What we heard - Action Validation

Why we engaged

The Climate Change Adaptation Plan is an essential initiative designed to enhance Kingston’s resilience to climate change. Working alongside ICLEI Canada using the “BARC” (Building Adaptative and Resilient Communities) Framework, the City of Kingston aims to safeguard our community’s residents, infrastructure and natural environment by identifying vulnerabilities and creating a plan of actions to reduce these risks.

Following the first phase of engagement where the highest-impact and highest-priority risks were identified, the Adaptation Working Group developed a list of 28 proposed actions to guide the plan. These actions were organized into three categories: Natural Environment, People & Health and Built Environment.

This phase of the engagement asks community members to reflect on shared priorities to validate community priorities for Kingston's Climate Change Adaptation Plan, gather input on the proposed actions and identify barriers and opportunities for action implementation.

How we engaged

Each action category was set up as a discussion forum, and was open for comments from January 24 until February 20 on Get Involved Kingston. Each of the three forums listed the actions related to their respective categories. Participants were invited to read through the actions and engage by publishing their own comments, responding to others’ comments and ‘liking’ or ‘disliking’ posts. The following prompts were listed for consideration:

  • Do you support these actions? Which ones do you feel are the highest priority to implement?

  • If you do not agree with this action or think it may have significant challenges/barriers, how would you suggest we pivot to ensure success?

  • Is there any work (ongoing or planned) in the community that supports this action?

The survey was shared with community members in multiple ways, including:

  • Printed materials distributed at libraries, recreational facilities and community message boards

  • Social media promotion across the City of Kingston’s Facebook, Instagram, X and LinkedIn channels

  • Digital screens on City and library networks

  • Inclusion in newsletters for both internal (City staff) and external (Climate Action newsletter) audiences

  • Paid advertising including social media ads and print ads published in Kingston This Week

  • Direct contact with stakeholders including members of the Climate Leadership Working Group, Issues Tables and identified external organizations

Who we heard from

  • 65 participants engaged with the forums by adding 484 contributions (comments, likes, dislikes)

  • 1,044 users visited the project page to learn more about the Climate Adaptation Plan and proposed actions

  • 4 participants engaged with the City for the first time on Get Involved Kingston

What we heard

Overall, respondents were in favour of the proposed actions. There is strong support for the City of Kingston adopting proactive measures and sustainable practices, with a focus on practical implementation strategies, as well as desire for input and engagement from the community.

The main concerns identified include the cost and practicality of proposed actions, and the need for clarity on definitions and performance indicators. Some respondents emphasized that the City should not duplicate efforts made by other levels of government and overstep municipal responsibilities. There was also an emphasis on the need for clearly defined outcomes and better communication to the public on progress of these actions.

The following is a summary of responses and themes identified by staff in the action validation forums.

Natural Environment Actions

Comments on the Natural Environment forum reflect strong community interest in climate adaptation and preservation of the natural environment, with particular support for enhancing the urban tree canopy and incentivizing natural landscaping practices.

Many comments agree with the proposed actions and provide helpful suggestions for how to execute them effectively. A few comments are skeptical, questioning how progress will be measured and the effectiveness of the actions. There are also some concerns about “greenwashing” and the impact of development on the natural environment.

This sentiment stresses the need for robust implementation plans that incorporate expertise and knowledge from various sectors, definitive KPIs and continuous communication to the community on action progress.

People and Health Actions

There is support for many of the proposed actions on the People and Health forum, particularly those related to community food gardens and enhancing emergency preparedness. Providing education, resources and financial incentives are seen as crucial for encouraging community participation and enhancing resilience.

The main concerns identified are in regard to municipal overreach and duplicating efforts with other levels of government. There are mixed feelings about the cost and practicality of some actions, underscoring the need for clearly defined metrics and budgets, as well as accountability and transparency throughout the entire climate adaptation process.

Some comments are also confused about terms and wording used (specific mentions of terms empowered, climate justice and reconciliation), suggesting the need for clearly defined language.

Built Environment Actions

Feedback on the Built Environment actions reflects support for sustainable urban development, energy resilience and effective stormwater management. A majority of comments are supportive, with some including specific implementation strategies, plus a focus on balancing policy and community initiatives.

There are minimal concerns highlighted on these actions, although some comments share mixed sentiment for terms such as smart density, once again highlighting the need explicitly defined terms in the implementation plans.

Next steps

The results of this public engagement will be shared with the Climate Adaptation Working Group and ICLEI Project team. Feedback received will be considered for the development of Kingston’s Climate Change Adaptation Plan.

The next phase of development will include robust strategy meetings where working group members will meet to discuss each action’s timeline, supporting projects, current practices in place, budget, coordination leads, metrics and more. The plan is anticipated to be completed in late 2025.