Current planning areas:

Beaver Bank, Hammonds Plains, and Upper Sackville

Bedford

Cole Harbour/Westphal

Dartmouth

Eastern Passage/Cow Bay

Eastern Shore (East)

Eastern Shore (West)

Downtown Halifax

Halifax

Lawrencetown

Musquodoboit Valley/Dutch Settlement

North Preston, Lake Major, Lake Loon, Cherry Brook, and East Preston

Planning Districts 1 & 3 (St. Margaret's Bay)

Planning District 4 (Prospect)

Planning District 5 (Chebucto Peninsula)

Planning Districts 8 & 9 (Lake Echo/Porters Lake)

Planning Districts 14 & 17 (Shubenacadie Lakes)

Regional Centre Plan Area

Sackville

Sackville Drive

Timberlea/Lakeside/Beechville

Rural landscape

Halifax is centred on the urban core and surrounded by areas of decreasing population density. Rural
areas lie to the east, west and north of the urban core. The Atlantic Ocean lies to the south. Certain rural
communities on the urban fringe function as suburban or exurban areas, with the majority of those
residents commuting to and working in the urban core.
Farther away, rural communities in the municipality function like any resource-based area in Nova Scotia,
being sparsely populated and their local economies based on four major resource industries: agriculture,
in the Musquodoboit Valley, fishing, along the coast, mining, in the Musquodoboit Valley[50] and in
Moose River Gold Mines[51] and forestry, in most areas outside the urban core. Also, the tourism
industry is beginning to change how some rural communities in Halifax function, particularly in
communities such as Hubbards, Peggys Cove, with its notable lighthouse[52] and Lawrencetown, with
Lawrencetown Beach.[53] There are two other large beaches along the coast, Martinique Beach, near
Musquodoboit Harbour[54] and Taylor Head Beach, located in Spry Bay, within the boundaries of Taylor
Head Provincial Park.[55]

The northeastern area of the municipality, centred on Sheet Harbour and the Musquodoboit Valley, is
completely rural, with the area sharing more in common with the adjacent rural areas of neighbouring
Guysborough, Pictou and Colchester counties. Most economic activity in the Musquodoboit Valley is
based on agriculture, as it is the largest farming district in the municipality.[56] Most coastal
communities are based on the fishing industry. Forestry is active in this area as well. It is also prevalent in
the Musquodoboit Valley, but it takes a backseat to the more prominent agricultural industry.[56]

Urban landscape

View of Purdy's Wharf, an office complex in Downtown Halifax.

At 23,829 hectares (238.29 km2), Halifax's urban area (defined as population centre by Statistics Canada)
is less than five percent of the municipal land area.[57] The area surrounds Halifax Harbour and its main
centres are Bedford, Dartmouth, and Halifax (and their respective environs).

Between the 2016 Canadian Census and the 2021 Canadian Census, the built-up area of Halifax grew by
357 hectares (3.57 km2) from 23,472 hectares (234.72 km2) hectares in 2016[58] to 23,829 hectares
(238.29 km2) in 2021.[57]

Culture

Main article: Culture of Halifax, Nova Scotia

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Halifax is home to the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, the largest art gallery in Atlantic Canada.

Halifax is a major cultural centre within the Atlantic provinces. The municipality has maintained many of
its maritime and military traditions, while opening itself to a growing multicultural population. The
municipality's urban core also benefits from a large population of post-secondary students who strongly
influence the local cultural scene. Halifax has a number of art galleries, theatres and museums, as well as
most of the region's national-quality sports and entertainment facilities. Halifax is also the home to many
of the region's major cultural attractions, such as Halifax Pop Explosion, Symphony Nova Scotia, the Art
Gallery of Nova Scotia, The Khyber, the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic and the Neptune Theatre. The
region is noted for the strength of its music scene and nightlife, especially within the urban communities.
See List of musical groups from Halifax, Nova Scotia for a partial list.

The Historic Properties are a collection of historical buildings on Halifax's boardwalk.

Halifax hosts a wide variety of festivals that take place throughout the year, including; the largest Canada
Day celebration east of Ottawa, the Atlantic Film Festival, the Halifax International Busker Festival,
Greekfest, Atlantic Jazz Festival, the Multicultural Festival, Natal Day, Nocturne Festival, the Halifax Pop
Explosion, periodic Tall Ship events, the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo, and Shakespeare by the
Sea—to name a few. Halifax Pride is the largest LGBT event in Atlantic Canada and one of the largest in
the country. Many of Halifax's festivals and annual events have become world-renowned over the past
several years.

