Sustainability Planning: A Checklist for Communities

Sustainability Planning: Linking to Practical Applications

Have you given thought to the overall context for a sustainability plan? There are three key imperatives - the environmental, the social and the economic perspective. For further information see:  

• http://sustainablecommunities.fcm.ca/home/ 

Have you considered the appropriate time-frame for a sustainability plan? Thinking 20 years out is a starting point, but several municipalities have successfully used 50 to 100 year time frames. Longer planning frameworks typically lead to more comprehensive and more integrated approaches. For reference, try: 

• http://www.communitycasestudies.crcresearch.org/node/99 

Is there a regional sustainability plan in place? If so, how will your plan align with it?

The Planning Context

 Are you considering growth limits for your municipality?  What overall approach do you want to take with respect to sustainable planning e.g. New Urbanism, Smart Growth, the Natural Step? For further information try:           http://www.cnu.org/         http://www.smartgrowth.ca/home_e.html         http://www.naturalstep.ca/ 

Do you intend to integrate your plan with those of neighbouring municipalities? Do you intend to integrate all municipal policies, plans and programs into the plan, and what are you going to do about ‘grandfathering”?

Some Key Questions

What are the perspectives of key stakeholders within your community with respect to the environment and climate change?

Do you have population forecasts for your community? Have you estimated what would have to be spent to replace the current infrastructure within your municipality? Have you considered what might constitute the major bottlenecks to your municipality over the next fifty years e.g. Can you continue to supply water or even mass transit at present growth rates?  Have you identified key indicators and developed baseline data, especially with respect to growth and the environment?

Information Requirements

Have you considered how and when to engage the local community?  How can you ensure representation from diverse groups and perspectives? For approaches to this, try:  

•http://www.communityplanning.net/ 

What tools will you use to encourage participation in and input to planning, as well as to disseminate information? Have you considered techniques such as e-dialogues? Refer to: 

•http://e-dialogues.royalroads.ca/index.htm

Public Consultations

Do you have a planning model to start with? Try:

• http://www.crcresearch.org/PlanningTool.pdf 

Have ongoing and effective partnerships been formed within the municipality and amongst its citizens? For useful techniques see:  

• http://www.peopleincharge.org/index.htm• http://www.futuresearch.net/• http://www.greenmap.com/

 

Will the plan be supported with appropriate and enforceable bylaws? Consider the approaches used at Okotoks, Alberta, and Mont-St-Hilaire, Quebec at: 

• http://www.okotoks.ca/• http://www.communitycasestudies.crcresearch.org/hilaire

  

Implementation

For further information and resources on energy saving investments try the comprehensive resources section at:  

•http://sustainableinfrastructure.crcresearch.org/resources.html

Additional Resources