Governance and Regional Planning and Development in Quebec. Recent Trends and Challenges/la Reforme de la Gouvernance Territoriale Quebecoise a L'epreuve des Problemes D'amenagement Et de Developpement‪.‬

Regional planning and development has been affected by many changes in Quebec during the last decade. Numerous pieces of legislation and policies were adopted during that period by the Parti Quebecois government, and especially those relating to municipal reform and rural development. The aim of these reforms was mainly to resolve planning and development problems such as urban sprawl in metropolitan areas and youth out-migration in peripheral administrative regions. Some issues are still unanswered in relation to these public policies: Do they provide better tools to address development problems? Do they create a coherent and comprehensive system of governance? These questions are addressed through a discussion using some historical and institutional data and through a literature review. Based on this, it emerges that recent territorial policies in Quebec are not revolutionary but they contribute toward a reinforcement of local and regional institutions. The rescaling process associated with the creation of metropolitan communities and the amalgamation of large and mid-sized cities could allow improvements in the fields of town planning, economic development or policing while decreasing intra-metropolitan competition. In addition, the reinforcement of the role of the MRC (Regional Municipal Counties) in rural areas and the possibility now offered of electing regional mayors are other significant changes. Lastly, the clarification of the mandates of the structures of economic development with the arrival of the CLD (Local Development Centres) could make it possible to develop local potential more effectively. However, the new system of governance is very complex compared to the former which was standardized throughout Quebec. We now have seven types of local government institutions in the province.