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June 2008 Discussion Forums

In June 2008, Metro Vancouver hosted a series of 5 Discussion Forums that were designed to build on the momentum created by its successful future of the region sustainability dialogues and sustainability community breakfasts and help us move from dialogue to action.

The forums were held in urban centres throughout the region:
North Shore, Vancouver, South of the Fraser, Central Northeast, Richmond.
Participants at each were asked to discuss and respond to 2 key questions - what is our vision for the future, and what are the immediate actions we need to take over the next three years - in three distinct streams.

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Stream 1

Transportation & Growth
Metro Vancouver attracts more than 30,000 new residents each year. By 2031, three million people may live in the region, which represents almost one million new residents. How do we accommodate growth, while maintaining the region’s sustainability and liveability?

Economy
Metro Vancouver has a diversified economy based upon business services, knowledge-based industries, gateway transportation functions and tourism. How do we remain competitive in an increasingly global market?

Governance & Finance
With multiple layers of jurisdictional responsibilities characterizing the delivery of services to Metro Vancouver citizens, cooperation between local and regional authorities is essential to ensure efficient governance and investment in regional infrastructure. How can this cooperation be achieved?

Stream 2

Drugs & Crime
The concentration of drug-addicted residents in some areas of the Metro Vancouver region has had an increasingly negative impact on those areas, and has led to increased crime rates. What is your picture of success for managing drugs and crime in the region?

Culture & Learning
Metro Vancouver is a multi-cultural region that provides many opportunities to celebrate learning about one another and our beliefs. How do we build and maintain a unique Metro Vancouver cultural identity that embraces both diversity and inclusiveness?

Housing
Finding affordable housing to rent or own is a problem for one-third of residents in the Metro Vancouver region: there is a growing lack of rental housing, fewer residents can afford to purchase a home, and the number of homeless people continues to grow across the region. What is your picture of success for housing in the region?

Stream 3

Waste
Every year, the residents and businesses in Metro Vancouver generate about 3.6 million tonnes of garbage and recyclables, 459 million litres of treated liquid waste and 15.6 million metric tonnes of GHGs. What is your picture of success for managing waste in the region?

Energy & Climate Change
Metro Vancouver as a region is a large consumer of fossil fuels and emits 15.6 million tonnes of Green House Gases annually. How do we balance the region’s energy needs with our environmental impact?

Ecological Health
Metro Vancouver is located in a spectacular but ecologically sensitive environment. Many of its natural resources are used globally. How do we accommodate growth while continuing to protect the region’s ecological health?

As those visions and action steps crystallized, they were recorded into a “mind map” that provided a visual depiction of the very thoughtful deliberations that took place at each forum.

The mind maps for all three streams and all five regional discussion forums now form the basis of a series of communiqués (to follow shortly) that will help shape the format for the October 7, 2008 Future of the Region Sustainability Summit.

Visit each of the past forums on the left navigation and discover the dynamic visions and actions that have been articulated across the region. We welcome your thoughts and invite you to continue to share your comments.