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Renovate the Public Hearing Initiative Releases Findings in Final Report and Recommendations
The Renovate the Public Hearing Initiative is excited to share their , highlighting their findings after nearly three years of research and work that aims to transform local government land use decision-making.
In response to the housing crisis and provincial calls for policy and legislative change in land use planning, the Centre for Dialogue formed the Renovate the Public Hearing Initiative (RPHI) in 2022, to evaluate British Columbia鈥檚 primary form of public participation in land use decision-making: the public hearing.
Legislated public hearings can be an important mechanism of democracy鈥攆or many residents, they serve as the first or only direct, face-to-face interaction with local government. However, standard public hearing formats can present barriers to participation for equity-denied residents, delay much-needed housing developments, and in more contentious development projects, increase polarization and the stigmatisation of marginalised community members.
Recognizing that the public hearing in its current format does not adequately meet today鈥檚 land use planning needs, many voices have been asking to revisit the purpose and process of public hearings and explore potential alternatives.
鈥淚f there鈥檚 a more creative, modern, progressive, forward-looking way to do a check that isn鈥檛 the public hearing, I鈥檇 be all ears. So it鈥檚 not that the public hearing is the be all and end all, and the only and best tool to do this. It鈥檚 just that at the moment, it is the only forum in which Council hears from the public.鈥�
鈥擵ancouver-based city planner
With this goal, RPHI has now spent nearly three years in community-involved, policy-informed research and consultation, and has piloted and evaluated numerous scalable reforms and alternatives to BC鈥檚 public hearing process. Studied innovations in land use decision-making included residents鈥� assemblies, digital engagement, multilingual engagement, Indigenous-led community engagement and youth civic engagement.
RPHI鈥檚 final report consolidates the findings of their research and work and presents a set of recommendations for strengthening public participation in land use decision-making, upholding housing rights, and enhancing spatial equity and democratic culture in British Columbia and beyond.
Highlights
- Understanding and evaluating land use decision-making processes through a human rights framework
- Exploring the landscape of public hearings in British Columbia
- Highlighting and evaluating innovative alternatives to traditional public hearings
- RPHI's key recommendations for change
An abridged version of the report is also available for download, with summary and highlights of RPHI鈥檚 work and research, as well as their full set of final recommendations.
Read the Report
RPHI thanks its primary funder, the .
