Migration, commuting distance, and urban sustainability in Ontario's Greater Golden Horseshoe: Implications of the Greenbelt and Places to Grow legislation
Journal Articles
Overview
Research
Identity
Additional Document Info
View All
Overview
abstract
Southern Ontario's Greater Golden Horseshoe (GGH) is the most heavily populated and urbanized region in Canada. Given its large population size, economic importance, and projected population growth, the Ontario provincial government recognized the need to plan for the growth of jobs and people to avoid the adverse effects of urban sprawl, traffic gridlock, and the loss of farmland and natural areas. Ontario's 2005 Greenbelt Plan and 2006 Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe (Places to Grow) established the legislative framework to guide development and population growth within southern Ontario. While directing development and promoting population growth in specified areas, an unintended consequence of these legislative plans may, however, be increased commuting distance as workers commute from beyond the Greenbelt into the employment dense areas inside the Greenbelt. This article focuses upon the intersection between migration and commuting distance in southern Ontario's GGH region, within the context of ongoing population growth, and Greenbelt and Places to Grow legislation. Results indicate that migrants moving beyond the Greenbelt have generally longer commute distances, with implications for the sustainability of communities and government policies aimed at reducing the carbon footprint.
