E-Bulletin - November 2005
Welcome to Smart Growth BC's November 2005 e-Bulletin.
Voter Education Campaign
 On November 19th, 2005, municipalities across BC will be electing municipal officials. This election, let's be smart about the kind of growth we want! Smart Growth BC has been co-hosting all-candidates meetings and has provided material to partner organizations and individuals hosting meetings in communities around the province. For a list of all scheduled meetings visit our Voter Education website where you can download a PDF copy of our Voter Education Guide.
Update on Community Assistance Program
This fall saw 16 communities working with SGBC towards embracing more livable communities through the Community Assistance Program (CAP). What we are now seeing in communities throughout BC is a greater understanding of smart growth land use planning and development amongst community groups, developers, municipal governments and planners. With a marked increase in interest throughout the province also comes the development of a new CAP Plus program, which works with one or more municipalities or community groups on the next stages of applying smart growth. This program will be one step more advanced than CAP and works more intensively on just how to do smart growth.
| One community to bring SGBC to a more intensive CAP process was Cortes Island. Partnering with CMHC, the Regional District of Comox Strathcona and the Friends of Cortes Island (FOCI), SGBC saw to fruition more than a year's worth of work, culminating in the Manson's Landing Design Charrette. As is the case with community planning anywhere in the province, the Cortes Island community grappled with many diverse issues to eventually come out with a solid understanding of the pressures on their Island and some strategies to help plan for and build a more sustainable, healthy community. Hats off to Cortes Islanders! |
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Another community that SGBC worked with in a CAP Plus style was the Gorge Tillicum Community Association. Using a collaborative charrette event, residents and stakeholders in the Gorge/Tillicum/Burnside area of Saanich, BC, created a plan recommending two vibrant mixed use corridors, anchored by urban village centers. The charrette results formed the basis of a Streetscape Action Plan adopted by the District of Saanich, and some of the recommended improvements will be constructed in spring 2006!
CAP Plus looks to officially launch in the new year, so stay tuned.
New Affordable Housing Policy
Smart Growth BC is excited to announce the release of a new Affordable Housing Policy. The policy illuminates the links between land use - the design of our neighbourhoods and cities - and a lack of affordable housing choices. The policy also cites a number of positive actions that can be taken by local governments, citizens, and financial institutions to address the issue.
New Citizen's Guide to Protecting Agricultural Land in BC
 Another new release is Smart Growth BC' Citizen's Guide to Protecting Agricultural Land in BC. The guide is designed as a tool for learning about the decision-making and planning processes affecting the ALR and provides strategies for citizen engagement in this key public policy issue.
Smart Growth on the Ground: Oliver
| Smart Growth on the Ground is underway in Oliver! The opening forum took place on Nov. 2. Approximately 90 citizens, farmers, business people and many more joined the SGOG team to learn about the initiative and begin to express community priorities. The next event will be a Learning Event on December 6. A dynamic range of speakers will present research and background on topics of interest to the future of the Oliver area. To learn more, visit the SGOG Oliver website |
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And in Squamish, District Council has approved the SGOG concept plan. Council directed staff to plan for the activities in the section "Taking the Next Steps," by putting the activities in their work plans and budgets. The Concept Plan, produced for SGOG by the Design Centre for Sustainability at UBC, is available at SGOG Squamish website
Find out more at the Smart Growth on the Ground website
Smart Growth BC Forum 2006...
Smart Growth BC is in the preliminary planning stages for our 2006 Annual Forum. Save the date Friday May 5th! It will be held at the Westin Bayshore in beautiful downtown Vancouver. Our topic will be on 'Innovations in Smart Growth Housing'. We will also be launching our new Smart Growth Awards program. Stay tuned! We will post updates on our website as they become available...
Smart Growth BC is a provincial non-governmental organization devoted to fiscally, socially and environmentally responsible land use and development. Working with community groups, businesses, municipalities and the public, we support the creation of more livable communities in British Columbia. |