Southlands Public Design Charrette

A design charrette is an innovative form of community planning where design takes place in an intensive public forum and participant feedback is incorporated as the design evolves.

The Southlands Community Planning Team endorsed this approach as the best process to engage the entire Tsawwassen community in planning the future of Southlands. The Southlands Public Design Charrette was held over eight days and nights in May 2008.

The charrette was led by Andres Duany, a founder of the Congress of the New Urbanism and one of the premiere international town planners. The team also included West Vancouver architect Richard Hulbert and Chicago architect Douglas Farr, among a team of over 20 architects, designers, engineers and other specialists. This included Michael Ablemand, an organic farmer and author from Salt Spring Island, who helped us with a vision for a sustainable community farm.

The results of the charrette and the immediate follow up work through the end of 2008 can be found at the following link: Southlands Charrette Book.