About Community Social Planning

"A vision without a plan is just a dream. A plan without a vision is just drudgery. But a vision with a plan can change the world." -Proverb

NEW! Community Social Planning Contacts 2009 is here! Access the contact information of 60+ organizations in BC involved with social planning or in a municipal advisory capacity. See Resources for Social Planning.

Community Social Planning (CSP) is a process for building community well-being. It is defined as "a local, democratic system for setting priorities, arriving at equitable compromises and taking action. It supports community needs and interests in social, cultural, economic, and environmental affairs." (Michael Clague. A Citizen's Guide to Community Social Planning. SPARC BC, 1993.)

Every community faces challenges. If effective solutions are to be found, then a collaborative approach that includes a wide range of organizations and individuals allows for greater understanding of the challenges, and the building of relationships, that then serve as the foundation for comprehensive approaches to the issues.

SPARC BC's priority is to contribute meaningful research, knowledge, support, and leadership in order to popularize the benefits of CSP, improve connections between local CSP groups, and to influence social policy at the community and local government levels.