Planning West Volume 51 • Number 3 • September 2009

Highlights from the 2009 APA Conference, Sustainable Infill, Implementing Bill 27, And more... President’s Message by Lindsay Chase, MCIP Fall is rapidly creeping up on many of us. Where did the summer go?

know from my conversations with many of you that I was from all of Council, and informed by the preliminary results of not alone in looking forward to a summer spent catching up our recently conducted member survey, we have narrowed our Ion all those tasks I’ve been putting off for the past few years focus to three key areas: of boom times. I don’t know about the rest of you, but the reces- • Raising the public & professional profile of PIBC sion doesn’t really seem to be slowing down the development cycle in my little corner of the province. It seems that everyone • Greater opportunities for Continuing Professional is planning for the market correction we hope is coming. Development (CPD) • Exploring obtaining provincial professional legislation for If you recall from the last issue of Planning West, your Council planners was heading off on an Orientation & Strategic Planning retreat to set the direction for the coming two-year term. We spent two Under each of these goals are a series of objectives and tasks and a half days getting to know each other and our new roles. that will keep us moving forward. We reviewed our budget, and started to wrap our heads around The final version 2009 – 2011 Strategic Plan will be posted on the new Communications Strategy and how it will help us fur- the PIBC website in November. Take a look and let us know what ther raise the profile of both PIBC and professional planners in you think! To be able to implement all of this, we will be looking the province. And in addition to all that, we also developed a for assistance from you, our members. If you have an interest 2009 – 2011 Strategic Plan. in any of these topics or would like to share your thoughts or We had a great visioning and strategic planning session that offer to volunteer your time, please contact either myself, or our was facilitated by Stina Brown and Kevin Damaskie. With input Administrative Director, Dave Crossley, at the PIBC Office.H

2009 World Town Planning Day Celebrating the Profession Save the Date!

Join Us Again this Year In Celebrating the Planning Profession.

The Planning Institute of British Columbia is pleased to again be hosting a major event to celebrate the planning profession, marking 2009 World Town Planning Day. This celebratory event will be taking place the evening of…

Saturday November 7, 2009, in Vancouver

The event will be a gala evening dinner and reception to celebrate the profession, and will feature… guest speakers, recognition of new Full Members and long-serving Full Members of the profession, along with the opportunity to mix and network with colleagues and friends.

Watch for more details in the coming weeks. Visit: www.pibc.bc.ca

Save the date & plan to attend. See you there!

 Planning West Editor’s Note by Laura Lee Richard, MCIP, Planning West Editor Maybe someone should call 2009, “The Year of the Strategic Plan”! In my community of Port Coquitlam, with many new Council members and increasingly complex issues of municipal pri- orities, we are involved in developing no less than three strategic plans this year and might have had a fourth if a sane head had not prevailed to defer it to next year. There is a good reason, of course—as said by Yogi Berra, “You’ve got to be very careful if you don’t know where you’re going, because you might not get there.” And so I’m sure you will be pleased to read about the PIBC Strategic Planning in this issue.

he PIBC Council Notes made me question our na- tional organization’s strategic plan. Check it out T(www.cip-icu.ca), and you’ll find CIP’s strategic plan framework makes for interesting and worthwhile reading, Contents incorporating the Vancouver Declaration (which, for those of you who remember past editorial comments, I keep posted at my desk for motivation and inspiration) as well Features as CIP’s branding statement, “Shaping our Communities. Sustaining Canada’s Future”), vision statement, (“Pro- American Planning Association Conference...... 4 viding leadership to advance the profession in shaping Detached Garden Suites in Maple Ridge...... 6 better communities”), mission statement and action state- Local Initiatives to Address Climate Change...... 8 ments. It is now under review and you will find impor- Legal Update...... 13 tant analysis and direction at www.cip-icu.ca/_CMS/files/ PlanGirl Travels: Lessons to Bring ...... 16 CIP%20Strategic%20Plan_e.pdf. While not light reading, I’m glad to have an excuse to bring it to your attention. Book Review...... 18 Taken together with the PIBC Council notes, you get the sense of the strategic directions being explored by your Institute News national and provincial organizations. Challenging stuff. Your input welcomed. Planners on the Move...... 19 Our September issue brings other important information to 2009 – 2011 Strategic Plan...... 20 your attention: the practical advice for addressing climate PIBC Council Notes...... 21 change issues in the submission from Pino de Masscio and Membership Committee Report...... 22 Elsa Fancello of Urban Strategies Inc.; the management of Board issues described in the review Eli Mina’s latest book by Capilano University’s Lisa Zwarn and Alison McNeil of; Cover photo submitted by Emilie K. Adin, MCIP the use of our streets as outdoor living by Plangirl, Emilie K. Adin; the lessons on how to introduce suites by Maple Ridge’s Rasika Acharyo; the advice from Bill Buholzer on how the Court may interpret consistency between our OCP and zoning amendments and, last but not least, for understanding the value of going to an APA conference because it was in Minneapolis/St. Paul. I’m off to CIP and will promise more good reading for you, next issue. H

September 2009  Highlights from the 2009 American Planning Association Conference by Lee-Ann Garnett, MCIP The American Planning Association is known for hosting great events in great cities: New York, San Francisco, Philadelphia, and Las Vegas are some of the more legendary conferences that I have heard about. Some readers might not have ranked Minneapolis-St. Paul at the top of their APA conference destination lists, but the place certainly has its charms: two very different downtowns, headwaters of the Mississippi River, land of 10,000 lakes, one of the best U.S. cities for cycling, and the home of Mall of America. What planner wouldn’t want to check it out?

or me, a regional planner, St. Paul via the University of Min- Minneapolis-St. Paul—“the nesota campus is in the works and FTwin Cities”—is an interest- work is underway well in advance ing in regional planning. of construction for station-by-sta- The state founded the Metropolitan tion land use and density changes Council in the 1970s to deal with to support ridership on the line. general sewage issues and, in par- The region is also very proud of its ticular, the dumping of raw sew- bike-friendliness: almost 5% of all age in the Mississippi. Its mandate trips are made by bike (the Metro was also to curb suburban growth Vancouver region’s share of trips that was leap-frogging outside ur- by bike is about 2%). How can this ban boundaries. be, when Minneapolis-St. Paul is Today, the Met Council is deal- as cold as Winnipeg, its closest ing with many of the same chal- Canadian neighbour to the north, lenges faced by Metro Vancouver: in the winter? The region has in- St. Anthony Falls and Downtown Minneapolis. expanding transportation systems Photo submitted by author. vested and built up its cycle net- in tandem with urban growth, works and infrastructure, making protecting environmental and agricultural lands in the face cycling a more viable alternative, and it seems that the invest- of urban pressures and providing affordable housing. The Met ment is paying off. Council comprises seven counties and 189 local governments, A unique feature of regional planning in the Minneapolis-St. making Metro Vancouver’s 22 municipalities seem positively Paul region is the use of tax sharing among member local gov- manageable by comparison. Despite the challenges of coordi- ernments. The most salient feature of this policy is that 40% nating so many governmental partners and tackling so many of all commercial and industrial taxes are pooled, and shared issues, the Twin Cities seems to be a region moving forward among the “have-not” local governments. The policy has been with important lessons for other metropolitan areas, including credited with addressing the inequities between local govern- Metro Vancouver. ments and in helping to concentrate jobs in employment cen- And indeed, the Minneapolis-St. Paul region provides many tres. Planners from that region believe that local councils are good examples of moving in the right direction. On the trans- able to resist pressures to locate jobs outside of established em- portation front, the region opened its first light rail line in 2004, ployment areas because they are not fearful of missing out on and is experiencing great ridership. The line connects down- tax revenues. While this tool might not be the answer to ad- town Minneapolis to the Airport (fourth largest hub in the U.S.) dressing the inequities identified by some in the Metro Vancou- and to the Mall of America (largest mall in North America!), ver region, it might be one that can begin the dialogue. and was able to capture ridership due in part to these popular destinations. A new line connecting Minneapolis to the City of (continued next page)

