Visioning diversity: Planning Vancouver's multicultural communities

Abstract

The roles and responsibilities of planners in managing culturally diverse cities are beginning to be recognized. “Visioning”, as planners have used it in recent years, has the potential to help realize “multicultural planning” insofar as it involves broad public parti-cipation and represents diverse interests. How the City of Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada has involved ethno-cultural groups through a visioning process is examined. Information for this study was gathered through a critical review of planning documents related to Vancouver's “Community Visions Program” and key informant interviews with staff and community participants, including those of visible minority background. Results indicate that visioning, as it has been used in Vancouver, is a useful technique in carrying out multicultural planning. However, there appears to be more general satisfaction with the inclusive visioning process than with the end results. If planners are serious about engaging in a multicultural planning process, they will need to guarantee some tangible results that can be seen in the community and that acknowledge and respect cultural diversity.

“No culture can live, if it attempts to be exclusive.” (Mahatma Gandhi)