Abbotsford Integrated Community Sustainability Plan
Type of initiative
FCM Green Municipal Fund - Plans, Studies, Pilots
Sector
Multi-sector (Plans)
Project value$454,288
Project Type
Plan
Sub Sector
Sustainable Communities
Grant amount$168,000
Program type
GMF
Municipality
City of Abbotsford, BC
Status
Fully Disbursed
Population
153,524
Project timeline
2010 - 2013
Project number
10367
Description
To reverse its current lack of comprehensive sustainability planning, the City of Abbotsford will create an Integrated Community Sustainability Planning (ICSP) framework that sets out a unified vision for the city, with a special focus on the areas of green economy, green energy, and green community. The city has already recognized the importance of sustainability with the creation of its Charter of Sustainability and its Strategic Plan based on the four pillars: fiscal/economic, environment, social/community, and social/corporate sustainability. Now, it will integrate sensitivity for its unique environmental, social, and economic circumstances into its planning hierarchy.
Led by the Community Sustainability Division, the planning process will integrate recent and ongoing community visioning projects including Imagine Abbotsford, Fraser Health Authority, and Culture Under Construction, with additional stakeholder input. The resulting ICSP framework will clothe the bones of the Strategic Plan’s vision, goals, and objectives with the “flesh” of targets and action items for the short, medium, and long term. The framework will then guide the revision or creation of detailed task plans governing such areas as finances, infrastructure and energy, development, transportation, water and waste management, police and fire services, social services, and arts, culture, and recreation. Even as the ICSP framework is finalized and as responsible lead and partner agencies are identified, community consultation will continue through external implementation committees, telephone and mail surveys, and Web-based interactions.
Given the city’s environmental constraints, such as Sumas Mountain biodiversity, Lower Fraser Valley Airshed, Abbotsford–Sumas aquifer, and intensive agriculture, its sub-reports on green economy, green energy, and green community are likely to be of special interest to other local governments with species-at-risk or wildlife issues, fast-growing populations, and contending greenfield/brownfield development opportunities.
(Project description from original funding application)
Applicant
City of Abbotsford, BC