 Planning West APA Highlights (cont’d)

Despite having an urban containment boundary in place for many years, the Minneapolis-St. Paul region struggles with containing growth and creating lively urban spaces. It has a minimum density requirement for development within the urban containment boundary of three units per acre but plenty of examples of low-density sprawl. The urban centres did not seem particularly lively in comparison to some of the regional city centres in Metro Vancouver. Despite a concen- tration of jobs, it does not have the concentration of people living downtown compared to downtown Vancouver. That, plus a system of indoor “skywalks” a storey above street level and the Mall of America located on the outskirts of town are all contributors to a very quiet downtown street life. Several presenters at the conferences noted a lack of political will by Met Council politicians to contain growth and to support the development of centres has contributed to the situation. The Minneapolis-St. Paul example demonstrates that you need strong policies both to contain urban growth and to support urban centres. It also shows that despite having all of the planning tools, a jurisdiction needs to use them to achieve results. Still, the Twin Cities does a better job than many North American regions do in containing growth, cre- ating compact communities, and encouraging alternative transportation modes. I have described Minneapolis-St. Paul mainly from a re- gional perspective, but there was certainly more on offer at the Conference. One of the major themes, similar to the recent PIBC event in Whistler, was climate change. The U.S. housing crisis was also top-of-mind, with special sessions on what planners could do to keep their neighbourhoods alive. Given the state of the U.S. economy last spring, the topic of the recession was an underlying current with ses- sions for managers on how to downsize their workforce and, for those being downsized, on how to make themselves more marketable. Outside of the sessions, I met people from all over North America who are trying day in and day out, to make their communities better places to live. No matter how hard our day-to-day work as planners may seem, I took heart that there were colleagues from the tip of Florida to the shores of the Pacific Northwest who are trying to address the same challenges that we are here in B.C. On top of all of the thought-provoking sessions I attended, I was greatly in- spired by the planners’ work. That alone is reason to head to another APA conference next year. H Photos from top: Downtown Minneapolis on a Sunday afternoon; the Lee-Ann Garnett, MCIP is the Senior Regional Planner, Re- Minneapolis elevated system; Stone Bridge, a former rail bridge converted to a bike and pedestrian bridge. gional Development, Policy & Planning for Metro Vancouver All photos submitted by the author.

September 2009  Sustainable Infill Strategy: Detached Garden Suites in Maple Ridge by Rasika Acharya, Planner, District of Maple Ridge, BC Maple Ridge, located on the north bank of Fraser River between the Cities of Pitt Meadows and Mission, will experience rapid growth as its current population of approximately 75,000 is pro- jected to grow to 93,700 by 2021 and 108,900 by 2031. With the majestic Golden Ears to the north and the mighty Fraser River to the south, it has a unique interface between its rural heri- tage and urban development. An optimistic future is seen, especially with the recent completion of the six-lane Golden Ears Bridge and a new Pitt River Bridge.

aple Ridge is made up of seven distinct neighbour- hoods each having a historical centre: Haney, Al- Mbion, Hammond, Yennadon, Ruskin, Whonnock and Webster’s Corners. The unique mix of urban and rural lifestyle, scenic beauty, improved access and affordable housing prices make it an attractive location in which to live and raise a fam- ily. The housing stock is mainly comprised of single detached although this trend is changing with newer develop- ment applications for and ; 76% of the residents own their own home. To address housing needs, Maple Ridge permits secondary suites in most of its single de- tached residential zones, accessory employee residences and temporary residential uses. A Detached Garden Suite approved for construction. The average lot size in Maple Ridge is quite large creat- ing the possibility for homeowners to build small dwelling unit in their yards. Maple Ridge’s 2006 Official Community Important lessons from other jurisdictions Plan identified the development of garden suites as a pos- • Involve the community early to identify and address public sible housing option and, in the 2006 Planning Department priorities to increase acceptance. Business Plan, Council authorized the Planning Department • Reduce the complexity of regulations: keep regulations & to undertake a study of the option. This form of housing was design guidelines simple and provide a checklist or manual envisioned to add to the affordable rental housing stock, help to encourage users and walk them through the process. first-time homebuyers and seniors who wished to remain in • Owners who try to make the construction costs cheaper by their own neighbourhood and provide an additional housing doing it themselves and not hiring a contractor may extend option to assist those who would not be able or willing to cre- the construction period increasing soft costs. ate an internal secondary suite. • Resource consumption (cost of energy, water, maintenance) A Discussion Paper was prepared that highlighted the regula- is an important factor in calculating life-costs of construc- tory and technical issues identified in jurisdictions such as tion. Requiring consideration of these costs would help Surrey, Kelowna, Mercer Land, Village of Anmore, Nelson, owners choose more sustainable materials. Calgary, North Vancouver and City of Santa Cruz, California. • Plan to avoid digging long trenches for utilities. This can be While these communities do not make specific note of who easily done in new single-family developments by looking lives in the garden suites, we determined their units are gen- at the development of both units simultaneously. erally occupied by single people (young or senior) who form • Allow shared utility meters and services as new or addi- extended family or by visitors or renters and could meet the tional connections can be capital cost-intensive. City’s housing objectives. (continued next page)

 Planning West Detached Garden Suites (cont’d) a watercourse, on slopes great- er than 15%, etc.) The techni- cal aspects of Garden Suites A Garden Suite is typically defined as a including design compatibility, detached residential structure located in fire, building code and park- the backyard of a single family dwell- ing regulations were a crucial ing, complementing the principal dwell- factor in assessing their impact ing. Some of the variations described in on the surrounding neighbour- the Discussion Paper include units built hood and local infrastructure. above a , attached to the main Additional issues to be re- dwelling and siting on the lot in locations solved included infrastructure other than the rear yard. Garden suites servicing standards, bylaw en- offer a smaller, ground-oriented housing forcement and monitoring. form that can encourage aging in place for residents who own fairly large lots A three-phased process to as- and wish to remain in their homes or re- sess the potential for Garden main at their property. A Garden Suite is Suites within existing single- not intended to be a second on the family zones was endorsed by single-family parcel but accessory and Council. It incorporated back- subordinate in nature to the main house ground work, public consulta- and contributing to the affordable rent- tion (two open house sessions), al housing stock in the community. To technical review, policy de- achieve this, the City determined it would velopment, bylaw preparation be important to restrict strata titling and and amendments. Responses subdivision and limit the size of the unit from the open house sessions along with the total lot coverage permit- in general were very positive, ted in the eligible zone. except for some NIMBYs (not in my backyard). The Technical Benefits of Garden Suites Working Committee met regu- larly, discussed issues and pre- • Useful growth management tool to pared regulations and policies increase density within the Urban to minimize impacts and assist Area Boundary in the proper siting and admin- • Support aging in place istration. These were displayed • Increase affordable rental housing in the second open house for options citizen input. The “lessons • Increase choice of housing form learned” from researched ju- • Mortgage helper risdictions helped in outlining • Shared use of amenities both on site the regulations. The Technical Working being supportive of a sustainable housing and within the neighbourhood Committee believed that a conservative option that has numerous benefits. approach would help address bylaw en- • Shared infrastructure costs. A “Detached Garden Suite” is now defined forcement challenges, as it would be eas- in the Maple Ridge Zoning Bylaw as “A ier to ease strict requirements over time self-contained dwelling unit, accessory to, Process, Issues & Options than tighten regulations that were too lax subordinate and detached from a one fam- A Technical Working Committee was and provide a more acceptable method of ily residential use, limited to one dwelling formed with representatives from all City introducing this unique form of housing unit on the same lot, located within the departments. The Zoning Bylaw was as- to the community. rear yard”. Since adoption, three applica- sessed to determine the appropriateness tions have been approved and several oth- of allowing Garden Suites as a permit- Adoption ers are either at pre-development stages or ted use. The important criteria in assess- in the process of approval. H ing this were not just lot size but also lot Adoption of the Detached Garden Suite configuration (width, depth and shape) Policy and Bylaws occurred in November For more information, refer to the City’s and location (within flood plain, close to 2008. Citizens commended the Council for award-winning website www.mapleridge.ca.

