Work
Planning Institute of British Columbia
Strategic Priorities 2023-2025
As current President of the Planning Institute of British Columbia & Yukon, I led the institute into a new era with its newest strategic plan. This has meant a major transformation from 30-page 16-month strategic/operational plans to a one-page two-year strategic plan undergirded by robust annual workplans. I have supported a values-first, mission-based approach to strategic planning.
New Westminster
Renovictions Action Plan
In 2019, New Westminster became the first city in British Columbia to adopt bylaws deterring “renovictions” and preserving the affordable rental housing stock. The City of New Westminster successfully defended a number of court cases and got national attention, including a number of awards. I took a leadership role in creating and implementing the Renovictions Action Plan.
New Westminster
Seven Bold Steps for Climate Action
In 2019, New Westminster was the second municipality in the Lower Mainland to declare a climate emergency. In response, the City of New Westminster established the award-winning Seven Bold Steps for Climate Action alongside a new climate action budgeting framework. As director of planning, I led the effort and built the City’s first Climate Action Team.
New Westminster
COVID-19 Pandemic Response
I led the major department that guided New Westminster’s COVID-19 Pandemic Response: Transforming Planning Practice and Saving Lives, which was honoured by the Planning Institute of British Columbia.
City of North Vancouver
Moodyville Prezoning Initiative
The Moodyville Prezoning Initiative was the unicorn of planning successes: a successful comprehensive visioning and rezoning of a single-family neighbourhood. As part of this transformation of a considerable number of separately-owned properties into a master planned complete community with approximately 1,500 new homes, a new park, fast transit dissecting it, and improved greenways and transit networks, I led a major component of negotiations with developers.
British Columbia
Energy Step Code
I was a founding member of the BC Step Code Council, which led the provision of a new pathway for buildings to be constructed to Net-Zero Energy Ready standards by 2032. The BC Energy Step Code has won a number of awards in Canada, and has received positive attention around the world as a leading effort to address the climate footprint of new and existing buildings, using a housing-supply-friendly approach.
City of North Vancouver
Energy Efficient Buildings Initiative
Under my leadership, and prior to the advent of the provincial Energy Step Code, the City of North Vancouver led the way with the Energy Efficient Buildings Initiative. This award-winning comprehensive strategy combined big policy and regulatory moves — including a carbon-reducing approach to density bonusing — to encourage developers to build better buildings.
City of North Vancouver
Comprehensive Zoning Bylaw Review
I led the team and the project that reviewed the Zoning Bylaw to advance the City’s Affordable Housing, Green Buildings, and Design Excellence objectives. This involved streamlining by-laws to remove barriers and to create incentives to entice appropriate investment by the development industry.
City of North Vancouver
Update to Density Bonus and Community Benefits Policy
I led a comprehensive review of the City’s Density Bonus and Community Benefits Policy, capturing a twofold revenue increase and a significant housing unit increase in rental and social housing development projects. This project was honoured with an award from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.
City of Langford
Affordable Housing Program
Langford established one of Canada’s earliest inclusionary zoning home-ownership programs, which was recognized with the 2008 Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation Housing Award. In the pursuit of lower-income, affordable housing, and as the founding manager of the Langford Affordable Housing Program, I led coordination between local realtors, credit unions, mortgage brokers, and insurers (including the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation) and helped set the criteria for the program.
City of Langford/City of Colwood
Joint Official Community Plan
I led a project to successfully create a new award-winning Official Community Plan (OCP), a first-of-its-kind OCP that aligned with its neighbouring municipality, creating universal development permit guidelines and land use designations.
City of Langford
Community Energy and Emissions Reduction Strategy
I led a project to position the City of Langford as a Carbon Neutral Municipality, including setting achievable carbon sequestration and GHG reduction targets and an implementation plan.
City of Langford
Affordable Housing and Amenity Contribution Policy
I led an award-winning policy development process to incentivize densification and infill development in the city centre while disincentivizing the development of non-core areas.
