Planning for Sustainable Development: An Analysis of the State of Planning in the City of Kingston through an Official Plan Evaluation

Abstract

The City of Kingston has a vision to become Canada’s Most Sustainable City (City of Kingston, 2018). Studies suggest that planning objectives can influence local policies and therefore the quality of the plan is of great importance to implement sustainable practices. The purpose of this study was to investigate how both the planning process and the quality of a local plan can impact the growth of a community through the perspective of sustainable development. Evaluating the sustainability of the objectives, goals, and visions of a plan allows for an assessment of the evolution of the policies over time and how well the values of the community are integrated and implemented into planning frameworks. When evaluating the extent that the City of Kingston has incorporated sustainability principles into their official plan, it can be observed there has been an increase in the inclusion of these principles.