In an unprecedented move, the Province of Alberta's energy regulator has issued a warning that time is running out to put in place the infrastructure -- including roads, schools and health care -- needed to keep pace with oil sands development.
Alberta's energy regulator warned the provincial government it has a "short window of opportunity" to invest in roads and other infrastructure in the Fort McMurray region to keep up with unprecedented oil sands development.
It is the first time such recommendations have been made by the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board, though the regulator did highlight potential infrastructure challenges several years ago.
The recommendations were made after the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, which includes Fort McMurray, questioned the wild pace of oil sands growth this summer at public hearings to discuss the Suncor expansion. The region said development was too uncontrolled and hurting the area, the people, the air, the roads, the schools, and the health care system.
The regulator's advice to the government is part of a growing political and social awareness in Alberta that oil sands development could be out of control, and a far stricter plan may be required to manage the myriad issues."
FULL STORY: Alberta's energy regulator warns of growth outpacing infrastructure
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?
In Both Crashes and Crime, Public Transportation is Far Safer than Driving
Contrary to popular assumptions, public transportation has far lower crash and crime rates than automobile travel. For safer communities, improve and encourage transit travel.
Report: Zoning Reforms Should Complement Nashville’s Ambitious Transit Plan
Without reform, restrictive zoning codes will limit the impact of the city’s planned transit expansion and could exclude some of the residents who depend on transit the most.
Judge Orders Release of Frozen IRA, IIJA Funding
The decision is a victory for environmental groups who charged that freezing funds for critical infrastructure and disaster response programs caused “real and irreparable harm” to communities.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Clanton & Associates, Inc.
Jessamine County Fiscal Court
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service