Adapting to the Future of Planning in BC
Part of:
Urban and Regional Planning
Course description
Governance, Housing and Decision-making under the New Legislative Framework
This two-part workshop explores how municipal planning governance, decision-making, and operational practice in British Columbia are evolving in response to recent provincial legislative changes and increasing housing expectations.
We will examine both the broader structural changes reshaping land use planning in BC and the practical realities local governments face in adapting their processes, expectations, and decision-making approaches to respond to housing pressures.
Brief presentations will introduce key themes and provide shared context, while most of each session will focus on facilitated discussion, practical reflection, and peer learning in a single-group environment.
The format is intentionally conversational and designed to encourage meaningful dialogue between participants with diverse planning experiences and perspectives.
Optional advance readings will be provided.
Who is this workshop for?
This workshop is for professional planners and planning practitioners.
Sessions
Session 1: Planning Governance, Authority and the Evolving Role of the Planner
This session focuses on the broader governance and legislative shifts that have reshaped land use planning in British Columbia over the past several years.
Participants will explore:
- the foundations of municipal planning authority in BC
- how recent provincial legislative changes have altered planning processes and decision-making
- how these changes are shifting public expectations and perceptions of planning, and
- how the role of planners is evolving within this new landscape.
The intent is to build a shared understanding of the broader transition occurring within the planning profession and local government decision-making in BC.
Session 2: Housing Supply, Operational Change and Planning in Practice
This session focuses on how increasing provincial expectations for housing supply are impacting local governments at an operational level.
Participants will explore how municipalities are adapting to respond to housing pressures while continuing to balance broader planning objectives, with a focus on
- bylaws and policy
- development review and approval processes
- organizational structures
- policy application and decision-making approaches
Using the City of Victoria’s Housing Priority Approach as a case study, the workshop will examine the practical realities of applying broad policy goals to complex site-specific conditions through increased flexibility, adaptive expectations, and evolving approaches to trade-off evaluation.
Upon completion
Upon completion of this course, you will be awarded a digital badge, which will be sent electronically—approximately one month after the completion of the course.
All students will automatically be opted-in to receiving a digital badge through Accredible upon completion of their course. Please visit our digital credentials page for more information.
Registration details
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