Halifax is home to many performance venues, namely the Music Room, the Neptune Theatre, and
Rebecca Cohn Auditorium. The Neptune Theatre, a 43-year-old establishment located on Argyle Street, is
Halifax's largest theatre. It performs an assortment of professionally produced plays year-round. The
Shakespeare by the Sea theatre company performs at nearby Point Pleasant Park. Eastern Front Theatre
performs at Alderney Landing in Downtown Dartmouth which can easily be accessed via the Halifax
Transit ferry service. There are smaller performance venues at the Halifax Central Library, Citadel High
School (Spatz Theatre), and Halifax West High School (Bella Rose Arts Centre).

Halifax has also become a significant film production centre, with many American and Canadian
filmmakers using the streetscapes, often to stand in for other cities that are more expensive to work in.
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation has its Atlantic Canada production centres (radio and television)
based in Halifax, and quite a number of radio and television programs are made in the region for
national broadcast. In 2020, filming began on the series Pub Crawl, which explores the historically
significant bars of Halifax.[59]
The new Halifax Central Library on Spring Garden Road has received accolades for its architecture and
has been described as a new cultural locus, offering many community facilities including a 300-seat
auditorium.

Architecture

Main article: Buildings and structures in Halifax, Nova Scotia

Further information: List of tallest buildings in Halifax, Nova Scotia

The Halifax Town Clock overlooks most of downtown Halifax.

Halifax's urban core is home to a number of regional landmark buildings and retains significant historic
buildings and districts. Downtown office towers are overlooked by the fortress of Citadel Hill with its
iconic Halifax Town Clock.

The architecture of Halifax's South End is renowned for its grand Victorian houses while the West End
and North End, Halifax have many blocks of well-preserved wooden residential houses with notable
features such as the "Halifax Porch". Dalhousie University's campus is often featured in films and
documentaries. Surrounding areas of the municipality, including Dartmouth and Bedford, also possess
their share of historic neighbourhoods and properties.

The urban core is home to several blocks of typical North American high-rise office buildings; however,
segments of the downtown are governed by height restrictions, known as "view planes legislation",
which prevent buildings from obstructing certain sight lines between Citadel Hill and the Halifax Harbour.
This has resulted in some modern high rises being built at unusual angles or locations.

Public spaces

Main article: Parks in Halifax, Nova Scotia

Halifax Public Gardens is a Victorian era public garden that was designated as a National Historic Sites of
Canada in 1984.

The Halifax area has a variety of public spaces, ranging from urban gardens, public squares, expansive
forested parks, and historic sites. The original grid plan devised when Halifax was founded in 1749
included a central military parade square, the Grand Parade. The square hosts the City Hall at one end,
and is a popular site for concerts, political demonstrations, as well as the annual Remembrance Day
ceremony at the central cenotaph. Another popular downtown public space is the timber Halifax
Boardwalk, which stretches approximately 3 km (1.9 mi) and is integrated with several squares and
monuments.

The Halifax Common, granted for the use of citizens in 1763, is Canada's oldest public park.[60] Centrally
located on the Halifax peninsula, the wide fields are a popular location for sports. The slopes of Citadel
Hill, overlooking downtown, are favoured by sunbathers and kite-flyers. The Halifax Public Gardens, a
short walk away, are Victorian era public gardens formally established in 1867 and designated a National
Historic Site in 1984. Victoria Park, across the street, contains various monuments and statues erected by
the North British Society, as well as a fountain. In contrast to the urban parks, the expansive Point
Pleasant Park at the southern tip of the peninsula is heavily forested and contains the remains of
numerous British fortifications.

An elm tree in Halifax Public Gardens.

Located on the opposite side of the harbour, the Dartmouth Commons is a large park next to Downtown
Dartmouth laid out in the 1700s. It is home to the Leighton Dillman gardens and various sports grounds.
Nearby, the Dartmouth waterfront trail stretches from Downtown Dartmouth to Woodside. Among
residents of central Dartmouth, the area around Sullivan's Pond and Lake Banook is popular for strolling
and paddling. The forested Shubie Park, through which the historic Shubenacadie Canal runs, is a major
park in suburban Dartmouth.

Mainland Halifax is home to several significant parks, including Sir Sandford Fleming Park, gifted to the
people of Halifax by Sir Sandford Fleming. It houses the Dingle Tower, dedicated in 1912 by the Duke of
Connaught to commemorate 150 years of representative government in Nova Scotia. The Mainland
Common, in Clayton Park, is a modern park home to various sports and community facilities. Long Lake
Provincial Park, comprising more than 2,000 hectares, was designated in 1984 and affords Halifax
residents access to a scenic wilderness in close proximity to the urban communities.[61]

Tourism

The community of Peggy's Cove is a major tourist attraction.

