Growth management involves establishing a long-term vision for a broad region or municipality. Planning policies aimed at influencing how and where growth or change occurs are key to implementation of a successful growth management strategy. Typically, core growth management concepts address the following key elements:

• Availability of land and future urban land needs, land utilization (i.e., density and built form), urban design, appropriate types and locations of urban and rural land uses, and hierarchy of urban and rural land uses;
• Increasing housing choice and providing affordable housing;
• Economic and socio-economic vitality, “place-making,” structural economic trends, municipal competitiveness, and the changing nature of work;
• The protection of the natural environment and the City’s cultural heritage; and
• Efficient utilization of municipal services and infrastructure as well as the movement of people and goods.