Rural Settlements are villages and hamlets served completely or partly by septic tanks (rather than sewers) and wells (rather than watermains). These communities are not intended to be a focus of growth or intensification.
New Rural Expansion Areas are lands that have been added or proposed for addition to a village or hamlet since the Growth Plan came into effect in June 2006.
Mapping Sources:
The Neptis Foundation identified and mapped rural settlements and new rural expansion areas through a review of municipal Official Plans, Official Plan Amendments and other planning documents before and after the introduction of the Growth Plan conformity amendments.
Additional Information:
Cumulative total of rural settlement areas within the GGH, see Table 3.12: https://www.neptis.org/publications/how-will-growth-be-accommodated/chapters/growth-rural-communities
Methodology for mapping land designated for growth by the Neptis Foundation: https://www.neptis.org/publications/implementing-growth-plan-greater-golden-horseshoe/chapters/appendix-methodology-mapping
Land area inventory by municipality: https://www.neptis.org/publications/implementing-growth-plan-greater-golden-horseshoe/chapters/appendix-c-land-area