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“Nature belongs in cities, but how do we put nature first without pushing people aside? Nature-First Cities reveals the false dichotomy of that question by recognizing that people and nature are indivisible. What are the costs associated with having cities that are not nature-based? What are the benefits if we invite nature back into our cities? What would it take to actually do this? If we are to challenge how urban development has taken place without a deep understanding of our connection to nature, what is a strategy for bringing nature back into cities,” stated Sean Markey.

“Inability to effectively communicate the purposes of local government as defined in legislation… Community Charter for municipalities and Local Government Act for regional districts…has had an unintended consequence – and that is, distrust of staff on the part of elected officials and taxpayers. So, what do we do? We reset. It is clearly a time of change. I think it is an appropriate time for local governments to reflect and self-evaluate the services they provide and how they provide them. This isn’t about blame. It is about putting pieces together,” stated Arnold Schwabe.

“For over two years, I have been writing a sweeping narrative titled the Chronicle of Green Infrastructure Innovation in Metro Vancouver from 1994 through 2024. What did you learn along the way, current local government staff would ask me; and where did that lead each time. Their questions prompted me to dig deeper and deeper. So, I expanded my ‘story behind the story’ interviews to delve into motivating factors. My hope is that a new generation of decision makers would build on deep knowledge that comes from lived experience,” stated Kim Stephens.

Melony Burton’s actions in driving positive change are guided by her no-nonsense approach to keeping it simple, practical and implementable. She is results-based and has a history of accomplishment with three local governments. Her responsibilities encompass the entire infrastructure portfolio. “I have leveraged my career into a position that allows me to have more influence and positive change. This came, in part, from channeling the frustration at being limited in the role I was in. When you are comfortable, you are not motivated to make a change,” explains Melony Burton.

“So, what do we do? Really, it is about focusing on those areas of restarting and refreshing. And everybody, especially elected officials, having the courage to start making the change that is coming. I want to believe all the things are in place for change to occur, for a reset to take place,” stated Arnold Schwabe. “We have no more excuses. The concept of Asset Management has been around long enough for staff and elected officials to have an awareness of the issues. We need to move past our anxiety and confront the problems.”