planners from across the province. Thank you, also, to workshop co-ordinator Ruth Silver and facilitator Margaret Walton (PlanScape Consulting).

Planning Regional Food Systems: A Guide for Municipal Planning and Development in the Greater Golden Horseshoe (PDF)

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