CBRM Housing Strategy receives national planning award
Project team accepting the 2026 Canadian Awards for Planning Excellence.
Join me in celebration!
Earlier this month at the CIP FUSION Conference hosted in Montreal, the Cape Breton Regional Municipality Housing Strategy received 1 of 7 Canadian Awards for Planning Excellence. This project was a collaboration between FBM Architecture Ltd., Lyndsay Francis RPP, MCIP (myself), SJ Murphy Consulting, & Cape Breton Regional Municipality. The Canadian Institute of Planners highlights the following about the project:
“The CBRM Housing Strategy 2025–2030 demonstrates bold municipal leadership, offering a practical toolkit for an Atlantic Canadian community managing stretched resources. Rather than a rigid plan, it empowers staff and Council to select actions tailored to evolving priorities.
Key pillars of the strategy include:
Incentive Programs: Detailed residential development initiatives designed to meet diverse housing goals.
Land Banking Framework: A proactive approach where the municipality influences the market by acquiring, improving, and disposing of land—a role rarely seen in Atlantic Canada.
Data-Driven Assessment: A versatile GIS-based analysis that evaluates surplus land for housing suitability, providing a replicable model for other jurisdictions.
By evolving from a traditional regulator to an active facilitator, CBRM provides a sophisticated, scalable roadmap for increasing housing supply and addressing local needs.”
Congratulations to the entire project team and CBRM! Please reach out if you want to hear more about this project.
Read the article by the Cape Breton Post here: https://www.saltwire.com/cape-breton/cbrm-housing-strategy-receives-national-planning-award
Read the full Housing Strategy at: https://cbrm.ns.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/CBRM-Housing-Strategy-Final-Report.pdf
Read about all the 2026 recipients here: https://www.cip-icu.ca/honours-awards/cape/winners/
