Holding the line: the value of agricultural land in Delta, BC

Public values and social norms form the basis of land use regulation by dictating the land use issues requiring regulation and setting acceptable land use management approaches. Over time, public values and social norms change. Consequently, regulation must evolve to reflect value changes or face irrelevance. In Delta, British Columbia, three levels of government are responsible for determining agricultural land use regulation. Historically, resource management rationales, based on identifying the physical capabilities of the land to determine the appropriate use of land, have supported local regulation. Although the region is subject to typical urban growth pressures, this approach has served to maintain agricultural land for agricultural uses, and helped define an edge to urban growth. By analyzing the Tsawwassen Golf and Country Club development application and existing agricultural land use regulation, this project demonstrates that public values and social norms continue to support existing regulations for agricultural land management.