September 2009  Implementing Bill 27: An Analysis of Local Initiatives to Address Climate Change by Elsa Fancello and Pino Di Mascio, MCIP, RPP, Urban Strategies Inc Combating climate change is one of the most critical issues being addressed by governments around the world. According to the 2007 United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), human impacts over the last 30 years have raised average global temperatures, influenced extreme weather events and altered many physical and biological systems. Minimiz- ing the negative effects of climate change is now believed to require between 50% and 85% reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from 2000 levels by 2050.

ithin British Columbia, several of the initiatives to ted to a 33% reduction in GHG emission from 2007 levels by reduce GHG emissions have been targeted to local 2020. This 2020 emission goal is presently the highest standard Wgovernments, which according to the Province may set by any North American jurisdiction. Since this commitment, control as much as 43% of the total GHG emissions. Through the Province has set additional GHG reduction targets of 6% new climate change policies and legislation local governments below 2007 levels by 2012 and 18% by 2016. are now being asked to reassess, among other things, the com- In order to reach the GHG emission reduction targets, in Sep- munities they plan, the transportation choices they provide, the tember 2007, the Province introduced the B.C. Climate Action they construct and the waste they collect. Charter to work collaboratively with signatory local govern- Bill 27, The Local Government (Green Communities) Statutes ments and the Union of British Columbia Municipalities to pos- Act, has recently mandated that all local governments must itively affect climate change. To date, 174 local and regional incorporate targets to reduce GHG emissions and create policies governments across the Province have signed the B.C. Climate and actions to achieve those targets into their Official Com- Action Charter and have committed to developing strategies munity Plans and Regional Growth Strategies. However, rec- and taking action towards achieving the following goals: ognizing that the majority of local governments do not have • being carbon neutral in respect of local government opera- the expertise or the resources to get started on such an ambi- tions by 2012 (not including solid waste facilities); tious initiative, in spring 2009, British Columbia’s Ministry of the Environment released preliminary Community Energy and • measuring and reporting on the community’s GHG emis- Emissions Inventory (CEEI) data, which tracks emissions for sions profile; and, each of the 185 local governments. • creating complete, compact, more energy efficient rural and urban communities (e.g. foster a built environment that sup- As part of our ongoing work in creating a Regional Growth ports a reduction in car dependency and energy use, estab- Strategy for the Comox Valley Regional District on Vancouver lish policies and processes that support fast tracking of green Island, Urban Strategies recently prepared an analysis of local development projects, adopt zoning practices that encourage climate change issues based on these new Provincial initiatives land use patterns that increase density and reduce sprawl). and data. This article will focus on those findings. In particular, it will provide an overview of British Columbia’s climate-change Further to the B.C. Climate Action Charter, the Province passed legislation, examine the observations drawn from our analysis additional legislation to support the goal of reducing GHG and outline points for discussion on climate change strategies. emissions, including Bill 10, the Housing Statutes Amendment Act; Bill 44, the GHG Reduction Targets Act and important for this discussion, Bill 27, The Local Government (Green Com- British Columbia’s Climate Change munities) Statues Amendment Act, which now mandates local Legislation governments to include GHG emission targets in their official In February 2007, the Province of British Columbia acknowl- community plans by May 31, 2010 and in their regional growth edged the “critical problem of global warming and climate strategies by May 31, 2011. change.” In its Speech from the Throne, the Province commit- (continued next page)

 Planning West Climate Change (cont’d)

Getting Started In order for local governments to fulfill the new obligations set by the Provincial government, three key pieces of informa- tion are required. First, local governments need to establish a baseline level of GHG emissions for a point in time in which to compare all future GHG emission levels. Second, a trend needs to be created in order to indicate the changes in the quantity of emissions over periods of time (analyzing GHG emissions for a given year or years and that data is compared to the baseline emission data, which then shows an increase or decrease in emission levels). The third piece of information is a forecast for future emissions, which shows the future projection of GHG The standardized approach to inventorying provided by the emission levels if existing patterns of development and popula- CEEI ensures that the Province and all local governments are tion growth continue without change. working within the same parameters to provide an accurate, overall picture of GHG emissions and energy usage in the effort 2007 Community Energy and Emissions to achieve climate change related goals. Inventory (CEEI reports) The newly released community-wide inventory not only quan- GHG Emissions in the Comox Valley tifies the amount of energy consumed and solid waste gener- From our analysis of the CEEI data for the Comox Valley Region- ated by a municipality and regional district but it establishes a al District, we were able to draw the following observations: baseline level of emissions for local governments—the first step in setting GHG emission target. The draft British Columbia CEEI reports breaks down the type and amount of energy consumed and/or greenhouse gases (CO2e) released into the atmosphere by sector. The four CEEI sectors examined are: 1. Buildings: The building sector is divided into residential, commercial and industrial buildings. Each category includes the number of connections, the amount of actual energy consumed (e.g., electricity [kWh] and natural gas [GJ], and the resulting CO2e totals for each building category as well as CO2e subtotal for the sector; 2. On-road transportation: The on-line transportation sector is subcategorized into several passenger and commercial ve- hicle classes. Each subcategory includes an estimate of the amount of fuel used (e.g. gasoline, diesel fuel, and mobile propane), and the resulting CO2e subtotal for each vehicle class as well as a CO2e subtotal for the sector; 3. Solid waste: The solid waste sector states the estimated mass of waste deposited by local governments at community and/ or regional landfill(s), with the associated C02e (methane) net of any known landfill gas flaring, capturing, etc.; and, 4. Land-use change: The land-use change (deforestation) sec- tor includes the estimated amount of C02e from the loss of forests for urban development and agriculture. This data is only provided at the regional district level and as informa- tion only as there are methodological issues that still need to be resolved. (continued next page)

September 2009  Climate Change (cont’d) Transportation related emissions for the Comox Valley fall within the mid-range in comparison to other regions; • The percentage of emissions related to buildings is signifi- As illustrated in the figure above, on-road transportation ac- cantly lower in the Comox Valley compared to other re- counts for more than half of the GHG emissions in the Comox gions; Valley, according to the CEEI 2007 data. In addition, personal vehicle use is responsible for approximately 80% of transpor- • The percentage of emissions related to solid waste is high in tation related emissions. Specifically, two-thirds of that total comparison to other regions; and, is attributed to light trucks, vans and SUVs. It is clear from • The percentage of emissions related to land use change (i.e., this data that significant GHG emissions reductions could be forest area converted to either a settlement area or agricul- achieved through increased use of public transit and through a tural use) is very high in comparison to other regions. shift towards smaller and more fuel-efficient vehicles. The indication from these observations is that while the Comox Valley needs to work towards promoting improved building ef- ficiencies and diverting solid waste from landfills, apart from reducing dependence on the automobile, the conversion of for- ested lands to settlement areas is the most significant challenge in terms of GHG emission reductions. Continued growth and development pressures will require that the Regional Growth Strategy address GHG emission reductions by ensuring that growth is directed in a manner that minimizes sprawl, encour- ages compact settlement areas and increases choices in how people move around. In other words, good GHG emission re- duction policies are consistent with good land-use planning policies and we now have significant data to prove this.

