2024 Conference Program

In fall 2022 the Town of Stratford, Prince Edward Island received funding from CMHC to develop a project through round 2 of the Housing Supply Challenge focused on finding solutions to pre-development barriers for new affordable housing supply. With a focus on public education, on demystifying density using public campaigns and an online, interactive platform, the 18-month Shape Stratford project has led to increased municipal collaboration and increased public dialogue around the future of Stratford. Join us for this recap of the Shape Stratford project and its impact.

Planning alongside and for Indigenous communities has been an increasing topic of interest within the planning sector. Dillon Consulting proposes to deliver an informal workshop on relationship building among municipalities, proponents, and Indigenous communities. The discussion will focus broadly on how collaboration can shape the outcome of planning and economic development projects.

The face of commercial business and its zoning has been changing rapidly. As we find commercial needs and patterns changing and with the rising need for housing, we have seen developers redeveloping former commercial areas to large scale residential or mixed use. Discover what challenges have emerged and been overcome in this process from cases presented by Fredericton, Moncton, and Saint John planners in a panel discussion.

Join staff from the City of Saint John and FBM on a learning tour of the City Market National Historic Site, Canada’s oldest continuously operated public Market – which traces its origins the City’s very founding! The tour will take place inside, around (and potentially under) the Market, and will review its unique history and cover why the City Market Strategic Plan (2023) was developed, how it was prepared and designed, key components of the Plan, and the changes that are happening in the Market to make the new plan a reality in and around the building.

Developed on a challenging brownfield site, the Fundy Quay development is the culmination of years of development plans for a former Coast Guard base located on Saint John Harbour. The mixed-use development, currently under construction, will include residential units and commercial space adding additional vibrancy to the City’s Uptown. Redevelopment of waterfront public space is also a component of the overall project. The session will begin with a presentation covering development planning, the development process, and site improvements for Climate Change adaptation, and end with a walking tour of the development area.

As Atlantic Canada grapples with housing and population growth challenges, the Quispamsis Municipal Plan Update and Zoning Bylaw Review presents an innovative model for suburban communities. By introducing a new vision that increases land use intensity, the plan aims to create a vibrant town center with mixed-use developments and diverse housing options, including “missing middle” and apartment buildings. Enhanced public engagement and regional collaboration underscore the community’s transformation towards more amenities, interesting urban spaces, and employment opportunities, welcoming newcomers and accommodating various family sizes. This model showcases a strategic approach to balancing growth with sustainability and inclusivity.

Many of Atlantic Canada’s municipalities are experiencing significant population growth which is driving the need to plan for a higher quantum and diversity of housing. Local municipalities play a key role in addressing the opportunities and challenges in the housing sector through effective local policies, planning and programs.

This session will highlight the range of demographic and economic trends that are influencing population growth across Atlantic Canada’s municipalities, including the rise of hybrid/remote working, shifts in economic growth opportunities, an aging population, and immigration. The session will explore how Atlantic Canada municipalities can embrace growth strategies, housing studies and innovative regulatory and financial tools and programs to proactively identify housing needs and accelerate housing development activity over the short- and longer-term period. One such funding tool is Development Charges. The Provincial government updated the Community Planning Act in 2017. Under the old Act, municipalities were empowered to collect capital charges under “Payment for Service” (Section 45). With the emplacement of the new Act, the cost recovery mechanism under Section 45 of the old Act was replaced with a new Division G which provides for the establishment of Development Charges.

The session will provide a case study of the City of Moncton, New Brunswick, the largest and fastest growing municipality at in the Province, and how that community is planning for long-term growth. The session will explore how the City is addressing long-term housing needs within a broader growth management framework, reflecting population, labour and employment/economic considerations and growth potential, through a planning, economic, and fiscal lens, including the introduction of the first Development Charges by-law in the Province.

This presentation offers an overview of how climate action risks being undermined, and how your town/city can set yourself up for success in confronting climate change. It’s a climate emergency, and cities everywhere agree that something must be done, and fast. Unfortunately, we’re all doing this for the first time, and as it stands, we’re making a lot of mistakes that are hindering actual progress.

Drawing on experience and on wisdom of writers from Harry Frankfurt to Nassim Nicholas Taleb, I’ll talk about how to avoid common pitfalls including: overfixation on metrics at the expense of action; poorly-specified RFP’s; conflation of means and ends; the hereditary consulting aristocracy; sustainability cargo cults; misunderstanding of energy and physics; and excessive catering to short-armed frugivores. Expect jokes and cartoons.

I top it off with the parable of the piano movers and tough but ultimately hopeful suggestions for a way forward to meaningful climate action before it’s even more too late than it is.

From Vancouver to St. John’s and everywhere in between, come and see how municipalities across Canada are using EagleView’s oblique imagery to make better informed decisions, improve 911 response times, monitor water levels, plan future communities, GIS workflows, property assessment and 3D models for the City of St. John’s

The closing keynote panel brings different perspectives together to discuss how we can turn the tides on housing solutions. The panelists will dive into new housing ideas, embracing new directions, and how we can work together to address affordability. The panel provides an opportunity to share real world solutions and discuss how we can implement these ideas within our own communities.