The Municipal Government Act requires all municipalities in Alberta to adopt a Land Use Bylaw. The Land Use Bylaw must divide the municipality into districts (often called zones in other parts of Canada and the US).
For each district, the uses of land permitted, or allowed only at the discretion of the development authority, must be described. The decision process must also be clearly outlined. That process must clearly determine how development permits are issued, and the number of dwellings permitted on a single parcel of land.