Points of Discussion In addition to the observations presented above for the Co- The figure above compares GHG emission levels within the mox Valley, there are several larger conclusions that can be three municipalities and electoral areas. The findings show that drawn as local governments continue to move forward with there is virtually no difference in GHG emissions between ur- climate change initiatives and planners begin to take on this ban and rural areas. While transportation related emissions are challenge: slightly higher in rural areas, the difference is quite minor and the general observation is that both rural and urban residents in 1. Promoting public transit will have the biggest single local the Valley appear to have the same impact on GHG emissions. impact on climate change The Province of British Columbia indentifies transporta- The following observations can be drawn when comparing the tion as a leading cause of GHG emissions in the province, Comox Valley to other nearby regional districts, as illustrated accounting for approximately 40% of the total emissions. in the figure above: Policies that support public transit and encourage increased • walking and cycling will be integral to reduce the amount of GHG emissions emitted. 2. Green building standards as a standalone initiative will have little impact on climate change Based on the CEEI data, the emissions related to building energy consumption are typically below 20% and outside of urban areas are much lower. Although the movement to green buildings is important, planners should not see this as a panacea or a means for avoiding other difficult decisions around land-use. The promotion of green buildings needs to be coupled with other initiatives in order to make a positive difference in addressing climate change.

(continued next page)

10 Planning West Climate Change (cont’d) of time is critical to developing spe- ogy and the quality of the GHG emis- cific policies. The CEEI data clearly sion data. Climate change will only shows that green building standards be properly addressed if we give local 3. Sustainability is all about location, will have a much greater impact in governments the tools and resources location, location Vancouver where the emissions from they need to tackle the issue. H Where we choose to grow and de- building is relatively high compared velop greatly affects climate change. to the Comox Valley. As planners, we Pino Di Mascio is a partner at Urban Encouraging greenfield development need to help local governments un- Strategies Inc. and Elsa Fancello is an not only consumes our natural envi- derstand the trends and move from urban planner at Urban Strategies Inc. ronment, natural resources and agri- generic strategies to locally relevant Urban Strategies Inc., a Toronto-based cultural lands, but there is now em- and effective policies. planning and urban design firm, is cur- pirical evidence to demonstrate that rently preparing the Regional Growth it will increase the amount of GHG 5. Climate change initiatives need to Strategy for the Comox Valley in partner- emissions emitted into the atmo- be grounded on cooperation ship with EcoPlan International Inc. and sphere. Reducing sprawl and reducing Local governments do not have the Ear to the Ground Planning. This article GHG emissions go hand in hand. ability or resources to collect the is extracted from the comprehensive back- emission data on a regular basis. Yet 4. Understanding the specific local ground paper titled “Understanding our such data is necessary in order to de- Choices,” published by the Comox Valley emissions is key to developing ef- velop targets and policies. The CEEI fective policies Regional District in June 2009. Pino can be data is an important starting point reached at [email protected] GHG emission reductions policies can but it is currently based on some- take a number of forms and provide and Elsa can be reached at efancello@ what limited categories. In addition, urbanstrategies.com. emphasis on different components of several methodological issues have an overall strategy. As governments already been raised. Partnerships be- become serious about reaching spe- tween local, provincial and federal cific targets, an understanding of a governments, as well as with the data local area’s specific categories and providers, need to be in place in order amounts of emissions over periods to continually improve the methodol-

The Adaptation and Impacts Research Division of Envi- It emphasizes the importance of being proactive in creat- ronment Canada recently released the Canadian Commu- ing responses that prepare communities for future cli- nities’ Guidebook for Adaptation to Climate Change: in- matic, policy and development challenges. The Guide- cluding an approach to generate mitigation co-benefits in book provides additional reference materials, including: the context of sustainable development. The publication is information on how to interpret the consequences of available to be downloaded at www.forestry.ubc.ca/aird. climate change; an extensive list of adaptation options available; a list of published guidebooks; and several This Guidebook explores the potential for adaptation to other resources available for consultation. climate change by suggesting a process closely tied to on-going planning cycles to help decision-makers incor- AIRD welcomes your comments and feedback, and we’d porate responses to climate change into local develop- love to hear from practitioners who put the Guidebook ment initiatives. Our intent is that this Guidebook will be into practise in their communities. For further informa- of use to planners, decision-makers, local practitioners tion, please contact Livia at [email protected] and anyone interested in responding to climate change or Erica at [email protected]. and building a resilient community.

September 2009 11 Greenhouse Gas Legislation, Charters and Plans B.C. Climate Action Charter (2007): The Province introduced the B.C. Climate Action Charter to work collaboratively with signatory local governments and the Union of British Columbian Municipalities (UBCM) to positively affect climate change.

Bill 27, The Local Government (Green Communities) Statutes Amendment Act (2008): Mandates all local governments to incorporate targets to reduce GHG emissions and to create policies and actions to achieve those targets into their official community plans and regional growth strategies

Climate Action Plan (2008): Outlines strategies and initiatives to take B.C. approximately 73 per cent towards meeting the goal of reducing green- house gas emissions by 33 per cent by 2020. It also provides information on the many ways British Columbians can reduce energy consumption and save money while reducing their greenhouse gas emissions.

Bill 37, Carbon Tax Act (2008): Would impose a broadly-based carbon tax on the purchase and use of fossil fuels in British Columbia, such as gasoline, diesel, natural gas, heating fuel, propane and coal.

Bill 44, the GHG Reduction Targets Act (2008): Requires public sector organizations to begin pursuing actions in 2008 in order to reduce GHG emissions and become carbon neutral in their GHG emissions generally by 2010.

Bill 10, the Housing Statutes Amendment Act (2008): Augments jurisdiction for buildings by allowing local governments to enact bylaws regulating buildings for the purposes of addressing energy and water efficiency, and for reducing GHG emissions

Climate change impacts in British Columbia • Many regions of British Columbia will experience increasing water shortages and increasing competition among water use (for example, hydroelectricity, irrigation, recreation and in-stream flow needs).

• Extreme weather and related natural hazards have impacted, and will continue to impact, critical infrastructure, af- fecting communities, industries and the environment.

• British Columbia’s forests, forest industry and forest-dependent communities are particularly vulnerable to climate-re- lated risks, including pest infestations and fire.

• Climate change will continue to exacerbate existing stresses on British Columbia’s fisheries. The vulnerability of Pacific salmon fisheries is heightened by the unique social, economic and ecological significance of these species.

• British Columbia’s agricultural sector is facing both positive and negative impacts from climate change, with more frequent and sustained drought being the greatest risk.

