Vancouver Greenest City 2020 Plan
Type of initiative
FCM Green Municipal Fund - Plans, Studies, Pilots
Sector
Multi-sector (Plans)
Project value$755,000
Project Type
Plan
Sub Sector
Sustainable Communities
Grant amount$324,500
Program type
GMF
Municipality
City of Vancouver, BC
Status
Fully Disbursed
Population
662,248
Project timeline
2009 - 2011
Project number
10376
Description
With the aim to make Vancouver the greenest city in the world by 2020, the City of Vancouver will create a Greenest City 2020 plan with targets, actions for reaching the selected targets, and metrics for measuring progress. The city council has already adopted ambitious long-term sustainability goals for each of the following 10 issues: climate leadership; a lighter footprint; green economy, buildings, and mobility; zero waste; clean water and air; local food; and easy access to nature. The plan will also highlight areas in which existing city plans or policies complement or conflict with the goals.
To inform a draft plan, 10 inter-departmental working groups (one per goal) will gather ideas from the public and their departmental peers. Further feedback on the draft plan will be incorporated into a revised final plan for city council’s approval. Given the interconnected nature of the 10 goals, all work will be coordinated by the city’s Sustainability Group—engineers, planners, and project managers with a cross-departmental view and significant experience in the creation and implementation of complex sustainability plans and policies.
The planning process promises to be innovative, especially in its “pecha kucha” launch event: a series of short, engaging presentations on the topic of sustainability. Subsequent engagement activities will include use of the Internet to create a forum in which residents can, with maximum transparency, submit ideas on the sustainability goals, comment on the ideas of others, and vote for their favorite ideas. Interactive kiosks that can survey people throughout the city are also planned as a convenient way to receive feedback. The city will also partner with the University of British Columbia (UBC), which will both assist with and conduct research on public engagement related to sustainability and behavioral change.
In pursuing this ambitious process, the City of Vancouver hopes not only to achieve its own goals, but also to inspire other municipalities to action. In addition, the UBC research will provide a better overall understanding of the most effective ways to engage the public on the topic of sustainability and could be packaged into a guide useful to jurisdictions undertaking similar consultations.
(Project description from original funding application)
Applicant
City of Vancouver, BC