OUR WORK

Scaling Up: How we are Renovating the Public Hearing

Recent Work Highlights

Our project partner, BCLI, recently published their final Report on Renovating the Public Hearing, after a period of public input
Our Final Report and Recommendations summarizes and highlights the totality of RPHI's work and research into renovating the public hearing
Two exciting video collaborations have been released:
- The Problem with Public Hearings, with About Here, dives into the issues surrounding public hearings in BC
- Voices of Gibsons Residents gives an inside look into the experience of the Gibsons Residents' Assembly participants
- Both videos were showcased in events hosted by the Museum of Vancouver and the Vancouver Public Library, where the public was invited to engage in a panel discussion on the subject matter
Our Financial Analysis of Direct and Indirect Costs of Public Hearings, produced in partnership with City Squared Consulting, delves into the true costs of public hearings in BC.
The Town of Gibsons Residents Assembly was completed in June, 2024: a national and international case study as Canada’s first residents' assembly tied to an Official Community Plan and one of the smallest municipalities in the world to host an assembly process.

Three Streams of Work

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Legal Review

B.C. Law Institute (BCLI) prepared a scoping paper and led consultation and drafting of a report on the law and policy regarding local government public hearings.

Pilots

The Renovate the Public Hearing Team co-created and piloted scalable alternative options for quasi-judicial public hearings in four local governments in B.C.

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Evaluations

The Renovate the Public Hearing Team evaluated pilots and compared results to current public hearing procedures to identify best practices for building capacity, relationships and respectful engagement requirements for land use decision-making.

Project Activities

RESEARCH

We completed 60 informal scoping interviews and reviewed more than 150 academic research articles and archive documents related to public hearings in BC and public engagement practices worldwide. We have conducted formal research to identify barriers and costs related to public hearings in BC.

PILOTS

The Centre is hosting and testing alternatives to public hearing models in four local governments in British Columbia. Each pilot will build community members' capacity, develop toolkits and provide facilitation education to reduce barriers to community participation.

VALIDATING RECOMMENDATIONS

We have hosted and participated in learning exchanges with pilot partners and deliberative dialogues with participants from all phases to workshop policy recommendations.

LEGAL REVIEW

BC Law Institute led a study paper on BC public hearing legislation and common law, followed by an advisory-informed process to understand opportunities and implications for legal reform. They recently released a final Report on Renovating the Public Hearing, after a period of public consultation.

EVALUATION

We have created a principles- and values-based rubric to evaluate pilot alternatives. The evaluation tracked opinions, emotions, and knowledge changes created during the pilots via ethnographic observation, surveys, and interviews.

PUBLIC EDUCATION & CONVENING

We are creating public-facing communications via website, social media, reports, opinion pieces and traditional media, and hosting dialogues and community events that celebrate public engagement and democracy to educate residents and build capacity in municipalities.

Streams

Activities