12 Planning West Legal Update OCP Consistency Rule Hardened? by Bill Buholzer, MCIP, Young, Anderson , Barristers and Solicitors The Yukon Court of Appeal has recently revisited the OCP “consistency” rule that underpins the planning system in both Yukon and British Columbia, tweaking a judicial approach to the rule that has been in place for more than 25 years. In doing so, the Court may have lowered the bar for litigants seeking to set aside local government bylaws for inconsistency with an official plan.

n McLean Lake Residents’ Association v. City of Whitehorse, community plan objectives and policies addressing, generally, the Association sought to quash a zoning amendment bylaw the urbanization of agricultural land and the location of Saa- Ithat permitted a concrete batch plant on land designated nich’s urban containment boundary. (The case is also interest- “Natural Resource” in the City’s official community plan. The ing in that the Court rejected expert evidence on the effect of plan indicated that quarry activity including the extraction, the official plan provided by planning consultant George Ata- crushing and hauling of gravel or minerals might be permitted manenko and C.H. Wakelin, a Capital Regional District planner in such areas, but that upon abandonment or termination of re- (both former PIBC members), on the grounds that their opinions source extraction operations, quarry sites were to be reclaimed. addressed the ultimate issue that the Court had to resolve in the The Yukon Supreme Court found that the zoning amendment case, and were therefore inadmissible under the ordinary rules did not conflict with the OCP, the new zoning designation be- of evidence.) In a passage that has been cited in virtually every ing consistent with the OCP policy allowing resource use and subsequent case dealing with the consistency rule, the Court ap- related activities, and concrete plants plainly being related to plied the “contrary to or at variance with” test as follows: sand and gravel extraction (even though the operator did not [T]he written efforts of planners are really objectives and intend to use sand or gravel extracted from the batch plant site unless there is an absolute and direct collision … , they to make concrete). The Association appealed to the Yukon Court should be regarded generally speaking as statements of of Appeal. Since Justices of the BC Court of Appeal comprise policy and not be construed as would-be acts of Parlia- the Yukon Court of Appeal, and the governing legislation is ment…” very similar in the two jurisdictions, the decision in this case will inevitably be cited in British Columbia courts whenever the Because the wording of the plan is inherently soft and vague, consistency rule is being addressed. the Court seemed to be saying, it may permit a broader range of regulatory measures than would be permissible if the plan A Yukon council may not, according to the Yukon Municipal were expressed with more precision. The effect of the Court’s Act, enact a bylaw that is “contrary to or at variance with” approach can be seen in the following passage, wherein the its official community plan, wording that is identical to that typically equivocal language used in plans seemed to prevent formerly found in the BC Municipal Act and Local Govern- the Court from finding the kind of collision that would render ment Act. Since 1985 the Local Government Act has required a bylaw invalid: subsequently enacted bylaws of regional districts and munici- pal councils other than Vancouver’s to be “consistent with” the It was conceded by counsel for Saanich that the [urban relevant official community plan. (The BC Islands Trust Act containment] policies were intended to have legal effect still prohibits the adoption of any bylaw that is “contrary to insofar as the official Community Plan was concerned or at variance with” the Islands Trust Policy Statement, and but the plaintiffs could not show any policy with which the Vancouver Charter prohibits the Council from authorizing, the rezoning was in direct collision which did not have permitting or undertaking any development “contrary to or at a saving clause either embodied in the policy or else one variance with” an official development plan of the City.) which is generally applicable. Typical examples are the words in the Official Community Plan in Policy 1.2 re- The meaning of these prohibitions has been relatively settled quiring the Council to establish buffers “where appro- since 1983, following the BC Supreme Court’s decision in Re Rogers and District of Saanich. That case dealt with the rezoning of land from Rural to Detached Housing, in relation to official (continued next page)

September 2009 13 Legal Update (cont’d) words “contrary” (“opposite in nature, ited activity given that gravel is a non- direction or meaning”) and “variance” renewable resource; that the OCP’s long- (“the fact or quality of being different term vision for land from which gravel is priate”. It would also seem from or inconsistent”). Reading the section in extracted is that the land be returned to the Official Community Plan that question in the context of the Territory’s its natural state once the gravel has been in fact not only the [rezoned] area Municipal Act as a whole, the Court saw depleted; and that when gravel extrac- but the other areas demonstrated “nothing that warrants giving the ex- tion comes to an end, so will any related on Map 1-B outside the urban con- pressions ‘contrary to’ and ‘at variance activities (such as, in this case, the mak- tainment boundary are eventually with’ any meanings other than their ordi- ing of concrete). The OCP did not, in the destined for serious reconsidera- nary meanings”. Under this approach, the Court’s view, contemplate the continu- tion and perhaps extinction. meaning of the consistency requirement ation of related activities unconnected By 1991, the wording of the legislation is informed entirely by the words that the to any gravel extraction in the area. had changed to require subsequently ad- Legislature used in expressing the rule, Thus, the zoning amendment bylaw did opted bylaws to be “consistent with” the the nature of the language in the plan not “conform with the OCP” (note that OCP rather than prohibiting the adoption playing no role in the formulation of the word “conform” does not appear in of bylaws that were “contrary to or at the consistency test as it did in Rogers. the statute, or in either of the dictionary variance with” the OCP, and the BC Court (Whether intentionally or not, the Court’s meanings cited by the Court of Appeal), of Appeal in Brooks v. Courtenay held that approach seems to be in harmony with because it did not contain a temporal the “absolute and direct collision” test the fact that, generally speaking, official limitation requiring the concrete plant to formulated in Rogers continued to apply plans contain more specific policies than cease operations once all quarrying ac- notwithstanding the wording change. In was the case 25 years ago.) tivity in its area has stopped. that case the Court refused to set aside In the key passage in the judgment, the The Court of Appeal acknowledges at the a bylaw rezoning land for residential de- Court of Appeal observes in relation to end of its judgment that, given the law- velopment on the basis of an OCP policy the Rogers decision that it is “unhelpful ful non-conforming use provisions of the indicating that parcels of land along the to use terminology such as ‘absolute and Yukon Municipal Act, the Council could Puntledge River ought to be linked into a direct collision’”, such terminology sug- not effectively bring concrete manufac- “riverway” system “if at all possible” (note gesting “that the line a municipal council turing activity to an end following the again the equivocal language). The City cannot cross is higher than it actually is, exhaustion of local gravel resources by defended the bylaw successfully on the as it implies that a council is authorized further amending the zoning bylaw, sug- basis that the zoning amendment did not to act in a manner that is incompatible gesting that the only zoning amendment settle a form of development for the land with an OCP, provided what it does is that would not have been contrary to or in question, which would be dealt with not too incompatible”. In other words, at variance with the OCP would have been by means of a development permit, and it the Court of Appeal suggests that the BC some kind of time-limited zoning. The could not therefore be said that the bylaw Supreme Court in Rogers had reformu- Court does not point to any powers of the was in collision with the OCP policy. lated the statutory requirement, instead Whitehorse council under the Municipal In the McLean Lake Residents’ Associa- of merely interpreting it, and in doing Act that would have authorized such a tion appeal, after noting that the Yukon so had established a softer consistency regulation, but in the absence of any such Supreme Court had applied the “absolute requirement than the Legislature had in- powers the Court would presumably be of and direct” collision test from the 1983 tended. Applying the statutory require- the view that the Council was simply un- Rogers decision but had found no such ment properly interpreted, the Court ad- able to authorize uses of a non-temporary collision, the Court of Appeal commenced dressed whether permitting a stand-alone nature derived from gravel extraction in its own analysis by inquiring into the in- concrete plant via the new quarry zon- areas designated “Natural Resource” in tent of the Legislative Assembly in en- ing on land designated Natural Resource, the OCP. (In the context of Part 26 of the acting the rule that a bylaw may not be was contrary to or at variance with that BC Local Government Act, a temporary contrary to or at variance with an official designation as set out in the OCP, and use permit would have been permissible, community plan. Citing the “modern ap- concluded, contrary to the decision in the but note that such permits are issued by proach to statutory interpretation” which Yukon Supreme Court, that it was. Council resolution and the consistency rule addresses only the adoption of by- requires the words of a statute to be read The Court of Appeal observed that the laws and the execution of public works in their entire context and in their gram- Natural Resource designation in the and not the issuance of permits.) matical and ordinary sense, the Court Whitehorse OCP was concerned primarily turned immediately to the Concise Oxford with the extraction of gravel, a time-lim- English Dictionary for meanings of the (continued next page)

