WHISTLER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, 2006-PRESENT
Project Description
A well-established resort community, Whistler has long struggled with maintaining its traditional, local character while also appealing to tourists. The Whistler2020 Plan was a concrete attempt to balance those two things—identifying and finding ways to protect its character elements while still developing and moving forward as a resort destination. The Plan involved revising a vision for the community and establishing a long-term strategy for achieving the vision. While community character was not articulated as a central goal of the Plan or visioning process, it played an important role in both. Since sustainability is at the heart of the community’s vision and character, the City used the Natural Step framework as a way to create sound action steps and strategies. The Plan is now several years into the implementation and monitoring stages.
Finance and Support
The project was financed by the City of Whistler.
Stakeholders
All community members in Whistler were included as stakeholders. A small staff ran the project, supplemented by assistance from community focus groups and task forces.
Methods
Whistler’s 2020 Vision Plan is based upon a 2002 vision, which in turn was based upon a 1997 vision. The ongoing revision and articulation of values has helped Whistler to refine its priorities and sense of character, while building off of the work done in the past. The 2002 process, called “Whistler: It’s Our Future,” combined a science-based Natural Step process with a participation-based visioning program. The visioning component included four phases: Success factors, Alternative futures, Blended future, and Whistler2020 Vision. The Success factors phase used internet surveys to compile a comprehensive list of factors that citizens believed were critical to the success of Whistler. The Alternative futures phase involved simulation of development scenarios using the QUEST model, which were evaluated through community meetings and the dissemination of workbooks and questionnaires. The Blended future phase combined elements of the five main “futures” envisioned in the previous phase, with the use of telephone surveys and more community meetings. Finally, the Whistler2020 Vision phase refined the vision, created the vision document, and developed sixteen strategy areas used for implementation.
Now focused on implementation, Whistler relies heavily upon an extended community and network of partners. The City has instituted Community Task Forces with over 150 community members, which develop action plans for each of the sixteen strategy areas. Implementing organizations include businesses, NGOs, and community organizations that are committed to implementing specific parts of the Whistler2020 Plan. Many of these organizations and other partners have literally signed on to the community’s vision, including priorities and sustainability objectives. To further the goal of community involvement and awareness, Whistler has created the “Whistler2020 Explorer”—an interactive guide to the plan and a resource for questions about Whistler’s directions.
Outcomes
The outcomes of Whistler’s 2020 process include the development of a plan, publicity and education surrounding the plan, and actual implementation steps. The Plan itself is built entirely around the vision developed for Whistler, which in turn focuses on community character. The Plan is now accessible on a detailed and interactive website, which is one of the main communication portals. Task forces have been responsible for implementing actions; a number of action steps have been completed since the plan was adopted. The Whistler 2020 website reports that 2005 task forces recommended 215 actions, 144 of which were accepted. Of those 144, 79.9% have been fully or partially implemented. These actions range from very broad (expand the relationships between Whistler’s Mayor and provincial and federal ministries) to the very narrow (update and improve Village and Valley Trail signage).
Evaluation
Whistler2020 includes a robust Monitoring Program to track and report the City’s progress in achieving the vision. Monitoring involves tracking several sets of indicators: Core Indicators include Health Status and Resident Satisfaction; Strategy Indicators build off of each of the sixteen strategy areas; and other Context Indicators provide additional information about the resort community, not linked to the Vision. Developing the Monitoring Program was an extensive process for Whistler, including establishment of indicators and criteria for reporting, collection of baseline data, and creating a plan for ongoing monitoring.
Innovative Ideas
One of the more innovative aspects of Whistler’s plan is that it begins with a story. Recognizing that much of the community’s character comes from its history and trajectory of change, the plan details the special aspects of Whistler’s past. On the implementation side, Whistler’s innovation centers on its interactive website, which allows the community open access to strategies and to monitoring. The “Explorer” allows residents to see each action step, the person in charge of it, status updates, and timelines. This open access helps to ensure accountability, transparency, and engagement.
WHISTLER 2020 AT A GLANCE
COMMUNITY TYPE
Suburban/resort
AREA
62.44 square miles
POPULATION
9,965 (est.)
LOCATION
Southwestern British Columbia
PROCESS
The Natural Step
PROJECT LEADERS
City of Whistler
The Natural Step Canada
PROJECT THEMES
Sustainability
Tourism
Community Character