A key component of creating more compact complete communities is taking advantage of density in appropriate locations. This means crafting a balance of residential, commercial, recreational and open space uses in a neighbourhood. Different types of densities are appropriate in different locations.

High performance or green buildings reduce energy and water consumption, and dramatically increase user productivity.

Supporting agricultural and working land uses diversifies regional economies and maintains the green infrastructure in near-urban areas.

Deborah Curran & Company lends the legal expertise to projects that benefit from a team of land use professionals.

Smart growth land use and development strategies

• Drafting covenants, bylaws and other instruments to ensure the long term success of innovative land developments
• Technical and legal review of plans and other documents through a smart growth and sustainability lens
• Drafting and reviewing bylaws that embrace sustainability approaches
• Solving local government growth management and land development issues with smart growth solutions
• Tailoring strategies for municipal cost recovery, particularly development cost charges, that promote sustainability and level the development playing field
• Creating programs and regulatory regimes to address a broad range of unique land development goals such as protecting agricultural land and ecologically sensitive areas, integrating affordable housing, and designing smart growth streetscapes

Organizational governance and management

• Providing advice to local governments and non-profit organizations on the development or reorganization of internal management processes to embrace sustainability and partnership approaches
• Structuring innovative governance models for land ownership and management

Areas of practice

• Administrative Law
• Contracts
• Charities
• Environmental Law
• Land Use Law
• Municipal Law
• Non-profit organizations