The Foundation Strategy

The foundation strategy is the backbone of the alternatives. It remains the same in each alternative and addresses the essential aspects of the Regional Plan’s principles, goals and objectives. The variations among the alternatives are the type and location of centres and the accompanying level of municipal services, like public transit and piped water and sewer.

The foundation strategy has several key elements that address the Regional Plan’s goals and objectives at a broad level. Through the foundation strategy, each alternative would:

• Ensure the efficient and effective use of existing and future infrastructure, like roads, sewers, water lines and sewage treatment plants
• Support HRM’s global competitiveness through enhancing our quality of life, transportation systems and other key economic drivers.
• Support the Capital District as the economic and cultural centre. While suburban and rural employment centres will continue to be important elements of the region, the foundation strategy builds on the importance of the Capital District as the economic and cultural heart of the region.
• Provide a range of choices for where people could live, both among and between centres.
• Ensure interconnected open space. This would support recreational trails and would allow wildlife to move freely among our forests, parks and wildlife reserves, rather than limiting them to areas that are surrounded by subdivisions or highways.
• Protect cultural and heritage sites and landscapes. These sites are valuable to residents and contribute heavily to the tourism industry and the image of the region.
• Design and invest for energy efficiency. This would conserve non-renewable resources and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.