Overview

Smart Planning for Communities builds mutually beneficial partnerships resulting in sustainable, vibrant communities across British Columbia.

Smart Planning for Communities (SPC), a program of the Fraser Basin Council 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 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 is stronger, more vibrant and sustainable communities.

SPC 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 is creating 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 links between funding agencies and communities across BC
• Building links 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.

Please visit our Resources section.

Please contact

Maureen LeBourdais
Manager, Smart Planning for Communities
250 392-1400