LIVING WATER SMART IN BRITISH COLUMBIA: “People might look back and say…well I don’t know what they had going for them; this is now, and things are different. But the state of mind that lay behind that kind of success is worth recalling for people,” stated Ken Cameron, co-architect of Metro Vancouver’s Livable Region Strategic Plan in the 1990s
Note to Reader:
Published by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in British Columbia, Waterbucket eNews celebrates the leadership of individuals and organizations who are guided by the Living Water Smart vision. The edition published on October 29 2024 features Ken Cameron, a co-author of Metro Vancouver’s Livable Region Strategic Plan. Through his telling of firsthand historical vignettes, he provides insight into why the plan matters, and why we need people who understand the state of mind that lay behind its success.
EDITOR’S PERSPECTIVE / CONTEXT FOR BUSY READER
“In the story behind the story that follows, Ken Cameron’s vignettes about the history of regional planning from the 1960s through the 2000s give meaning to the contributions of past leaders, both elected and staff. In sum, their contributions were game-changing,” stated Kim Stephens, Waterbucket eNews Editor and Partnership Executive Director.
“Ken Cameron’s reflections paint a picture of how those leaders were guided by the principles of cooperation and collaboration and the concept of livability. They had vision and passion. They influenced evolution of the Metro Vancouver region for the better.”
Integrated planning and the vision for integration of engineering, planning and environmental perspectives
“In a system, everything is connected. Consider that the trajectory of my career path is defined by the science that informed the Fish Protection Act in 1997. The Act itself was an outcome of the Georgia Basin Initiative in 1994. The Growth Strategies Act proceeded in parallel. These two merged in 1997.”
“For Metro Vancouver, these initiatives are all rooted in the Livable Region Strategic Plan. The mantra in the 1990s was integrated planning and implementation. This is where Ken Cameron’s and my professional histories intersected.”
“Metro Vancouver’s 2001 and 2011 LWMPs shaped my lived experience. It was Ken Cameron who got the 2001 plan across the finish line. The vision was that the LWMP would be the catalyst for integration of engineering, planning and environmental perspectives to restore the water balance, improve stream health, and protect riparian integrity. A quarter century later, those interconnected outcomes have yet to be delivered region-wide.”
Table of Cascading Factors – a lesson learned is that all must be in alignment for success
“The Chronicle of Green Infrastructure Innovation from 1994 through 2024 is a 500-page tome. Distil, distil, distil. The essence of the past three decades boils down to a table for the purposes of telling a story,” explains Kim Stephens.
“Four distinct eras define the past three decades, with the period of time for each varying between 6 and 9 years. In the image below the table, a defining statement characterizes each era.”
Installments in the 7-part series that previews the Green Infrastructure Chronicle
“In this fourth installment, Ken Cameron concludes on an optimistic note with this statement: “There is no question that we have come a long way in overcoming memory loss in regional growth management and the future looks promising.”
To Learn More:
To read the complete story, download a copy of Living Water Smart in British Columbia: Understand why the Livable Region Strategic Plan matters.