Help us shape the future of our suburban communities

Halifax Regional Council started the suburban planning process to develop a new vision for land use in our suburban communities. The Suburban Area is generally located outside of the Regional Centre (Peninsula Halifax and Dartmouth within the Circumferential Highway) where there is access to main transit, piped water and piped wastewater systems.

To check if a property is in the Suburban Plan Study Area click here.

The Suburban Plan will refresh, improve, and create new land use policies and regulations that better reflect the needs of our suburban communities. It will consider the unique histories, characteristics and aspirations of communities under an updated planning framework. It will also consider recent and anticipated population growth, and the needs for improved infrastructure and services.

As part of this process, we’re asking residents to share what they value about their communities, what makes them unique, how they connect to the wider region and how they’d like to see them grow and change in the future.

This website is the place where you can access content, materials and supporting research for the Suburban Plan. You can also find out about upcoming in-person engagement events as well as opportunities to provide feedback online.

April 24th Update

The Main Street Visioning workshops are officially complete, thank you to all who attended the 10 workshops. Click here for more information on the project.

Get involved and stay informed

See upcoming in-person engagement events
Participate in online engagement opportunities
Learn about current projects informing the Suburban Plan

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Have your say

Suburban Area Interactive Map

Intro Survey

Main Street Interactive Map

Learn More

Newsletters

Community Map

For best viewing experience of the Suburban Plan Engagement Map click here.

Presentations

Kick-Off Open House Presentation

Fact Sheets and Info Boards

Community Profiles

Current Projects Informing the Suburban Plan:

The Suburban Planning Team is working with consultants on research and engagement to support the development of the Suburban Plan. Projects currently underway:

Public survey now closed

We were surveying residents, visitors, and people working in HRM to gain a better understanding of how and where people shop and access services.

The feedback is valuable in helping to understand the amount, type and location of new retail and service commercial space needed to serve HRM’s urban and suburban communities.

About the project

Having areas where people can shop and conveniently access services is an important part of creating complete urban and suburban communities. To support economic development and make sure our planning documents reflect the needs of businesses and communities, we need to understand:

  • What different types of commercial and retail spaces exist today, and what is missing?
  • Where are businesses doing well and where are they struggling? What factors may be influencing this?
  • What kinds of retail spaces are businesses looking for?
  • How do land use regulations impact businesses and commercial spaces?

This project will involve engagement to better understand the needs of business owners, those working in commercial development, and residents.

Main streets are often the heart of a suburban community. They are where residents go for their groceries, entertainment, retail, services, and community gatherings. Given the current growth pressures in the urban core, we would like to better understand:

  • How each major main street in the Suburban Plan Area currently functions;
  • What aspects of each main street should be preserved or built upon; and
  • What type of change and development residents, business owners, and property owners in each area would like to see in the future.

We are now launching main street visioning workshops for 10 suburban main streets across the Suburban Plan Area. These workshops will provide opportunities to share your ideas on building and public space design, the types of stores and services you’d like to see, accessibility improvements and more. Community members will collaborate to create a unique vision and guiding principles for their local main street.

This workshop is open and free to anyone with an interest in suburban main streets, however we strongly encourage those who work, live, own property or spend a lot of time on one of the listed main streets, to attend. Registration is encouraged, as space is limited. To register for one of the main streets, click on the link associated with an event below.

The above photo shows community members participating in the visioning workshop for Portland St - Cole Harbour Rd.

Community plans consider the history and culture of communities when developing the vision for areas. The consultant for this project will start researching the histories of each official community, examining traditional Mi’kmaq use, the historical and/or cultural significance of each community, contributions of diverse backgrounds, and identify potential important public views, landmark buildings, and Heritage Conservation Districts.

This project will include engagement with museums and culture and heritage groups. The results of this research will be a starting point, and the stories of each community will continue to be built through further engagement and research. Stay tuned for updates on this project.