Smart Planning for Communities – creating stronger, more vibrant and sustainable communities
The long-term health and well-being of people across British Columbia depends on the sustainability of their communities. Today’s community leaders face many challenges, including; adapting to climate change; renewing aging infrastructure; exploring alternative energy sources and innovative waste management systems; developing affordable housing and more efficient transportation options; adapting to changing demographics and declining returns in the resource-based industries; providing healthier living and recreation options supporting cultural diversity. A key question is how to design comprehensive, integrated solutions that encompass the social, cultural, economic and environmental dimensions of sustainability.
Find out more on Smart Planning for Communities
For an overview on Smart Planning for Communties, select any of the links below. You are also invited to visit our News page.
- Linking Communities to Funding, Information and Resources
- SPC Sustainability Facilitators
- SPC Services
- Principles of Smart Planning
- Administration and Funding
- For More Information
Smart Planning for Communities (SPC) is a BC-wide collaborative initiative to assist local and First Nations governments in addressing their long-term sustainability challenges by providing resources and tools for planning socially, culturally, economically and environmentally sustainable communities. SPC offers practical and current information and advice on integrated community sustainability planning from expert Sustainability Facilitators located across British Columbia. SPC helps to build mutually beneficial partnerships and develop an information-sharing and resource network. The result will be stronger, more vibrant and sustainable communities.
Smart Planning for Communities in British Columbia has been developed in response to the call for “Integrated Community Sustainability Planning” (ICSP) in the 2005 Federal/ Provincial/ UBCM Gas Tax Agreement. It recognizes that a flexible approach to integrated sustainability planning is needed in British Columbia — an approach that allows communities to build on, enhance and integrate existing planning processes while also exploring innovative tools and frameworks.
Rather than following a single-agency approach, Smart Planning for Communities calls for collaboration among organizations and teams of people working together to develop and implement integrated strategies for a sustainable future. The initiative consists of the following key components:
- A Partners Group to provide strategic direction
- A Funders Group to provide financial support and approve the business plan
- A BC-wide network of sustainability facilitators supported by leading-edge sustainability practitioners and experts
- An information-sharing and resource network that will develop and expand linkages among sustainability experts, resources, and communities, and
- A “first-stop” website linking to sustainability planning resources.
Linking Communities to Funding, Information and Resources
The Smart Planning for Communities initiative will create stronger, more sustainable communities in British Columbia by:
- Increasing capacity to plan and implement actions for sustainability at the local level across social, cultural, economic, and environmental dimensions
- Providing consistent, targeted advice from expert facilitators
- Improving access to and further refining best practices, tools and approaches to sustainable community planning
- Improving linkages between funding agencies and communities across BC
- Building linkages and increasing efficiencies at the local level by taking an integrated approach to planning
- Achieving and reporting measurable outcomes in communities, such as reduced greenhouse gas emissions or energy use.
Smart Planning for Communities builds mutually beneficial partnerships resulting in sustainable, vibrant communities across British Columbia.
Presentations from the Fall 2009 "Moving Sustainability Forward" event are now online: visit our workshops page.
SPC Sustainability Facilitators
Smart Planning for Communities is rolled out in a phased approach across British Columbia. Sustainability Facilitators are now located in Victoria, Prince George, Cranbrook and Penticton.
To learn more about the services available to assist your community with sustainability planning and to contact a Sustainability Facilitator, please visit our Sustainability Facilitators page.
Over the next two years, five additional Sustainability Facilitators will be recruited to expand the province-wide network. Future locations of facilitators will be determined by a range of factors, such as community interest, needs and readiness to engage in integrated sustainability planning, population, equitable geographic representation, and historical transportation and service connections. SPC Sustainability Facilitators bring a depth and breadth of expertise to support communities in all stages of sustainability planning. Working with a wide array of experts in the field of sustainability planning and implementation, the SPC team offers assistance in multiple areas.
Process Advice
SPC offers advice and assistance for communities interested in developing and implementing sustainability plans or planning processes. This includes assistance with:
- assessing capacity for developing an integrated sustainability plan or planning process
- accessing information and support to meet your community’s specific needs and goals
- selecting sustainability principles, frameworks and indicators that “fit” a community
- integrating sustainability principles and objectives into existing planning processes
- establishing effective working relationships, collaboration and partnerships related to sustainability planning and implementation
Strategic Support
SPC assists communities with:
- determining the support needed for integrated sustainability planning and related projects
- identifying opportunities for community engagement
- finding and accessing funding
- making connections by linking communities with experts and advisors that meet their unique needs.
Education and Training
SPC will host learning forums for communities where public, private and other organizations can disseminate best practices and lessons learned in particular areas of sustainability planning. The forums provide excellent opportunities to build relationships within and among communities and sectors and support inter-organizational learning.Technical Expertise
SPC responds to community requests for technical expertise on specific sustainability issues and topics by providing in-house advice or connecting communities with experts from our pool of partners in the SPC Resource Network.
The following principles complement any sustainability guidelines and/ or frameworks that communities engaged in Smart Planning may adopt:
- Long-term thinking – time-frames for planning processes and/or plans are broadened to take into account implications for future generations (e.g. communities may become more resilient to the anticipated effects of climate change by planning ahead and adapting to changing circumstances)
- Broad in scope – planning or plans consider the communities’ environmental, economic, social and cultural sustainability, including organizational and governance systems. They may also consider a broad geographic or (bio-) regional approach
- Integration – planning processes or plans reflect a coordinated approach to enhance community sustainability by establishing linkages among different types of plans or planning activities as well as across departments and organizations
- Collaboration – planning processes engage community members and other partners to support community sustainability (e.g. First Nations, neighbouring communities, NGOs, private sector, educational institutions, other levels of government)
- Public engagement and education – planning processes enhance public understanding, participation and direction
- Implementation – communities ensure that plans are living documents that are kept off the shelf and put into action
- Monitoring and evaluation – plans outline targets and track results in order to monitor and celebrate progress and focus efforts on areas that need the most improvement.
Smart Planning for Communities is administered and delivered by the Fraser Basin Council with support provided by a Funders Group consisting of:
- BC Hydro
- Indian and Northern Affairs Canada
- Ducks Unlimited
- BC Ministry of Community and Rural Development
- BC Ministry of Environment
- Real Estate Foundation of BC
- Canadian Rural Partnership
For more information:
- see the Smart Planning for Communities Business Plan
- download the SPC brochure for local government
- download the SPC brochure for First Nations governments
Please also feel free to contact:
Maureen LeBourdais
Manager, Smart Planning for Communities
250 392-1400
mlebourdais@fraserbasin.bc.ca
