Smart Growth on the Ground in Squamish

Smart Growth British Columbia will assist the District of Squamish in the creation of a Sustainable Neighbourhood Development Plan (SNDP). The BC Smart Growth on the Ground (SGOG) planning approach will be used. SGOG relies heavily on community engagement and stakeholder consultation; incorporates a target-based approach to address desired change; and offers a coherent method for the development of a neighbourhood concept plan based on principles of integrated sustainable development. CommunityViz, visualization and modeling tool, will assist with decision-making for community design and in the assessment of environmental impacts in real-time. The SNDP will detail subdivision, road, and sustainability design and performance standards; it will address urban design guidelines and land use; and it will include innovative green building and infrastructure improvements, climate change mitigation, flood plain area design, affordable housing and life-cycle costing. It will also include an integrated transportation network to provide bike lanes/trails connecting Squamish neighbourhoods to the downtown core, a multi-modal transit hub for local and regional connections and expanded rail and ferry services. The implementation of the SNDP is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by 30 per cent compared to conventional development within the community.