Skip to main content

Alberta Municipal Affairs: Guidebook for Preparing a Municipal Development Plan

Guidebook for Preparing a Municipal Development Plan

Provincial legislation requires all municipalities to adopt a municipal development plan (MDP). An MDP is a long range, statutory document that is required to be adopted by bylaw by every municipality, no matter how large or small the population. The municipal development plan communicates the long-term desired land use for a community and serves a high-level blueprint showing how a community is expected to change over time and the shape it will take in the future. This guidebook has been written for municipalities who will be preparing their first municipal development plan. It is meant to aid the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) and the municipal council in ensuring that the municipality meets the obligations of provincial legislation and creates a plan that benefits the community.