14 Planning West Legal Update (cont’d) ment for an “absolute and direct collision” with the OCP before a bylaw would be set aside for this reason, particularly where the OCP is written with a high level of specificity as seems This case is important for planning practitioners in both Yukon increasingly to be the case. From now on, any sort of collision and British Columbia, because it may demand a higher level of should be considered very seriously, since (to use yet another consistency between OCPs and subsequently adopted bylaws analogy, of which the Court of Appeal would likely not ap- than was suggested by the BC Supreme Court’s 1983 require- prove), a mere bump may be enough. H

It’s Psychological—More Psycho than Logical! by Graham Stallard, MCIP (Ret.)

fter economics training and four decades in government Certainly the jump in drug trade shootings is alarming, but it hit me hard when a recent article questioned whether compared to American inner-city murder rates Vancouver is Apart of the current economic debacle was due to profes- safe as a church. New Orleans is back to “normal” with around sional advisors assuming that the public would “act rationally”. 300 murders per year (despite a significantly smaller popula- The cynic would say “fat chance”, but maybe the trouble is what tion), compared to Greater Vancouver’s three dozen or so. The we think of as “rational”. If we assume that it is for the “Public media make sure that certain esoteric diseases cause near-panic Good”—fat chance indeed. It is for self-interest, so why should while cancer and heart attack deaths go nearly un-noticed. Mil- we be surprised that “capitalism” leads to unbridled greed. Don’t itary casualties in current wars are tragic, but way below the get me wrong, capitalism drives the machine very effectively, scale of the annual slaughter on our highways. The riskiest part but we need less rosy assumptions about what goes on out there, of air travel is driving to and from the airport. I suppose that and a tighter look at how to rub off the roughest edges. this amazing gap in our thought processes is a coping mecha- nism—“it ain’t going to happen to me!” Come to think of it, planners should be aware by now that most people haven’t a clue about economics. The number of citizens My last illustration of strange thought processes is the popular way over their heads in debt should be a clue, but a significant approach to demographics—as in “what’s a demographic?” You part of planning is dealing with people who want to get away hear so many people who should know better stating emphati- from it all, then decide that they really wanted at least 80% of cally that “We need more…..doctors, nurses, police officers, etc.” it, and whine and snivel when you tell ‘em it can’t be done at Getting “tough on crime” means more judicial system person- all or it will be poor service at an outrageous cost. At times I nel, and particularly prison guards. wonder whether they know about the economics full well, but Finally some are beginning to clue into the overall labour just don’t care! We urban suckers have been subsidising ‘em for shortage, not having listened to the Ministry of Education’s years without catching on. reports of declining school enrolment for years with no change In my opinion we are still pandering to this unsustainable pat- in sight. Most see it in relation to their own area of concern, tern of development. The Province is even encouraging it with and conclude that “we” should compete harder for labour. Few the release of Private Forest Land. I was encouraged to hear of see it as a society-wide problem, possibly because there is no one of the forest companies talking of “new communities”, but obvious “solution”. People don’t like to admit that they don’t I won’t hold my breath. Meanwhile in the US (Michigan to be know “the Answer”. precise) a serious move is afoot to cut-back declining commu- Of course automation could now become respectable. Immi- nities to a size that they can afford to service. Fascinating, but gration is a possibility, but I could do an entire on not relevant to us you say. Well, besides trying not to blunder the Federal Government’s bizarre performance in that area (but into trouble in the first place, our landscape is littered with re- probably won’t). Then there is the thorny topic of the social im- source communities that never reached their founders’ expecta- plications of ethnic change to Canadian society. I recently got tions and that cannot now be economically sustained. an e-mail on that subject concluding that the Anglo-Saxons Of course we know that statistics are deceptively mysterious should get busy and raise more children. I swiftly deleted that to nearly all. Statistics is a complex subject, but there are two piece of not-so-subtle racism. Besides—Fat Chance! highly relevant aspects, context and probability. Scary isn’t it? Excuse me while I go read-up on “Chaos Theory”. H

September 2009 15 PlanGirl Travels: Lessons to Bring Home Installment #4: Street by Emilie K. Adin, MCIP A central component of urban design is the “furniture” that adorns our communities’ public walkways, squares and streetscapes. Street furniture can provide places to rest or pause, to kick back and enjoy a vibrant public environment, or to facilitate the exploration of an unfamiliar or dynamic city space. Improving the design quality of our public living spaces can help us to meet, greet and play in our city streets and public squares.

magine a world in which British Columbians reverse the post-war trend that has brought us to construct larger and Ilarger homes. What if we again shrunk our per capita square footage in the name of livability, aesthetics and a reduction in our carbon footprints? What would happen to all of the space currently dedicated to “indoor living”? In our new and recon- figured homes, would we lose our quotidian “rec ” and the now ubiquitous “media room”? In short, where would all the living go? It would go out the —literally. In many parts of the world (including several countries with latitudes and climactic chal- lenges similar to ours), living is being taken to the streets, to the plazas, to the parks. In addition to design solutions which help to make small spaces appear larger, families will rely more and more on public spaces and outdoor living rooms. How do you furnish the public realm? With street furniture, of course: the objects and pieces of equipment installed on streets and sidewalks and public squares. This includes benches, bol- lards, mail boxes, streetlamps, signage, information kiosks, bus shelters, bike lock-ups, public toilets and fountains, as well as litter and recycling receptacles. Street furniture sometimes even includes multi-purpose public art. Uniform “palettes” are usual- ly chosen by city councils, as street furniture is generally found on public grounds or on lands controlled through development permits or other development controls. In addition to improving the livability and animation of the Public Art as a Bench. Top photo submitted by the editor. Bottom photo submitted by author. public realm, well chosen street furniture can also bring addi- tional benefits such as enhanced public safety, improved way- finding, and brand recognition. Lessons from Europe While we might be tempted to pack our outdoor living spaces with the best in design, it’s important to remember a moment when Europe’s public space gurus include Italian architect and de- you’ve experienced a with -to-wall furniture and signer Aldo Rossi, who wrote the influentialL’architettura della insufficient space for moving about. Unnecessary or excessive città and argued that we must remember that cities grow or- street furniture can lead to visual clutter, making “less is more” an essential maxim for even the most avid urban design enthusiast. (continued next page)

