Comprehensive Settlement Planning in the MacKenzie River Delta, N.W.T.: A Proposed Planning Theory and Methodology (Northwest Territories)

Abstract

The arctic and subarctic regions of Canada are increasingly developing as integral, participating parts of the total Canadian and world scene. Basic to this development in the North are the human, natural physical, and designed or man- made environments. This study is concerned with one aspect of the designed environment: human settlements. On the basis of an evaluation of the existing settlement planning situation, an attempt is made to develop a skeletal, yet consistent, theory and methodology for settlement planning in the Mackenzie River Delta, Northwest Territories. The approach is from a comprehensive point of view, and includes social, economic and physical criteria directly in the planning process. A combined systems-factor analysis technique is experimentally developed as an aid to creativity in the planning process. Preliminary results indicate both an immediate practical use and a good potential for the further development of the approach as a panning tool.