Sustainable Planning and Development for Small Communities Workshop

What does "sustainability" mean to you?

Sustainability is about meeting the needs of both the present and the future through clear thinking and sound planning. But your approach to sustainable development depends a great deal on where you are and what your community needs to ensure long-term vitality. One of the key aims of this workshop is to help you develop an understanding of sustainability that's tailored to small communities.

On the Home Front

Sustainable development is a global concern. It's easy to picture, on a large scale, how human civilization affects the availability of natural resources and the condition of our planet's environment. In small communities, the need for sustainable development is sometimes less apparent — but the pressures are every bit as real. Population growth or decline, the availability of affordable housing, the increasing age of essential infrastructure, environmental quality concerns and rising costs across the board are among the many issues faced by small municipalities throughout Canada. That's why it's also important for small municipalities to adopt sustainable planning and development practices.

Sustainable Planning and Development for Small Communities is a workshop designed specifically for municipal decision makers — people responsible for community planning and development. The workshop lays a solid conceptual foundation and at the same time provides practical approaches and decision-making tools to help participants engage in successful sustainable development.

Developing Expertise

Providing a real-world Canadian perspective on a wide range of issues associated with managing physical infrastructure, Sustainable Planning and Development for Small Communities helps participants determine how to meet the long-term demands of their evolving municipalities. The workshop features numerous examples of successful activities and practices from municipalities across Canada. It provides tools that decision makers can use immediately to help move their communities toward greater sustainability. And it creates an opportunity for participants to explore potential approaches suited to their local needs. In the end, the workshop aims to inspire innovation by helping participants realize that sustainability is practical and attainable.

What We Cover

Delivered through an engaging series of presentations, the workshop is accompanied by a thorough, information-rich workbook that will help you act on what you learn after the course is over. Importantly, every workshop is tailored to the needs and interests of participants — maximizing its value to each audience.

• What is Sustainable Development?
  The first module of the workshop clarifies the concept of sustainable development and
  its importance. You will learn of key sustainability principles and answer, in broad terms, the question: How sustainable is my community?
  
  
• Transportation, Energy and Materials Management
  This segment of the workshop explores approaches to managing and optimizing local infrastructure, which encompasses everything from transportation and energy to solid waste. You will also learn about important financing strategies for infrastructure projects.
  
  
• Water, Waste Water and Storm Water Systems
  Of all the infrastructure concerns a municipality faces, water systems are among the most crucial. This module deals with these systems at length, sharing best practices and providing abundant real-world examples from Canadian municipalities.
  
  
• Housing and Community Policy and Regulatory Tools
  What's the relationship between housing and sustainable development? That's the question this module answers - in addition to providing helpful tools for developing community policies and regulations. It also presents examples from Affordability and Choice Today (ACT), a national program aimed at improving regulations for more housing affordability and choice.
  
  
• Community Participation Tools and Practices
  This segment of the workshop looks at how to make sustainability a true community effort. It lays out principles for encouraging and facilitating public participation that you can use to ensure a successful and ongoing sustainability planning process.

Giving Communities a Voice

Public participation is both a means and an end when it comes to sustainability planning. It engages local residents and gives them a stake in the outcomes. At the same time, it helps you educate constituents about the importance of sustainability-providing them with skills and experience that will continue to be useful as your municipality grows and changes.

For information about upcoming workshops, visit our Events Calendar or contact the CMHC Representative from your region:

British Columbia
Lance Jakubec
T: 604-737-4095
Email: ljakubec@cmhc-schl.gc.ca

Prairie and Territories
Cam Dupuis
T: 403-515-2958
Email: cldupuis@cmhc-schl.gc.ca

Ontario
Carla Guerrera
T: 416-218-3378
Email: cguerrer@cmhc-schl.gc.ca

Nadia Frantellizzi
T: 416-218-3358
Email: nfrantel@cmhc-schl.gc.ca

Quebec
Sarah Dandenault
T: 514-283-0487
Email: sdandena@cmhc-schl.gc.ca

Atlantic
Michel Legere
T: 902-426-5780
Email: mlegere@cmhc-schl.gc.ca