The Municipal or Rural Plan is the policy document which describes how councils and citizens intend the municipality or unincorporated area to develop in the future. The Plan identifies a broad range of issues, but most are development related and emphasize land use. The Plan makes statements on these issues in the form of policies. For the most part, the policies are written statements. There are also a number of maps.

The Plan policies state intentions for future development in the municipality or unincorporated area . Many of the specific "rules" that make this happen are contained in the Zoning By-law and the Subdivision By-law. Provincial legislation requires that the Zoning and Subdivision By-law be consistent with the Municipal or Rural Plan. Changes to the Zoning By-law (known as rezonings) must also be consistent with the Municipal or Rural Plan. Occasionally, a development proposal requires a change to both the Municipal or Rural Plan and the Zoning By-law.