Policy reconciliation methodology to create an Integrated Community Sustainability Plan (ICSP) for Canadian municipalities

Abstract

Sustainable development has created new demands and led to a new way of thinking within the community-planning realm and has grown in use due to the increasing and changing awareness of environmental issues and their connection to growth within communities. As part ofthe Canadian Federal Gas Tax Fund requirement, municipalities must develop an Integrated Community Sustainability Plan (ICSP). Currently, many municipalities are working towards a sustainable or environmental vision for their community and have developed master plans and policies to implement environmental practices. The issue facing municipalities is how do existing bodies of work support and integrate into the development of an ICSP? The Town of Oakville is used as a case study to investigate the method of reconciling master plans and policies to develop an ICSP. The research methods include a case study, interviews, the analysis ofICSP toolkits and municipal ICSPs. The research identifies successes, limitations, and improvements for the proposed approach.