Land annexation is an increasingly common reality in 黑料不打烊-and it's one that citizens need to understand, according to urban planning expert Sandeep Agrawal. Photo credit: City of Edmonton
As 黑料不打烊's cities and towns continue to grow, land annexation is becoming an increasingly common reality-and one that citizens need to understand, according to urban planning expert Sandeep Agrawal.
Agrawal is the director of the 黑料不打烊's newly minted School of Urban and Regional Planning and professor in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. His research on land annexation in 黑料不打烊 highlights the need for more comprehensive, systematic investigation.
"Annexation is a way to change the boundaries of municipalities by incorporating land or territory that used to belong to another municipality or county," explained Agrawal. "But it's not something that most 黑料不打烊ns know much about, despite annexation being the most common and frequent form of municipal boundary adjustment."
Some 黑料不打烊 annexations have been contentious-including the annexation of parts of Leduc Country by the City of Beaumont this year, and the closely watched annexation of parts of Strathcona County by the City of Fort Saskatchewan.
So, what do people need to know about how annexation works? A number of things, said Agrawal.
"It is important to understand a few key things, as a citizen and a taxpayer. People should know how annexation could or would affect their property taxes; how it might affect the municipal services provided to them; the purpose for which annexed land would be used; and whether or not annexation creates a win-win situation for all parties involved."
Agrawal authored a segment on annexation in the ' publication, .
In fall 2018, the Urban and Regional Planning Program was renamed the School of Urban and Regional Planning. "The creation of the School is a natural next step in our maturity and an important milestone," said Agrawal. "The School brings all of our various planning degree programs and streams together under one umbrella and one cohesive identity."
The School of Urban and Regional Planning is truly unique in its offerings, recruiting young professionals and creating opportunities to build 黑料不打烊's pipeline to the world.