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“The Ministry of Community Development has an increasing role in ensuring that local governments are advancing and changing the ways they plan and design their communities for the better. We also described how the Ministry is using the Green Communities Initiative to advance green infrastructure province-wide. We emphasized that we are slowly raising the bar for local government. For example, we are saying ‘show us what you are doing to protect stream health’,” stated Karen Rothe.

A commitment by Metro Vancouver municipalities to integrate land use and drainage planning was the genesis for Integrated Stormwater Management Plans (ISMPs). “When the Reference Panel reported back to the Waste Management Committee in July 2008, we identified the ISMP process as a sleeper issue because there are 130 watersheds in the region; and continuation of the old-business-as-usual would potentially result in an aggregate unfunded liability that could easily equal the $1.4 billion cost of sewage treatment,” stated Kim Stephens.

When the Board met in March 2009, “it approved realigning the goals, strategies and actions in the updated LWMP to keep current with senior government policies and positions, as well as ensure that Metro Vancouver’s and senior governments’ environmental and fiscal objectives and actions are mutually supportive and successful,” stated Lois Jackson, Chair.

“Kim Stephens returns to the CIT Information Resource with more news about ‘design with nature’ approaches to community, land development, and water management. One of our editorial team described Kim’s treatment as the best overview she’s come across,” wrote Hans Peter Meyer.

“The key principle is that settlement and ecology are equal values and they must be as much in balance as possible for wellbeing of human and natural systems. Healthy systems thrive. Compromised systems, without elimination of threats and restoration, decay,” states Tim Pringle.

“We are NOT saying that every community must follow the same formula; what we are saying is that everyone needs to agree on expectations and how all the players….regulators, developers, designers, etc….will work together, and after that each community can reach its goals in its own way,” states Eric Bonham.

“There is growing national and international interest in how British Columbia has moved from awareness to action in implementing green infrastructure practices that achieve water sustainability outcomes,” reports Eva Kras.

“Policy and legal tools can help developers, regulators and designers collaborate to implement green infrastructure solutions and ensure responsible outcomes. Each party in the process has a responsibility. There are solutions to be found if all parties simply talk to each other about how they could all work together more effectively,” stated Susan Rutherford.

“We are using the slogan The New Business As Usual to convey the message that, for change to really occur, practices that until now have been viewed as the exception must become the norm moving forward,” stated Dale Wall.

“Over the past decade, BC has made considerable progress in changing infrastructure practices through an educational approach. Now, the focus is on how the Province’s grant programs provide incentives necessary to influence behaviour; and reward those who meet program objectives for doing business differently,” stated Glen Brown.