16 Planning West PlanGirl Travels (cont’d) enjoy free music in the park, picnics and of adequate and appropriate street fur- soaking up the (occasional) sun. niture to BC’s urban environment is no exception to this rule. ganically over time and that we hold a Bollards are more widely used overseas collective memory of our cities through than in North America. Retractable bol- Distinctive street furniture palettes have the use of monuments; Rossi argued for lards used in cities such as San Sebas- been developed for virtually all of BC’s a streetscape that respected the heritage tian, Spain, allow truck and maintenance main cities, while many cities such as of a city. British émigré to the United worker access to a broad and rich array Vancouver and Victoria have gone a step States, Christopher Alexander, is author of new pedestrianized spaces. further by developing different palettes and distinctive street signs for discrete of the ground-breaking A Pattern Lan- Europe has some of the most beauti- neighbourhoods such as each of their guage, which inspired BC landmarks such ful and ornate historic street in Chinatowns. as the CMHC-renovated Granville Island. the world, including the Legii Bridge in Alexander explored new street designs Prague, Czech Republic. But Europe also TransLink and the City of Vancouver and encouraged street furniture that boasts a willingness to try new lighting have cooperated to create a fantastic ar- supported the concept of streetscape as technologies, such as demonstrated by ray of functional and aesthetic street fur- promenade. Denmark’s Jan Gehl is au- Austria’s “Green Light Graz” pilot project, niture along their new bikeway on Great thor of such significant publications as featuring high efficiency lamps and mir- Northern Way, including a sofa made of Life Between Buildings, New City Spaces rors to amplify the light. The City of Oslo, mosaic tile and benching that resembles and Public Spaces, Public Life, and archi- Norway, meanwhile, has developed an an insect’s wings. The City of Vancou- tect of the pedestrian (r)evolution in Co- intelligent outdoor lighting system to re- ver also has invoked its heritage at where penhagen’s city centre in the late 1960s. motely control and monitor streetlights. the Arbutus railroad corridor meets West Better known for his work assessing and 41st Avenue, with a custom-made bench Green roofed bus shelters are being pio- rehabilitating public squares across the held up by wheels from a steam engine neered in Sheffield, UK, new bike lock-up world, Gehl has also been a proponent manufactured in 1911. of high quality street furniture, widened systems are trailblazing throughout Eu- sidewalks and the creation of “oases” in rope’s bike belt,and the automatic self- The City of Langford on Vancouver Is- our streetscapes. cleaning public toilette can be found at land has recently incorporated - just about any (European) city near you. powered garbage compactor receptacles In addition to garnering inspiration from into its streetscapes. from European design gurus, BC plan- But how does Europe pay for all of this ners might also be inspired by some of quality street furniture that causes envy The mechanical clock at Victoria’s Bastion Europe’s notable successes in regards to in the hearts of every BC planner? Square and the statue of ‘Gassy Jack’ in Vancouver’s Gastown have been retained street furniture. The answer is surprisingly simple. In Eu- in key tourism areas evidencing thevalue rope, perhaps to a greater extent than in England’s historic red wooden telephone in this monumental scale street furni- North America, the cost of elegant street boxes are as much a part of the nation’s ture which captures the cities’ “collective furniture is often generated from adver- identity as the Foot Guards at Buckingham memory” as described by Aldo Rossi. Palace, with their bearskin hats. There re- tising. This is taken to the extreme in ally is no BC equivalent that has been es- cash-poor cities such as Saint Petersburg, Surrey city council has limited house sizes tablished, with regards to street furniture. Russia, where even intersection street in some of its neighbourhoods and many signs in the city centre are “brought to other municipalities are contemplating In Piazza Castello in Turin, Italy, all the you by” private corporations. Most ef- ways to encourage smaller residential benches are portable yet highly durable forts continent-wide to subsidize street square footage per resident. BC’s plan- wooden benches with deep chairs and furniture are more subtle and tasteful, ners seems ready to transport our living ample back support. Friends and families ranging from backlit posters and display rooms to the great outdoors. Let’s stock pull benches together in variable config- boxes to digital signage. up on quality street furniture and prepare urations to accommodate the size of each for a great housewarming party. H group. Couples pull the benches apart to get privacy. Other visitors to the square Lessons from Emilie K. Adin is the City Planner for the will decide to pull up a bench as a foot- British Columbia City of North Vancouver. She will be in- stool or to create a sense of enclosure. structing a course on Sustainable Urban Beautiful urbanism can attract people to Design at Royal Roads University on No- Similarly, in London’s Hyde Park there take pride in their neighbourhoods and vember 23, 2009. For more information, are portable and brightly striped cities, and to interact with each other and consult the RRU Continuing Education chairs that can be pulled into place to with the built environment. The addition calendar at www.royalroads.ca.

September 2009 17 Book Review 101 Board Problems and How to Solve Them, by Eli Mina, Amacon Press, 2009. reviewed by Lisa M. Zwarn, Instructor, and Alison McNeil, MCIP, Program Director, Capilano University As planners, we deal with group process on a regular basis in one form or another. For many of us, it pervades not only our professional lives, through municipal council meetings and other forms of committee work, but also our personal activities, such as when we serve on volunteer organizations in our communities. And many of us have lots of experience, if not war stories to tell. That’s what makes Eli Mina’s new book so compelling.

s the author states in his introduction—“this book may • Faulty direction surprise and even shock you”—and this is largely due to • Governance and structural issues Athe fact that you are bound to recognize many of the • Unethical culture problems and circumstances you’ve encountered in working • Procedural issues with councils, boards and committees in your career. • Problematic board members Here’s an example: “Problem 31 – The Single-Issue Advocate: • Ineffective board chair The single-issue advocate cares only about a specific topic or • Dysfunctional boards matter. For example, a member of a Municipal Council cam- paigned on a promise to block new construction projects. She • Unproductive board meetings is fully involved when such projects are debated, but she pays • Flawed interactions with management little or no attention to other issues…” Sound familiar some- • Flawed interactions with the community how? You bet! Each problem is described and its potential damage to the or- If you have ever wondered how to deal with a specific board- ganization identified (such as an unproductive board meeting room problem, you will most likely be able to find a solution includes a common problem: sleeping during a meeting!); Eli for it in this book. The author defines a boardroom problem as Mina’s suggestions to address the problems (“interventions”) “an individual behaviour or systematic condition that dimin- are generally pragmatic and realistic. He recognizes when strict ishes the substantive quality of a Board decision and/or dam- adherence to parliamentary procedure is appropriate and when ages the decision making process itself.” This sums up nicely it is not. His focus on is always on how to facilitate the busi- why we should care—we all want high quality decisions made ness and functioning of an organization in such a way that all in an efficient and effective manner. members have the opportunity to contribute meaningfully. Eli Mina draws on his parliamentarian training and many years The book is well written with a highly readable style. The reader of consulting experience (including with local governments in may wish to first scan the book, in order to gain an initial BC) to provide solutions that work for even the most challeng- perspective on how boards should function and how meetings ing and delicate of situations. For each of the 101 problems in should work. From there, the reader can quickly narrow in on the book, the author describes them in a specific context, such the particular issues of interest and read the suggested inter- as that of a corporate, governmental (e.g., municipal council) or ventions to fix problems as well as suggestions for how to pre- non-profit Board. So while the book discusses boards in general vent the problems from occurring in the first place. and provides specific examples, planners and other profession- In summary, it is our view that this book should be recom- als can likely adapt and apply much of the contents to a local mended reading for anyone who is on Municipal Council or government context. Regional District Board, who works with Council or RD Board, The author divides the 101 problems into the following ten cat- or who works with other decision making bodies and who cares egories with a chapter on each: about democracy at a local level. H

