A Municipal Development Plan (MDP) is a statutory long-range planning document that Alberta municipalities must prepare, setting out policies for future growth and development. The MDP describes the municipality's vision, identifies future land uses, establishes policies for residential, commercial, and industrial development, addresses infrastructure needs, and guides decision-making on development applications. MDPs typically project 20-30 years into the future. All planning decisions should align with MDP policies, though plans are periodically updated as circumstances change. Other provinces have similar requirements under different names like Official Plans or Official Community Plans. MDPs provide frameworks for consistent, predictable land use decisions.