Municipal Development Plan

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Thank you to those who participated in this engagement. You can learn more about this project below, or subscribe to Participate Wood Buffalo to stay connected (or get involved) with future engagement projects impacting our region.

The Municipal Development Plan public engagement concluded on March 13, 2022. A sincere thank you to invested residents, community stakeholders, and Indigenous partners for contributing in planning Where We're Going! The feedback gained from the public engagement will be reviewed and considered for the final Municipal Development Plan, which will be presented to Council later this year. To stay up-to-date subscribe to the page.

Have you seen the plan?

After on-going engagement, the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo has prepared a draft Municipal Development Plan (MDP). The draft includes the region’s growth concept and new vision for the future of the region. The MDP is a blueprint on how the region will evolve, thrive, and expand for the next 20 years. It identifies a new vision for the community and Municipal Council for our neighborhoods, livelihoods, and future for all in Wood Buffalo.

View the draft Municipal Development Plan here!  


View the draft MDP Highlights here!


What's in the MDP?

 1. Place and Community Based Approach 

The focus of the Municipality’s MDP is people, community, and the tremendous opportunity that exists here. By prioritizing policy that makes Wood Buffalo a better place for all the MDP reflects the fact that Wood Buffalo’s greatest strength is something it already has – its people.

 2. Vision

“A flourishing region and community of choice with a strong sense of identity, history, and optimism, to call home, today and tomorrow.”

 3. Goals

Six goals have been identified and are central ideas about who and what Wood Buffalo values most. The goals are meant to provide context and direction for the vision and will be carried forward throughout the MDP’s policies. To view the goals in more detail click here!


What will the MDP achieve? 

  • Identifies a new vision to guide the future growth and development of the Municipality through to 2041;
  • Identifies six goals for the Municipality;
  • Outlines a new community and people-focused approach to growth;
  • Provides an overarching document to assist in the coordination of Municipal decisions about land use, transportation, infrastructure, recreation, the arts, and community services;
  • Proposes new policies, programs, and investments for the Municipality to investigate to provide a better quality of life and economic opportunity for all;
  • Affirms the Municipality’s commitment to ongoing reconciliation and relationship-building with the Indigenous community throughout Wood Buffalo;
  • Helps residents and landowners understand how they can expect the Municipality to prioritize growth and investment throughout Wood Buffalo now and in the future; and
  • How to implement the policies.

The Municipal Development Plan public engagement concluded on March 13, 2022. A sincere thank you to invested residents, community stakeholders, and Indigenous partners for contributing in planning Where We're Going! The feedback gained from the public engagement will be reviewed and considered for the final Municipal Development Plan, which will be presented to Council later this year. To stay up-to-date subscribe to the page.

Have you seen the plan?

After on-going engagement, the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo has prepared a draft Municipal Development Plan (MDP). The draft includes the region’s growth concept and new vision for the future of the region. The MDP is a blueprint on how the region will evolve, thrive, and expand for the next 20 years. It identifies a new vision for the community and Municipal Council for our neighborhoods, livelihoods, and future for all in Wood Buffalo.

View the draft Municipal Development Plan here!  


View the draft MDP Highlights here!


What's in the MDP?

 1. Place and Community Based Approach 

The focus of the Municipality’s MDP is people, community, and the tremendous opportunity that exists here. By prioritizing policy that makes Wood Buffalo a better place for all the MDP reflects the fact that Wood Buffalo’s greatest strength is something it already has – its people.

 2. Vision

“A flourishing region and community of choice with a strong sense of identity, history, and optimism, to call home, today and tomorrow.”

 3. Goals

Six goals have been identified and are central ideas about who and what Wood Buffalo values most. The goals are meant to provide context and direction for the vision and will be carried forward throughout the MDP’s policies. To view the goals in more detail click here!


What will the MDP achieve? 

  • Identifies a new vision to guide the future growth and development of the Municipality through to 2041;
  • Identifies six goals for the Municipality;
  • Outlines a new community and people-focused approach to growth;
  • Provides an overarching document to assist in the coordination of Municipal decisions about land use, transportation, infrastructure, recreation, the arts, and community services;
  • Proposes new policies, programs, and investments for the Municipality to investigate to provide a better quality of life and economic opportunity for all;
  • Affirms the Municipality’s commitment to ongoing reconciliation and relationship-building with the Indigenous community throughout Wood Buffalo;
  • Helps residents and landowners understand how they can expect the Municipality to prioritize growth and investment throughout Wood Buffalo now and in the future; and
  • How to implement the policies.

Thank you to those who participated in this engagement. You can learn more about this project below, or subscribe to Participate Wood Buffalo to stay connected (or get involved) with future engagement projects impacting our region.

  • Phase 2 Engagement

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    Phase 5: Preparation of Draft MDP

    The MDP project team is currenting preparing the draft MDP after reviewing all feedback provided as part of Phase 2 engagement. A What We Heard Report is now available providing an engagement summary of overall themes, and engagement outcomes.



    Phase 2 Engagement : February 1 - 28

    The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo (RMWB) is preparing a new Municipal Development Plan (MDP) to reflect changes in the social, cultural, and economic conditions of the region. The new MDP will be created with input from residents throughout Wood Buffalo to ensure it reflects local values, opportunities, and challenges, and sets a clear vision for the Region’s future.

    We need your feedback!

    We need your help to shape our community. Your feedback will help shape a distinctive direction for the region’s continued development moving forward. You can participate in the following ways:

    Watch our Virtual Open Houses

    Wednesday, February 10th

    Thursday, February 18th


    What is the Municipal Development Plan (MDP)?

    The MDP sets out the vision and blueprint for how growth and development will happen in Wood Buffalo over the next 20 years. The MDP will:

    • Provide a comprehensive land use policy framework
    • Outline a strategic path forward to manage growth across the Region
    • Guide both short- and long-term decision making by Council and Administration
    • Decisions made will shape the development and future changes made within your communities

    MDP Direction

    The MDP takes a place and community-based approach, supported by five goals, and nine big moves. The new place and community-based approach to the MDP reflects a people-first focus that considers local values, opportunities, and challenges in an intentional way. This approach is guided by the understanding that development should focus on community and respond to the various social, environmental, and economic contexts that exist throughout the Region. The big moves represent the major ways the 2021 MDP differs from the 2011 MDP. These big moves work together to achieve the goals and vision of the 2021 MDP.

    To learn more about the big moves and what they entail, please visit our FAQ.