Description of Organization
REALPAC (Real Property Association of Canada) is a national industry association representing leading organizations in Canada’s commercial real estate sector. Its members include developers, property owners, investors, asset managers, pension funds, and other organizations involved in building, managing, and investing in real estate. REALPAC supports the industry through research, advocacy, professional education, and opportunities for collaboration on issues affecting real estate and the built environment.
Problem area
One of the major difficulties planners and politicians face in this country is NIMBYism. A working definition is that existing residents often object to any change in the community they originally chose. We see this in urban areas opposite any intensification efforts, the locations of shelter and transitional housing, big box stores (and the impact on local small business) and increasingly, AI data centers now. Should existing residents have defacto veto power over changes in their neighbourhood? What are the ways that statutory public participation enables NIMBYism? Should we limit public participation to the official‑plan stage only, assuming those documents are current and allow more development as of right? What are some other techniques to manage desired change in any community, and the trade-off between societal needs and local preferences? What is the balance point? What actions do other successful jurisdictions use?
Main objectives
- Understand how public participation affects planning and development decisions, including community opposition to change.
- Examine the balance between local community preferences and broader public needs, such as housing, infrastructure, and services.
- Explore how other jurisdictions manage public participation and opposition to development.
- Identify alternative approaches to engagement and planning approvals that support both meaningful public input and timely decision-making.
- Develop practical recommendations for managing community change more effectively.
Scope of work
- Conduct a literature and policy review on public participation, NIMBYism, and planning approvals.
- Complete an environmental scan of approaches used in other jurisdictions to manage community opposition and development decisions.
- Review selected Canadian planning and engagement processes to understand where public participation occurs and how it influences outcomes.
- Compare different models for balancing local input with broader community and societal needs.
- Identify key benefits, challenges, and trade-offs associated with alternative approaches.
- Develop practical recommendations and best practices for improving public participation and managing community change.
Deliverables
- Report
- Presentation
Frequency
- To be determined upon discussion with the project team.
Skills and training required
- Research and comparative analysis
- Policy and regulatory analysis
- Stakeholder analysis
- Data interpretation
- Report writing and presentation skills
Resources required
- Planning tribunal, development approval, and case study materials
- International examples of public engagement and planning reform
- Municipal reports, meeting records, and public consultation materials
- Basic data analysis and presentation software
- Access to planners, developers, municipal staff, or community engagement professionals for interviews or validation, where appropriate
NDA or a commercialization agreement for this project?
Yes