Urban Resilient Futures Initiative Launches Burnaby Community Assembly

Today, the Urban Resilient Futures initiative launched their recruitment for the Burnaby Community Assembly by mailing 13,500 invitations to randomly-selected residences across Burnaby. Inivitations are asking community members to put their names forward to volunteer as one of 45 assembly members who will be selected by civic lottery. 

What is a community assembly?

A community assembly (also referred to as a residents' or citizens' assembly) is a group of individuals (selected to broadly reflect the full diversity of their communities) that come together to learn, reflect, discuss and present actionable recommendations to decision-makers. A "deliberative wave" of community assemblies and similar processes have been internationally recognized by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) for transforming how cities and other levels of government engage residents on complex issues. These processes use modern engagement approaches to address critical shortcomings in conventional engagement by:

• Seeking out participants who reflect the full diversity of their communities
• Creating conditions for learning and informed input
• Building empathy
• Presenting actionable recommendations to decision-makers that can increase the quality, democratic legitimacy and social consensus for City actions

How does the Burnaby Community Assembly work?

Burnaby Community Assembly members will work together over seven full-day sessions from February to June to learn about their city and develop recommendations for “Burnaby 2050”, the City’s Official Community Plan. Issues tackled by assembly members may include livability, housing accessibility, climate resilience and transportation in the context of a growing city.

The Burnaby Community Assembly and civic lottery process will be overseen by Simon Fraser University’s Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue, in a collaborative, but arm’s-length partnership with the City of Burnaby. The Assembly will present its recommendations to City Council, who is responsible for final approval of the Official Community Plan. The City of Burnaby has committed to receive and respond to the Assembly’s recommendations, ensuring the process is transparent and accountable.

Learn More

To learn more about the Assembly and its process visit burnabyassembly.ca. To learn more about community assemblies, stay tuned to our blog and resources section this year.