Landscape view of the City of Kingston, Ontario.

The City of Kingston, ON wanted to create a sustainability plan with a difference. City staff felt that to truly work, sustainability had to be an idea that is owned not just by city staff and council, but by the community as well.

The idea of community ownership drove much of the discussion around the plan. In the end, there are three-prongs to Kingston's "community-owned" plan. There is the plan itself; a website that — among other things — lays out a set of best practices for individuals, businesses and organizations to follow; and the creation of an arms-length governing body that will drive sustainability forward in Kingston.

Results

Environmental Economic Social
  • A best practices website
  • Creation of an arms-length governing body to drive sustainability forward in Kingston
  • Reduce and/or mitigate GHG emissions to become carbon neutral
  • Establish Kingston as a leader in green energy - wind, solar, biofuel
  • Become a hub for research and development companies
  • Support and implement green procurement policies
  • Reduce reliance on food bank usage
  • Support the inclusion of affordable housing in new developments
  • Increase opportunities for those who wish to age-in-place

Challenges

  • How to make concrete the idea of "community ownership" of a sustainability plan
  • Getting buy-in from council on the idea of an arms-length body being responsible for sustainability

Lessons learned

  • Invitation-only meetings were key to making the idea of community ownership concrete
  • Don't underestimate the importance of buy-in from politicians and staff in the process

Resources

Partners and collaborators

Project contact

Paul MacLatchy
Director, Environmental and Sustainable Initiatives
Kingston, ON
T. 613-546-4291

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