Future Planning for Heritage Neighbourhoods: Webinar Series
Webinar Series: Future Planning for Heritage Neighbourhoods
Join Heritage BC to explore how historic neighbourhoods can adapt to BC’s Bill-44 density changes while preserving their unique character. This series dives into the role these areas can play in meeting housing demands, featuring expert insights on sustainable growth and preservation.
» Previous Webinars in this Series
Previous Webinars
2. Future Planning for Heritage Neighbourhoods: Finding Common Ground Webinar
When: Wednesday, January 29 at 12:00 – 1:00 PM PT
Description:
In the midst of the ongoing housing crisis, there is a spotlight on densifying neighbourhoods in BC’s growing municipalities. Often family-oriented and centrally located, heritage neighbourhoods have a role to play in this densification. To engage in this conversation, on January 29th, Heritage BC is welcoming Dan Winer and Andrew Bjorn from Small Housing BC to share their work advocating for gentle densification in established neighbourhoods. Dan and Andrew will present on how Small Housing is advocating for the evolution of single-detached neighbourhoods to provide gentle density and increased equity, while keeping continuity. They are joined by Laura Saretsky, Heritage Planner at the City of Victoria, to discuss where their message and the Heritage message meet. Their discussion will explore how we can find common ground with other community advocates to better steward the places we love, while meeting these critical housing needs.
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Laura Saretsky, MA, Heritage Planner, City of Victoria
Laura was born and raised in Alberta, and grew up visiting museums and heritage sites on every family vacation. She completed her BA in History with a Minor in Museum and Heritage Studies at the University of Calgary in 2015 and then went on to do an MA in Cultural Heritage Management at the University of York in the United Kingdom, graduating in 2016. Since 2021 Laura has been a Heritage Planner with the City of Victoria, working on policy initiatives and supporting the development process. She was previously the Heritage Program Manager with Heritage BC from 2017 to 2021. Her passion is advancing equity, diversity and inclusion in heritage, with a particular focus on accessibility.
Dan Winer, Executive Lead, Small Housing
Andrew Bjorn, Senior Advisor, Urban Planning, Small Housing
With a PhD in Urban Planning & Design from the University of Washington and 14 years of consulting experience, Andrew brings a wealth of knowledge in driving urban development projects and policy planning in both the US and Canada. Andrew’s expertise in zoning reforms, innovative housing solutions, and other planning tools that incentivize density align perfectly with Small Housing BC’s mission to advance gentle density housing solutions.
About Small Housing:
British Columbia is facing a housing crisis that touches us all. Our friends, families, and communities are struggling to find homes that are affordable, available, and suited to their needs. This challenge doesn’t just impact individuals—it’s straining our economy too, as essential workers like healthcare providers, teachers, service staff, and tradespeople struggle to find housing they can afford, and younger generations are priced out of our cities.
Small Housing BC is a non-profit organization working to change this. Their mission is to transform single-detached neighborhoods into vibrant, inclusive spaces with ground-oriented homes that are accessible to everyone. They achieve this by driving research, offering expert guidance, advocating for change, and building partnerships with government, industry, and community organizations.
1. Future Planning for Heritage Neighbourhoods: Desired Future Character as a Planning Tool Webinar
When: Wednesday, December 11 at 12:00 – 1:00 PM PT
Description:
Desired Future Character Statements are a tool that local governments can use to work with their communities to envision and direct the ways in which their neighbourhoods will grow and change. As the concept of Desired Future Character statements were first developed in Australia, we have invited Marco Geretto who is based in Sydney, to give us a short history around their intent and purpose and how they have been applied in the Australian context. Then, we will be joined by Lauren Sanbrooks and Elana Zysblat to learn how they incorporated Desired Future Character statements into Kelowna’s updated Heritage Conservation Area documents, and how other BC communities could employ the tool.
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Marco Geretto, Principal Design Advisor, The Government Architect NSW
Marco Geretto is an urban designer and town planner. He currently works as a Principal Design Advisor at the Government Architect NSW and has over 20 years of experience in architecture, urban design and city planning. He has authored housing and planning policy, produced master plans at various scales and has had his feet on the ground with housing delivery. His experience ranges from informal settlement upgrading in Cape Town, to social housing estate renewal in the UK, to heritage precincts and brown and greenfield development across diverse contexts. He has had experience in the civil society sector, being a founding member Open Streets Cape Town in 2012 – a citizen-led movement looking at the potential of streets to bring people together and transform the fragmented nature of South African cities.
Lauren Sanbrooks, MCIP, RPP, CAHP, Grant Funding Specialist, District of Lake Country
Lauren Sanbrooks is the Grant Funding Specialist at the District of Lake Country, where she draws on her background in urban planning, policy, and heritage conservation to secure funding for community projects. Before joining Lake Country, Lauren spent over a decade as a city planner with the City of Kelowna, focusing on heritage from 2011 to 2024. In that role, she worked on policies and programs that aimed to balance new growth with preserving the city’s historic character, including updates to Kelowna’s Heritage Conservation Area Development Guidelines. Lauren is a Registered Professional Planner with a Master of Arts in Planning from UBC-Okanagan, and she’s an active member of the BC Association of Heritage Professionals (BCAHP).
Elana Zysblat, CAHP – Heritage Consultant, Ance Building Services
Elana Zysblat is an accomplished heritage consultant and educational program developer with expertise in heritage conservation, cultural tourism, and community engagement. Her firm’s motto “Meaningfully Connecting People and Places” stems from her professional focus and interest first and foremost in people, and our connection to place. Although technically a building specialist, Elana believes that robust, relevant and sustainable use are as important in heritage conservation planning as preserving brick and mortar. Formerly the Programming Director for the Vancouver Heritage Foundation, Elana’s practice as an independent consultant since 2011 has reached all areas of British Columbia. Her firm, Ance Building Services, provides heritage conservation planning services as well as support, education, training and workshops for local governments, Indigenous communities and Heritage Commissions. Elana is the past President of the BC Association of Heritage Professionals, and is the current Vice President on the Canadian Association of Heritage Professionals national board.