What will help you live a healthy, happy and fulfilled life in the City of North Vancouver? What does community wellbeing mean to you?
The City of North Vancouver is developing a Community Wellbeing Strategy that is intended to help make the City a healthier, more livable, equitable, and connected place where everyone belongs. Take the survey at cnv.org/wellbeing by October 31 to share your ideas and feedback on the draft vision, goals and strategies.
“This pandemic has reaffirmed the importance of building communities that support the wellbeing of all people,” said Mayor Linda Buchanan. “We know the past 18 months have been very challenging. As we shape our recovery its critical we hear how we can be a more connected, inclusive and vibrant place. Health touches every aspect of our lives. That’s why we’ve put it at the centre of our agenda.”
Community wellbeing is about the deep connections between the social, economic, environmental, health, cultural, and political conditions that are essential for people to reach their potential. The strategy covers social issues such as community health, neighbourhood design and affordability, public safety, reconciliation, inclusiveness, resiliency, and the reduction of poverty, discrimination, racism and other barriers.
The Community Wellbeing Strategy will be used to inform and guide the City’s actions over the next ten years – including planning for services, programming, resources, amenities and places. The Strategy will also provide direction as to how the City will work with senior levels of government, First Nations, the business community, community service agencies, and other stakeholders to achieve the four preliminary goals:
- Building a City of Short Distances: Connecting people with each other and with day-to-day needs closer to where they live.
- Making Room for Community: Creating welcoming places and programs for residents to come together, celebrate and access supports.
- Being an Equitable City: Ensuring the City is shaped by diverse voices and experiences, and is inclusive of everyone in the community.
- Repositioning Social Investments: Seeing services, programs and amenities as an investment, not a cost.
The survey, which will take five to 15 minutes to complete, is seeking feedback on these preliminary goals, an overarching vision – a City where everyone belongs – and 20 strategies organized by four themes: healthy design, human essentials, supporting people, and working together.
The draft goals, vision and strategies follow several years of research and consultation, including the City and District of North Vancouver’s You Me Us research and engagement initiative on social issues in 2018, ongoing community dialogue, public health information, best practices, and input on related City work such as the Housing Needs Report and the Child Care Action Plan.
The work dovetails with other public engagement taking place this fall, including the Mobility Strategy and the Climate and Environment Strategy and will replace the City’s Social Plan developed in 1998.
The survey, along with stakeholder input and partner research, will help the City to understand what is important to people, hear new ideas, and refine and reflect community values and priorities. The feedback will be shared with Council later in the fall, and the final strategy is anticipated to be completed early next year.
To learn more and share your feedback by October 31, visit cnv.org/wellbeing.