An urban service area is a defined boundary within which municipalities provide full urban services (water, sewer, transit, urban roads) and where urban-density development is permitted. Areas outside the urban service boundary are typically rural, with limited services and lower-density development expectations. Urban service areas manage growth by concentrating development where infrastructure can efficiently serve it, protecting agricultural and natural lands from sprawl. Expanding urban service areas involves significant decisions about infrastructure investment, growth patterns, and land values. Some provinces regulate urban service boundaries through regional planning, while others leave boundary decisions to municipalities. Urban service area policies connect closely to growth management, infrastructure planning, and agricultural land protection objectives.