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An Example: Evaluating a Local Government Official Community Plan Using Planetary Health Lenses

13.5 Recommendations

Astrid Brousselle and Kai Mountfort

Based on the evaluation, several recommendations were made to improve the OCP’s alignment with planetary health. For the purposes of this subsection, the three nature dimensions of the Planetary Health Framework were amalgamated, which include pollution, waters and lands, as well as biodiversity. Selected recommendations are presented below.

  1. Nature
    • Implement green infrastructure and adopt net-zero standards.
    • Protect biodiversity and promote sustainable development practices.
    • Densify residential units to conserve natural areas.
  2. Prosperity
    • Diversify local businesses and improve transportation options.
    • Support local economy and create more commercial spaces.
    • Promote circular economies and endorse local businesses.
  3. Equity
    • Promote diversity and inclusion within governance.
    • Engage marginalized communities and support reconciliation efforts.
    • Ensure public buildings and businesses are accessible to all.
  4. Health
    • Increase access to healthcare services and improve emergency preparedness.
    • Provide resources for mental health and support youth.
  5. Governance
    • Implement transparent and accountable decision-making.
    • Establish an accountability framework with measurable indicators.
    • Allocate sufficient resources for implementing the OCP.
  6. Power Relations
    • Empower community involvement and ensure inclusive decision-making.
    • Address the influence of lobby groups and ensure decisions represent all stakeholders.

An extended list of suggestions to improve the OCP, as identified during focus group discussions, was presented for the District of Sooke to inform future directions of the draft OCP (Mountfort, 2025). The results of the study were made available to research participants and the public.

About the authors

name: Astrid Brousselle

institution: University of Victoria

Astrid Brousselle is a professor in the School of Public Administration at the University of Victoria. Her expertise relates to the approaches, theories and evaluative methods that she applies to the field of health and to Planetary Health. She holds a Ph.D. in Public Health from the University of Montreal. Before joining the University of Victoria as the Director of the School, she held a Canada Research Chair in Evaluation and Analysis of the Health System at the University of Sherbrooke (Prov. of Quebec).

name: Kai Mountfort

Kai holds a Master of Public Administration, a Bachelor of Science (Biology and Earth & Ocean Sciences), and a Diploma in Business Administration, all from the University of Victoria. His academic pursuits included a directed study on Chinook salmon population dynamics and a thesis on planetary health evaluation of the District of Sooke’s Official Community Plan.

His professional journey began with co-op placements at the Canadian Wildlife Service, followed by a role as a wildlife biologist, where he contributed to biodiversity conservation programs and developed guidelines for Indigenous conservation requests. Transitioning to the Government of BC, Kai now serves as a conservation policy analyst, focusing on wetland protection, regulatory amendments, and Indigenous capacity funding.

Dedicated to protecting Earth’s habitability, Kai is driven to make an impact on biodiversity and climate change through policy and advocacy. He lives in Sooke, BC, with his family on the traditional unceded territories of the T’sou-ke Nation and the Scia’new Nation. He is actively involved in the local agricultural community and enjoys outdoor activities, envisioning a future off-grid homestead.

 

 

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Foundations of Evaluation for Planetary Health Copyright © 2026 by Astrid Brouselle is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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