Implementing sustainable development : a case study of New Brunswick municipalities

Abstract

Municipal planning processes in New Brunswick remain dictated by inflexible provincial policies with a focus on infrastructure. Even without the flexibility to plan, local governments in New Brunswick have incorporated the imperatives of sustainability within their planning processes to varying degrees. These processes may not be as formal as an Integrated Community Sustainability Plan framework, template or toolkits would advocate, signifying a more relevant solution to advancing municipal sustainability might be a sustainability planning framework that creates the capacity for local ownership and management of the planning process. Removing the hierarchical governance barriers currently limiting the implementation of municipal sustainability planning in New Brunswick is a critical first step.