Community Planning

Community planning the keystone of our consultancy. Every day colleagues at our Vancouver and Victoria offices study land issues at many levels – individual properties, campuses, neighbourhoods, main streets, urban centres, rural communities and regions. We work collaboratively with municipal governments, First Nations, institutions and private businesses to develop community-wide plans, area and structure plans, public realm designs, housing strategies, policy plans and papers, regulatory bylaws, strategic plans, program evaluations, child care planning , research studies and governance reviews.

Urban + Rural Municipal Planning

Working with urban and rural communities of all sizes is the backbone of community planning. Our projects have included legislative-required plans, policy and strategic plans, as well as regulatory bylaws that are adopted by a Council or Board. Our clients hire our professional planners to prepare regional growth strategies, official community plans, neighbourhood plans, site-specific master plans and community policy plans. We also provide regular or ongoing advice to smaller municipalities who require assistance in reviewing subdivision and rezoning applications.

Housing + Social Planning 

At CitySpaces, we believe that planning is first about people – their quality of life, a decent income, equal access to education, health services and jobs, and opportunities for those who are challenged by personal physical and mental distress. Our interests attracts us to non-profit clients who require third-party program evaluations or advice on new initiatives, and municipalities that require research and advice on specific social planning issues including age-friendly plans, arts and cultural planning, social and community needs assessments, and housing.

Regulatory Planning

Knowledge and experience of planning legislation is an essential component of land use planning. Policy provides a guiding framework, but it is in the details of regulatory bylaws (e.g., zoning, land use, tax incentives) and other measures (subdivision, variance) that must set out clear and consistent rules about development. CitySpaces’ land use and regulatory experience are sought out for these projects.

Child Care Planning

The current child care planning context is changing, due in part to increased funding from the Province of British Columbia. In 2018, the Province announced an expanded investment in the child care sector, which has facilitated numerous action plans, needs assessments, and projects across British Columbia. This increase in funding has allowed our CitySpaces team to build a portfolio in the child care sector. Given this area of planning is still new for many communities, CitySpaces was able to develop a unique methodology, reflective of our social planning expertise, and in accordance with the UBCM guidelines.

We invite you to check out our project profiles here.