The Clarington Sustainable Neighborhood Action Plan

To meet the needs of its rapidly growing population in a sustainable manner, the Municipality of Clarington will develop a Sustainable Neighborhood Action Plan (SNAP) that will guide the development of compact and complete neighborhoods in both greenfield development and intensification areas in the community. The vision for the SNAP will be aligned with Clarington’s Green Community Strategy as well as regional and provincial growth strategies. Clarington will develop goals and targets for the new sustainable neighborhoods related to land use planning, building construction, energy and water conservation, waste management, and transit oriented design. The municipality will also develop incentives and a fast-track permitting process for secondary plans that apply intensification principles and meet the targets for improved environmental performance in the proposed developments. To overcome public opposition to increased density and to ensure community buy-in for the SNAP, Clarington will conduct an extensive community engagement process through public information sessions, a social media campaign, and focus groups with key stakeholders, including prospective home buyers and the development community. The process will be led by an interdepartmental steering committee of municipal staff as well as representatives from Durham Region. The outcomes of the SNAP will be incorporated into a Sustainable Neighborhood Development Guide and the municipality plans to field test the green permitting process in a new residential subdivision (not part of this GMF funding application). Clarington expects the SNAP to lead to increased community awareness and support for intensification and the development of more compact, sustainable communities with a lower ecological footprint. The SNAP will also promote local economic development in mixed use neighborhoods and improve financial stability for the municipality through increased tax base and lower infrastructure costs per residence. Clarington is committed to sharing its experience and lessons learned as a model for communities in Ontario and across Canada. (Project description from original funding application)