Halifax's tourism industry showcases Nova Scotia's culture, scenery and coastline. There are several
museums and art galleries in downtown Halifax. The Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21, an
immigrant entry point prominent throughout the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, was opened to the public as
a National Historic Site of Canada in 1999 and is the only national museum in the Atlantic provinces. The
Maritime Museum of the Atlantic is a maritime museum containing extensive galleries including a large
exhibit on the famous Titanic, over 70 small craft and a 200-foot (61 m) steamship CSS Acadia. In
summertime the preserved World War II corvette HMCS Sackville operates as a museum ship and
Canada's naval memorial. The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia is housed in a 150-year-old building containing
nearly 19,000 works of art.[62] The Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia in Dartmouth reflects the
region's rich ethnic heritage.

The Halifax Boardwalk is a public footpath along Halifax Harbour.

Halifax has numerous National Historic Sites, most notably Citadel Hill (Fort George). Just outside the
urban area, the iconic Peggys Cove is internationally recognized and receives more than 600,000 visitors
a year.[63]

The waterfront in Downtown Halifax is the site of the Halifax Harbourwalk, a 3-kilometre (2 mi)
boardwalk popular among tourists and locals alike. Many mid-sized ships dock here at one of the many
wharfs. The harbourwalk is home to a Halifax Transit ferry terminal, hundreds of stores, Historic
Properties, several office buildings, the Casino Nova Scotia, and several public squares where buskers
perform, most prominently at the annual Halifax International Busker Festival every August.

Downtown Halifax, home to many small shops and vendors, is a major shopping area. It is also home to
several shopping centres, including Scotia Square, Barrington Place Shops, and Maritime Mall. Numerous
malls on Spring Garden Road, including the Park Lane Mall, are also located nearby. The area is home to
approximately 200 restaurants and bars, offering a wide array of world cuisines.[64] There are also more
than 60 sidewalk cafes that open in the summer months. The nightlife is made up of bars and small
music venues as well as Casino Nova Scotia, a large facility built partially over the water.

Cruise ships visit the province frequently. In 2015, the Port of Halifax welcomed 141 vessel calls with
222,309 passengers.[65]

Media

Main article: Media in Halifax, Nova Scotia

Headquarters of The Chronicle Herald, a daily newspaper published in Halifax

Halifax is the Atlantic region's central point for radio broadcast and press media. CBC Television, CTV
Television Network (CTV), and Global Television Network and other broadcasters all have important
regional television concentrators in the municipality. CBC Radio has a major regional studio and there are
also regional hubs for Rogers Radio and various private broadcast franchises, as well as a regional bureau
for The Canadian Press/Broadcast News.

Halifax's print media is centred on its single daily newspaper, the broadsheet Chronicle Herald as well as
two free newspapers, the daily commuter-oriented edition of Metro International and the free
alternative arts weekly The Coast.

Halifax has several online daily newspapers. allNovaScotia is a daily, subscriber-only outlet which focuses
on business and political news from across the province.[66] CityNews Halifax, associated with the CJNI-
FM radio station, was created from a merger of the former News 95.7 and HalifaxToday (previously Local
Xpress) news websites. The Halifax Examiner was founded by the former news editor of The Coast in
2014 and, like allNovaScotia, is supported through subscriptions.

From 1974 to 2008, Halifax had a second daily newspaper, the tabloid The Daily News, which still
publishes several neighbourhood weekly papers such as The Bedford-Sackville Weekly News, The Halifax
West-Clayton Park Weekly News and the Dartmouth-Cole Harbour Weekly News. These weekly papers
compete with The Chronicle-Herald's weekly Community Heralds HRM West, HRM East, and HRM North.

Sports

Main article: Sport in Halifax, Nova Scotia

The Scotiabank Centre is the largest multi-purpose sporting arena in Atlantic Canada.

Halifax is represented by two professional sports teams, with teams in the National Lacrosse League
(NLL) and Canadian Premier League (CPL). Also, Halifax has a semi-professional sports team in the
Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), which is part of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL).

The city is also home to four universities that have athletic programmes.

The city's major sports venues include the Scotiabank Centre (formerly the Metro Centre[67]), the
Halifax Forum, the Wanderers Grounds and various university sports facilities, such as Huskies Stadium.