North Vancouver Receives Award for 100 Year Sustainability Vision

The City of North Vancouver continues to garner recognition for its commitment and progress in the area of sustainability, most recently, winning a prestigious Community Excellence Award for its 100 Year Sustainability Vision.

The Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) convention is underway in Vancouver, and the City of North Vancouver has been presented with the UBCM’s prestigious 2009 Community Excellence Award for Leadership & Innovation. In the category of ‘Large Municipality’, the City was recognized for demonstrating initiative and cooperation in leading the innovative planning process to prepare a 100 Year Sustainability Vision for the City.

Since 2007, the City has worked with the University of British Columbia Design Centre for Sustainability to prepare an innovative 100 Year Sustainability Vision. Operating under the themes of liveability, sustainability and resilience, the long-range plan examines likely scenarios, challenges and opportunities in the future, allowing the City to develop forward thinking policy planning that would address land use planning decisions and their greenhouse gas implications.

The 100 Year Sustainability Vision also serves as an implementation document that works in tandem with the City’s Official Community Plan. The goal of the 100-year plan is to guide the City toward carbon-neutral status by 2107, the City’s 200^th anniversary.

The City, in partnership with the District of North Vancouver, Squamish First Nation, non-government agencies and community stakeholders, recently completed a study of the project. The findings are expected to encourage meaningful discussions in the community and between other Lower Mainland municipalities about climate change and the importance of leaving a cleaner, healthier environment for future generations. www.cnv.org/100YearVision

The UBCM Community Excellence Awards honour BC municipalities and regional districts which have demonstrated the highest level of excellence in providing programs and services for their communities. The awards recognize outstanding achievements and contributions made in the areas of best practices, partnerships, as well as leadership and innovation.

The City previously won a Community Excellence Award for one of its other sustainability initiatives, the district energy service, Lonsdale Energy Corporation.www.LonsdaleEnergy.com

For more information about the City’s green achievements and innovative approach to building a vibrant, diverse and liveable community, visit www.cnv.org/Sustainability.

Originally shared by Professor Patrick M. Condon, University of British Columbia, James Taylor Chair in Landscape and Liveable Environments on the Smart Growth BC livable communities listserv.