Intermunicipal Planning

Intermunicipal planning is the joint effort of two or more municipalities to address a common issue. Some of the benefits of intermunicipal planning are to: 1) prevent duplication among different programs within a region, 2) combine the financial and material resources of different groups involved for cost-effective program implementation, and 3) promote a greater diversity of programs and opportunities to address planning issues.

Effective intermunicipal communication and planning is important when municipalities address issues that reach beyond their individual borders. Municipalities can work together to create integrated, cross-municipal systems to address such issues as: bike and transit routes; scenic roads and streets; waterways and stormwater management; and sidewalk and trail networks. Intermunicipal planning can also help to guard against situations where one municipality is negatively impacted by development in, or policies of, another municipality. Discussing planning issues before policies are being made or development projects are being reviewed gives municipal leaders the chance to consider intercommunity issues and how they could best be addressed.