Project Focus Areas
- Context
A BC municipality’s existing bylaw around parks and sheltering was no longer sufficient to address the communities' needs. Changes to the municipality’s population, evolving park usage patterns, and new challenges arising from climate change and urbanization necessitated the need for a modernization.
- Our Approach
- Established and validated the City's parks and open space management priorities through workshops with municipal staff and government leaders.
- Updated regulations to align with the City's evolving priorities while incorporating industry best practices.
- Conducted a comprehensive impact assessment with a specific focus on the effects of safeguarding environmentally sensitive areas on individuals sheltering in parks.
- Refined the regulations in collaboration with stakeholders, including non-profit service providers, unhoused individuals, the health authority, senior City leadership, and City Council.
- Outcome
A pragmatic and purpose-driven regulatory framework shaping the management and utilization of the municipality’s green spaces was developed. The new bylaw features a clear and adaptable structure that offers guidance for various park usages, accommodates recreational transportation trends, addresses substance use aligning with provincial acts, and includes provisions for temporary sheltering in alignment with legal precedents.
Project Focus Areas