Higher Planning

Cheeying Ho, Executive Director

Smart Growth BCsmartgrowth.bc.ca

Larissa Buijs

photo by Jaime Kowal

As British Columbia troops on as a leader in sustainable initiatives, the term “smart growth” is becoming commonplace. Less sprawl means more green space, sustainable transportation, affordable housing, effective land use and, ultimately, more livable communities. Idealistic? The visionaries behind Smart Growth BC don’t think so. They tested the need for smart growth policies and were inundated with so much interest that a local cohort of an already-simmering American movement was imminent.

Enter Cheeying Ho. With five years leading non-profit Better Environmentally Sound Transportation (BEST) under her belt, she was a shoo-in for Smart Growth BC. Excited about the opportunity to address a broader scale of issues, Ho has seen a big change in thinking. “Six years ago, we were doing Smart Growth 101 workshops and people were going ‘oh, cool.’ Now, people want more.”

Participation is voluntary; citizens, government, or organizations come forth with questions about how to better their communities, and Ho and her team respond. “We’re getting more interest from small towns that have development issues, what we call the Resource to Wal-Mart Syndrome, and are encouraging them to think about alternatives to big-box development and highway-oriented retail.

“It’s amazing,” she says, an unmistakable zest in her voice. “Even though people don’t necessarily understand what planning means, they are getting what smart growth is about.”