Positioning Culture – A Pillar of Sustainability

Culture as an integral domain of human and community activity has been formally recognized in public policy since the 1980s. The United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) 2002 Agenda 21 for Culture recognizes that for ongoing human development to be sustainable, culture must be given a central role in policy. As a consequence, cultural policy in municipal government is now accepted as the ‘fourth pillar of sustainability’ alongside economic, social, and environmental policy.

The introduction of a cultural context into the public planning framework makes it possible to formally apply a more balanced process to the business of articulating our visions of the future and devising pathways of achievement. With culture forming a part of this vision, the four-pillar sustainability model recognizes that a community’s vitality and quality of life are closely related to the vitality and quality of its cultural engagement, expression, dialogue, and celebration.

As a leader in sustainability, the Town of Canmore has developed long-term policies and plans to guide its evolution: The Environmental Sustainability Action Plan, Climate Action Plan, and Human Use Management Plan are examples of this approach. Initiatives that are in the process of being implemented include a social development plan – Tools for the Future and an Economic Development Strategic Plan.

The Cultural Master Plan proposes Culture as a pillar that will build capacity for integrated planning, augment the existing three pillars, foster connections between them, and maximize their collective impact.

The purpose of adopting culture as a pillar to sustainability is three-fold:

• to support the current and potential of Canmore’s cultural sector

• to foster cultural diversity and inclusion

• to ensure that culture has a fundamental role in all planning and policies