Monica DeVidi, Dr. Patricia Manuel and Dr. Bertrum MacDonald of the Marine Spatial Planning research module, have released a briefing note detailing the role of local governments and municipalities in deploying Marine Spatial Planning tools in Nova Scotia.
Highlights:
- The land-sea connection is very important, yet the ocean and the land are often separated in planning. MSP can promote conversations among different jurisdictions, which are crucial for the success of MSP.
- Substantial municipal involvement in MSP is important; however, there is skepticism among local government personnel about provincial and federal governments’ understanding of municipal planning and what municipalities could offer to the process.
- Municipal interests about coastal communities are directly related to the marine space, yet municipal governments have limited knowledge about MSP.
- Municipalities can contribute to MSP processes in a way that is difficult to obtain from other sources (e.g., connectivity is stronger when a municipality conducts consultation as opposed to upper levels of government).