Integrated Community Sustainability Planning Chris Ling Post-Doctoral Scholar Canada Research Chair in Sustainable Community Development Royal Roads University

Integrated Community Sustainability Plans for Canadian Municipalities The development of a template to support integrated community sustainability planning

What is the template about? Engagement Reconciliation Dynamics Guidance Integration Tools and Techniques Engagement Reconciliation Dynamics Guidance Integration Tools and Techniques

Principles Governance: proactive planning rather than reactive planning Inclusion: early and full engagement of the community Governance: proactive planning rather than reactive planning Inclusion: early and full engagement of the community Integration: linking sustainability and planning policy Scale: moving beyond municipal boundaries and short term policies

The stepwise approach Creating a plan Implementation Creating a plan Implementation Engage with the community Understanding the place

Creating a plan frameworks for development and change What is the community vision? Timeframe: long-term vision linked to short term cycles and goals Scale: links to neighbouring jurisdictions, nested systems What is the community vision? Timeframe: long-term vision linked to short term cycles and goals Scale: links to neighbouring jurisdictions, nested systems

Questions to consider Are municipalities able to deliver integrated planning? What barriers are there? Does this template contain the right ideas, priorities and foci? Are municipalities able to deliver integrated planning? What barriers are there? Does this template contain the right ideas, priorities and foci?

Two Case Studies Prince George – medium sized industrial city Queen Charlotte Village – Small rural community, recently incorporated

Prince George Planned on starting ICSP process Winter 2007/2008 Held up by ice jam Planned on starting ICSP process Winter 2007/2008 Held up by ice jam Now again on hold due to mill fires Unlikely to advance significantly until after elections Strategic and long-term planning: hampered by short-term crises and political concerns.

Positive signs ICSP will be a major operating document for the City Comprehensive multi-sectoral and inter-disciplinary approach Degree to which plan will be overridden by significant and current political concerns ICSP will be a major operating document for the City Comprehensive multi-sectoral and inter-disciplinary approach Degree to which plan will be overridden by significant and current political concerns

Concerns What will the time scale for visioning be – currently undefined? Is developing as a summary document of pre-existing policies - will the necessary cross sectoral linkages be created? What will be the community engagement process? Strategic and long-term planning of any sort always hampered by short-term crises and political concerns. What will the time scale for visioning be – currently undefined? Is developing as a summary document of pre-existing policies - will the necessary cross sectoral linkages be created? What will be the community engagement process? Strategic and long-term planning of any sort always hampered by short-term crises and political concerns.

Queen Charlotte Village Incorporated in 2006 Need for control Poor relationship with Regional District Need for planning to address challenges First order of business was Official Community Plan (OCP) – land use planning. Then ICSP – started in spring 2007 Incorporated in 2006 Need for control Poor relationship with Regional District Need for planning to address challenges First order of business was Official Community Plan (OCP) – land use planning. Then ICSP – started in spring 2007

QCV: Community engagement Set up volunteer planning committee using open recruitment of volunteers from village. Limited use of engagement after that – single survey on walkability. Fear of town meetings – unproductive, confrontational. Lack of knowledge of other more constructive and inclusive engagement methods. Set up volunteer planning committee using open recruitment of volunteers from village. Limited use of engagement after that – single survey on walkability. Fear of town meetings – unproductive, confrontational. Lack of knowledge of other more constructive and inclusive engagement methods.

QCV: Understanding the place Poor legacy of data from Regional District Knowledge based on assumption and local experience, quality mixed and sporadic in topic. Dependant on natural resources and tourism outside their immediate control and jurisdiction and ultimately knowledge [ Provincial Government prevented the inclusions of a wider boundary due to fear of development ] Poor legacy of data from Regional District Knowledge based on assumption and local experience, quality mixed and sporadic in topic. Dependant on natural resources and tourism outside their immediate control and jurisdiction and ultimately knowledge [ Provincial Government prevented the inclusions of a wider boundary due to fear of development ]

QCV: Governance Village has 0 bylaws Enforcement and implementation are going to be a major challenge Village has 0 bylaws Enforcement and implementation are going to be a major challenge

QCV: Integration OCP and ICSP are seen as parallel and the senior operating documents for the village – although the integration between them has yet to be observed Topics within plans largely dictated by the personal interests of the members of the advisory planning committee and council. These are not holistic (lack of understanding of the place?) OCP and ICSP are seen as parallel and the senior operating documents for the village – although the integration between them has yet to be observed Topics within plans largely dictated by the personal interests of the members of the advisory planning committee and council. These are not holistic (lack of understanding of the place?)

QCV: Scale Working relationships with adjacent First Nations and other island municipalities and communities poor. Boundaries very restrictive Limited influence over Forestry and Tourism Temporal scale yet to be decided Working relationships with adjacent First Nations and other island municipalities and communities poor. Boundaries very restrictive Limited influence over Forestry and Tourism Temporal scale yet to be decided

QCV: Concerns The ICSP may become focused on personal agenda and concerns Lack of working relationships with neighbours could reduce effectiveness and scope Ideas and visions mainly based on developments outside village control The ICSP may become focused on personal agenda and concerns Lack of working relationships with neighbours could reduce effectiveness and scope Ideas and visions mainly based on developments outside village control

QCV: The Postive Genuine desire to fully and constructively engage the community (the ‘fully’ is easy, the ‘constructively’ hard) APC made up of diverse and motivated individuals Recognition that this stuff is vital for the community Genuine desire to fully and constructively engage the community (the ‘fully’ is easy, the ‘constructively’ hard) APC made up of diverse and motivated individuals Recognition that this stuff is vital for the community

Conclusions for the Template The template is most useful for smaller communities It has material of use for most community sizes Still requires outside assistance for the process, but increases the informed control exerted by even small communities The general structure is relevant for ICSP planning in reality Some of the detail may be more or less relevant – may depend on community size and personality The template is most useful for smaller communities It has material of use for most community sizes Still requires outside assistance for the process, but increases the informed control exerted by even small communities The general structure is relevant for ICSP planning in reality Some of the detail may be more or less relevant – may depend on community size and personality

Questions for ICSPs in BC Scale: Do smaller communities have the impact on and control over sufficient resources to provide a sustainable future? Capacity: Do communities have the capacity internally to plan for sustainability? What should/is the relationship between OCP and ICSP and do either of them really have sufficient impact on the development of communities Scale: Do smaller communities have the impact on and control over sufficient resources to provide a sustainable future? Capacity: Do communities have the capacity internally to plan for sustainability? What should/is the relationship between OCP and ICSP and do either of them really have sufficient impact on the development of communities