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Challenges and Opportunities in Measuring Success in Community Sustainability Planning
Sandra K. Znajda, PhD, Independent Consultant & Associate Lura Consulting
(Dr. Liette Vasseur, Brock University; Liz Nield, CEO, Lura Consulting)
October17, 2013CIC Impact Summit, Chicago
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Presentation Overview
1. Community Sustainability Plans
2. Key Challenges
3. Opportunities
4. Next Steps
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1. Community Sustainability Plans
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Concept: Planning for Sustainability
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IntentionsTo create a long-term plan or framework
that works towards a Vision of sustainability - an “umbrella” document
To increase awareness about sustainability
To engage stakeholders and public as partners in change
To provide strategic guidance
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Community Collaboration
Process
Implementation and Monitoring
Strategic Directions and Actions
How will you reach your vision? Goals
Where do you want to go? Vision
Where are you Today?
Develop Process Framework
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InvolvementGovernment-ledMultiple stakeholdersCommunity engagement
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StructureVisionGoalsStrategiesList of ActionsImplementation PlanMonitoring/
Evaluation Plan
Land Use Planning
Water
Waste
Transportation
Energy
Natural and Cultural Assets
Typically structured around identifiable themes
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Example: Niagara Region Goal Statement: In
2060,Niagara will be an inclusive, engaged community that values culture, learning, and social development.
Sample Action: Conduct a needs assessment of knowledge or skills in the community by consulting businesses, industry, educational institutions, and the public8 Theme-based Goals
Indicators: Patchwork Quilt
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Example: Niagara RegionVision Statement Elements Indicators
• Integrated community• Ample green space• Clean air and water• Learning community• Leader in technology,
innovation, research, economic development
• Culturally inclusive and welcoming
• Region of opportunity• Proud of its values• Food banks and homeless
shelters not needed• Vibrant, vital, accessible cores
Indicator species abundanceAverage daily vehicular travel distance
WalkabilityGreenhouse gas emissionsAnnual gross farm receipts
Access to nutritious food basketEconomic diversification
Living wageParticipation in community activities
VolunteerismVoter turnout in municipal elections
Physical and mental health
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Example: KingstonVision – Canada’s Most Sustainable City
Cultural Indicators
Employment in occupations related to arts/culture/recreation/sportAssets in city’s Heritage Register
Voter turnoutResidents by ethnic background
Economic indicators
Unemployment rateJob creationEmployment by sector, occupation Entrepreneurship
Infrastructure conditionTransit & commuting modeTourism revenuePreservation of agricultural land
Environ-mental indicators
Energy useGHG emissionsAir quality indexResidential water consumptionBeach water quality
Waste diversion ratesGreenspaceDense treed areasMix of land useDwelling unit density
Social Indicators
Composite learning indexEducational attainmentHigh school graduation rateAccess to physicians% population overweightRecreation program hours
Community gardensSpending on nutritious foods number low income householdsHousing affordabilityCrime rates
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2. Key Challenges
Indicator Selection Process
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Which indicators?How many indicators?What resources are available to collect
data?
Role of Indicators
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Can the indicators fill multiple roles?◦ Informing Council◦ Identifying areas for improvement◦Communicating status to public
Can indicators developed for other purposes be used for measuring sustainability in a community?
Annual Gross Farm Receipts
Living Wage
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Characteristics of What is Being MeasuredDynamic and non-linearInter-connectedLong-term horizonInfluenced by outside factors beyond
control of communityMultiple layers of responsibility
Christmas Bird Counts
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What is “Sustainability”?Each community has their own interpretation
outlined in Vision. E.g.,:
“A sustainable community is active, inclusive, safe, well planned and built, well run, well connected and thriving. A sustainable community offers equal opportunity(ies) and good services for all” -- Sustainable Kingston Plan (2010)
“Caring communities balancing prosperity, well-being and nature” – Sustainable Peterborough Plan (2012)
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What is “Sustainability”?“Sustainability” vs. “sustainable
development”
“Sustainability means meeting the needs of today without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” -- Our Niagara in 2060
Is sustainability an endpoint (with a target) or a process/way of being?
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3. Opportunities
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Making the Process Easier
Municipalities want tools that are:SimpleEasily communicatedReflective of local experiencesIndicative of relative changeLinks indicators and actionsBottom-up and participatoryAdaptable to local contexts
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Shifting Focus?
Towards assessing changes in process, perception, relationships, networks, e.g.:◦How frequently do municipal departments work
together in problem solving?◦How is sustainability perceived and defined?◦How often is environment considered in
economic plans and vice versa?
“..complex problems require strategies that entail changes in established patterns of action as well as in the structures in which they take place” (Regeer et al, 2009, AJE)
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Draw from Work on Resilience?Information and knowledgeSupportive networksShared community valuesCommunity’s ability and willingness to
adaptEnvironmental, social, economic, and
human capital approach
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4. Next Steps Establishing a cross-sectoral research
partnership to further:◦Understand how sustainability is defined and
experienced by Ontario communities◦Design a framework that can be used across
Ontario municipalities to measure sustainability
◦Test out with municipalities
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Thank YouComments/Ideas/Questions?
Sandra K. Znajda, PhDIndependent Research
Consultant & Associate, Lura [email protected]
Liz Nield, CEOLura Consulting
Hamilton, [email protected]
Liette Vasseur, PhDProfessor, Department of
Biological SciencesBrock University
St Catharines, [email protected]