18 Planning West Planners on the Move

Nancy Henderson MCIP has moved from the City of Cour- After almost a five year run, Emilie K. Adin MCIP left her tenay to take on the position of Manager of Planning with position as Deputy City Planner at the City of Langford to the District of West Kelowna where she will be working join the City of North Vancouver as the City Planner. for a brand new municipality, just incorporated on De- Felice Mazzoni, MCIP is no longer the Director of Planning cember 6, 2007 (renamed in January this year), with a Services at the District of Ucluelet because he has joined the population of 28,793. Focus Corporation as its Manager of Provincial Operations. On July 30th Karen Russell, MCIP left her position as De- Felice worked for the District of Ucluelet for the past 12 years, velopment Planner with the City of North Vancouver after 10 of them as the municipality’s Director of Planning. having the great fortune of spending 13 rewarding years Rob Buchan, MCIP started his new position as the Manager with the exceptional staff and community at the City of NV of Land Use Services for the City of Campbell River. He in such diverse areas as heritage conservation , cemetery achieved almost 15 years of award-winning service for the master planning, development planning and coach house City of Langford. policy in order to start a new adventure with UBC as the Manager, Development Services, UBC Campus and Com- And—for those of you who haven’t heard—our esteemed munity Planning. Hugh Kellas, FCIP, has retired from Metro Vancouver. We’ll report more next issue.

September 2009 19 PIBC Council Notes: 2009 – 2011 Strategic Plan

In mid-July of this year, your new PIBC key result areas was the issue of sus- & developing a thorough discussion Council met over a three-day weekend, tainability. Approximately 30 distinct paper; presenting a resolution to to participate in a PIBC Orientation goals & tasks were identified in order members at the next AGM; devel- and Strategic Planning workshop. to achieve progress in all of the key oping draft legislation; and devel- result areas. oping & strengthening government During that weekend Council under- support for such legislation. took a process to develop a set of pri- • Raising the public and professional orities and actions for PIBC to follow profile of PIBC will focus on imple- Council is finalizing the 2009 – 2011 over the next two years. The initial re- menting the Institute’s new Brand Strategic Plan final document, and will sults from the 2009 PIBC Membership Identity & Communications Plan; be formally adopting the Plan at its Survey, conducted this June and July developing strategic long-term November meeting. Further informa- informed Council’s planning work. As partnerships & relationships; and tion on the Strategic Plan and Action a result of the visioning & planning developing & presenting a topical Plan will be available for review on the process, three key result areas were discussion paper for member re- Institute’s website: www.pibc.bc.ca identified as priorities: view Comments and suggestions from mem- • Raise the public and professional • Creating greater opportunities for bers are welcome and encouraged. In profile of PIBC CPD will focus on enhancing sup- addition, any members wishing to get port for local Chapters to deliver • Create greater opportunities involved and volunteers on commit- events; and completing a targeted for Continuing Professional tees or in other roles to help the Insti- CPD needs assessment survey of Development (CPD) for members tute achieve these strategic goals are members • Explore obtaining provincial pro- encouraged to contact PIBC. • Exploring obtaining provincial pro- fessional legislation fessional legislation will focus on In addition, a theme that informed all initiating an investigative task force

20 Planning West PIBC Council Notes

by Ryan Noakes, Administrative & Member Services Coordinator

July 2009 changes. Council also approved the fice space, in co-operation with the membership revocations for all mem- Institute’s co-tenants, the BC Society On July 17, 2009 the PIBC Council bers with outstanding fee. Council of Landscape Architects. met in Whistler. confirmed two additional members to sit on the Membership Committee for Local Chapter Reports PR Media Delegation the current two-year term. South Coast Chapter: A funding re- The Institute’s Communications con- quest for a UBC symposium on af- tractor presented & spoke to Council Communication Committee fordable and sustainable housing was about the Draft PIBC Communications Report reviewed & approved. Implementation Plan. Council confirmed various members to There was an update & report on re- CIP Report sit on the Communications Committee cent developments & information re- for the current two-year term. garding a past, now defunct, Urban CIP Council recently adopted its own Design Chapter and unused confer- Strategic Plan. The lease for the cur- Mentorship Committee ence seed funds in the South Coast rent office space will expire soon and Report Chapter account. Council approved the search for new office space for the transfer of seed funding from CIP is underway. The 2009 national Council confirmed various members the 2002 CIP/PIBC conference from conference will be held in partnership to sit on the Mentorship Committee the South Coast Chapter back to the with OPPI in Niagara Falls at the end for the current two-year term. Institute’s general account. of September. Finances Conferences & Events Education Committee Council confirmed the Institute’s sign- Report ing authorities. Council approved the submission of a proposal to CIP to hold a joint af- Council appointed various members to Administrative Director’s filiate-national conference in BC in sit on the Education Committee for the 2013. current two-year term. Report There was discussion about the need Miscellaneous Other New Membership Committee to find new office space for the In- Business Report stitute. Council gave approval & di- rection to the Executive Committee Council directed staff to compile a list Council approved a number of new of Institute volunteer representatives membership applications and a num- and staff to hire a realtor and begin searching for new strata or leased of- on external third-party committees, ber of membership transfers and boards and other bodies.

September 2009 21 Membership Committee Report Congratulations and welcome to all the new PIBC Members!

July 17, 2009 At its meeting of July 17, it was recommended and approved that Council admit the following individuals to membership in the Institute in the appropriate categories as noted: Provisional: Student: David Bell Victoria Barr Ergi Bozyigit Maureen Leddy Damien Burggraeve Christopher Selvig Courtney Campbell Timothy Doengan Associate: Kendra Ferguson Joseph Morong John Hickey Terry Hoff Kathleen Larsen Judith Linton Sarah Marcan Ian McInotsh Jennifer Muerer Carlie Smith Samuel Sugita Karen Thompson Tracy Vaughan Teresa Waddell

It was further recommended and approved that Council approve and or acknowledge the following membership transfers and changes in membership status for the following individuals as noted:

Elicia Elliott From AACIP to Provisional Greg Sauer From AACIP to Provisional Yvonne Harris From Full to Retired Mandy Stanker From Full to Inactive/Non-Practicing Emma Taylor From Provisional to Inactive/Non-Practicing Joanne Gauci From Inactive/Non-Practicing to Full Kristina Bouris From Inactive/Non-Practicing to Provisional Lisa Brideau Cancel Larissa Coubrough Cancel Shari Holmes-Saltzman Cancel

22 Planning West

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Planning West (formerly PIBC News) is published by the Planning Institute of British Columbia (PIBC) Opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of PIBC, its Council, or the Planning West Editorial Team The primary contact for Planning West is Laura Lee Richard, Editor Please send submissions to [email protected] Paid subscriptions to Planning West are available for $42.00 (incl. GST). Send a request with a cheque to Dave Crossley, Administrative Director Planning Institute of British Columbia #110 - 355 Burrard St. Vancouver, BC V6C 2G8 Tel: 604.696.5031 Fax: 604.696.5032 E-mail: [email protected] Find more about the Planning Institute of BC and Planning West on the internet: www.pibc.bc.ca

This issue was prepared by PM 4 1 8 5 519 Jasmine Yen [email protected] Planning West is printed by BondRepro Vancouver, BC Contents Copyright ©2009 Planning Institute of BC All rights reserved ISSN 1710-4904