A press release from BreakThrough Communications and PlaceSpeak noted the online version of the survey has been used to help shape the way Lower Mainland municipalities have managed growth.
The current version is the third chapter of the survey, which was first conducted in 1973. It helped set Vancouver on its path toward environmental protection, planning, protection of open space and a transit-oriented transportation system, noted the release.
The release quoted former Vancouver mayor and former B.C. premier Mike Harcourt saying the first Urban Futures Survey gave decision-makers the confidence to pursue policies that might have otherwise been dismissed as impractical, Utopian or too costly.
In 1990, the survey was updated. Once again, concerns over air and water pollution topped the list.
Policy makers responded with AirCare, upgrades to wastewater treatment plants, and a doubling of our region's park land.
The 2012 survey is being conducted online through PlaceSpeak, a new online public consultation platform being developed in Vancouver, and includes all Metro municipalities from North Vancouver to New Westminster.
So far, residents of Vancouver, New Westminster, the District of North Vancouver and Bowen Island have been active, while the City of North Vancouver and a number of others have yet to make their presence felt.
To take the survey, Metro Vancouver residents must first verify their home address by registering with PlaceSpeak. The survey takes approximately 22 minutes to complete and can be found at placespeak.com/urbanfuturessurvey.com.
The Urban Futures Survey is being conducted with the sponsorship of the Vancouver chapter of Lambda Alpha International and the support of the Real Estate Foundation of British Columbia, the City of Vancouver, the City of Surrey, the City of North Vancouver, TransLink, and Vancity Credit Union.
