City of Cambridge Sustainable Community Plan
Type of initiative
FCM Green Municipal Fund - Plans, Studies, Pilots
Sector
Multi-sector (Plans)
Project value$231,100
Project Type
Plan
Sub Sector
Sustainable Communities
Grant amount$60,800
Program type
GMF
Municipality
City of Cambridge, ON
Status
Fully Disbursed
Population
138,479
Project timeline
2010 - 2011
Project number
10391
Description
The City of Cambridge will develop a Sustainable Community Plan (SCP) to provide a cohesive and integrated plan for managing growth while considering the economic, social and environmental sustainability impacts of all municipal decisions. The City of Cambridge is a community of approximately 131,000 people located on the Grand River in the Region of Waterloo. A growing post-industrial, knowledge-based economy has seen Cambridge and other regional communities experience significant population and employment growth in recent years. While there are many benefits to this growth, there are also concerns related to stress on environmental and public health due to urban growth and activity; stress on social well-being due a growing need for services such as affordable housing; and economic stress due to rising energy prices.
Key objectives of the SCP are to coordinate existing and future master and strategic plans and operations with the goals of the SCP; provide a sustainability frame of reference for municipal decision makers; provide a plan and decision-making tool to better coordinate resources and efforts to improve operational sustainability; and establish a monitoring protocol to measure achievements over time and make necessary adjustments.
The Cambridge process will be based on the Integrated Community Sustainability Plan (ICSP) model to ensure a holistic approach by identifying a community vision for the future; undertaking an analysis of the current context; creating a plan that includes measurable targets and actions for the short, medium and long term; and developing a monitoring mechanism that establishes targets and an evaluation and reporting framework. An action plan will be developed that will achieve the vision and address the issues including actions to address energy, transportation, water, waste and brownfields. The project team will ensure the participation of partner organizations such as the Region of Waterloo, the Grand River Conservation Authority, area school boards; a steering committee consisting of senior city staff and members of City Council.
(Project description from original funding application)
Applicant
City of Cambridge, ON