Land Use Planning

Your Community, Your Way

A Land Use Plan documents your community’s vision for how the lands and waters will be used over the next five to twenty years. The plan determines what areas need to be protected and identifies what areas would be best for development, including where to put new homes, businesses, and cultural sites, for example. Land Use Plans generally include policies, zones or designations. They also include regulations for how to use the land in different areas, and guidelines to make sure development happens in an environmentally sound and culturally sustainable way.

A Tool for Protecting Your Values

Land use planning is important for asserting rights and can play a role in revitalizing culture. A land use plan provides clear guidance on where development should go. It creates transparent decision-making on land use with common rules for everyone. It provides tools for staff and leadership to make decisions about how the land will be used, rooted in guidance and input from the community. This means that if you are looking to build a new home or business and want to know where and how to get it done, you can look to the plan for direction. It also ensures that your important cultural and environmental places are protected from unwanted developments.

Why Choose SVS?

Our team of dedicated and certified Planners work alongside clients to understand their unique situations, complexities, and motivations in undertaking Land Use Planning to ensure significant positive impacts to their community.  We pride ourselves in being trained and certified in community engagement practices and work to ensure that all community members have the opportunity to participate in planning activities to shape the future of the lands and waters they steward, and the communities in which they live.

See the Project examples below to learn more.

Want more information about what goes into a Land Use Plan?

Download our Indigenous Planning Cheat Sheet