Community Sustainability Planning

by Kelly Hawke Baxter and Mike Purcell

Sustainability is the greatest challenge of our time. Human activity is now putting such a strain on social and ecological systems that the ability to sustain future generations can no longer be taken for granted. Sustainable literally means lasting, or standing the test of time. Sustainability means making sure that we live within the ability of the planet to support us so that future generations have the same opportunities as we do.

Communities are on the front-line of the sustainability challenge. It’s where the impacts of poor air and water quality,
climate change and diminishing natural resources are felt. It’s where people live, work and play. It’s where quality of life and health improves or declines. It’s where social fabric, art and culture are created and nurtured.

“Sustainability is good business for municipal government,” says Ken Melamed, Mayor of Whistler, BC. “Applied to growth and development today, it will help protect tomorrow’s generations to manage financial impacts of climate change, health risks, environmental remediation, infrastructure replacement, energy security and food security,” he says.

So how do we continue to make economic, social and cultural progress without continuing to undermine the systems upon which our quality of life depends? How do municipal leaders plan for the future in a way that stands the test of time?

These are tough questions for municipal leaders to grapple with, and yet they are impossible to ignore. One way that communities are tackling these challenging questions is through the development of community sustainability plans.