City of Victoria Official Community Plan

Topic	Sub-topic	Policy or Policy Excerpt	Document Location	Language Rating
urban agriculture; food production;	zoning; urban gardens/orchard;	Parks, schools, public facilities and utilities, public assembly, community services, pathways, open space, urban food production,institutional, and recreational uses are permitted in all designations as determined in accordance with zoning.	6.4;	*
urban agriculture; water management; food production;	urban gardens/orchard; stormwater management; pilot project;	[Implement the City’s Greenways Plan as shown in Map 6, seeking opportunities to enhance recreational opportunities, identity, green features and the pedestrian and cycling experience by]... ...Piloting green infrastructure and urban food production in greenways	9.7.3	*
food production; food processing, storage and distribution; food access, sales and procurement; nutrition and public health; economic development;	partnerships/advocacy/liaising; food processing; wildlife and ecosystem management; local food culture;	Participate in coordinated community and regional efforts to develop a more sustainable food system that considers all stages of the food system as shown in Figure 18, and that: 17.1.1 Contributes to the economic development, environmental management, and social well-being of Victoria and the region; 17.1.2 Encourages local and regional food production and processing, and protection of productive farmland; 17.1.3 Recognizes access to safe, sufficient, culturally appropriate and nutritious food as a basic need for all citizens; and,17.1.4 Celebrates local food culture, cuisine, and indigenous and local food traditions.	17.1;	*
policy partnerships, advocacy and development		Assess neighbourhood food system features and needs as part of local area planning.	17.3;
urban agriculture; food production;	urban gardens/orchard; edible landscaping;	Review and develop City policy to increase the number of allotment gardens, commons gardens, edible landscapes, food-bearing trees and other types of food production activities that considers other uses and identifies: 17.4.1 The land types and potential City-held sites where different food production activities might be supported; 17.4.2 The roles and responsibilities of participants; 17.4.3 Mechanisms to encourage and support food production sites on City-held lands, other publicly-held lands, and on private lands; and 17.4.4 Mechanisms to acquire land for food production purposes, where appropriate.	17.4;	*
urban agriculture; food production;	urban gardens/orchard;	Encourage food production activities in visible and suitable public places to foster a connection between people and the process of growing, harvesting and eating fresh produce.	17.5;	*
urban agriculture; wildlife/environmental/pest management; food production;	urban gardens/orchard;	Include urban food production objectives in the development of management strategies to address pests, disease, invasive species, urban wildlife and other ecological issues on public and private lands.	17.6;	*
urban agriculture;	urban gardens/orchard;	Support the establishment of at least one allotment garden per neighbourhood, co-located with community facilities or services where possible, and more in neighbourhoods that feature a high proportion of rental or attached housing, where feasible.	17.7;	*
urban agriculture;	urban gardens/orchard; pilot project;	Work with community groups to develop pilot projects for the planting, maintenance and harvesting of food-bearing trees on suitable City-held lands.	17.8;	*
food production; urban agriculture;	partnerships/advocacy/liaising;	Consider new and innovative approaches to urban food production that increase food security, in partnership with citizens, community groups and other stakeholders.	17.9;
food production; urban agriculture;	urban gardens/orchard;	Support food production on private land where it is safe, suitable and compatible with the Urban Place Guidelines in this plan.	17.10;
urban agriculture; food production;	urban gardens/orchard; residential development;	Encourage the provision of gardens and other food production spaces for the use of residents in new multi-unit housing.	17.11;	*
food production;	urban chickens; beekeeping/apiculture; pollinators; livestock;	Support the keeping of small livestock in the city by: 17.13.1 Maintaining regulatory support for the keeping of poultry and honeybees; and,17.13.2 Reviewing regulations to consider the keeping of other small livestock for food production, appropriate to an urban environment, in collaboration with senior levels of government and the health authority.	17.13;	*
urban agriculture;	zoning; urban farm; urban farm;home occupations/ home-based business; commercial development; institutional development; residential development; greenhouses;	Explore expanded small-scale commercial urban agriculture through a review of policy and regulations to consider the opportunities for, and implications of: 17.14.1 Enabling infrastructure and human resources needed to support small-scale commercial urban agriculture as a home occupation; 17.14.2 Using residential accessory buildings for commercial agricultural purposes; and, 17.14.3 Allowing commercial urban agriculture uses, including greenhouses, in commercial and industrial zones.	17.14;	*
food sales, access and procurement;	grocery stores;	Support the achievement of residential densities sufficient to support food stores and other food retail uses such as bakeries, restaurants and pubs, in town centres and large urban villages.	17.15;
food sales, access and procurement;	mobile/street food vending	Explore expanded street food vending opportunities to animate the public realm and showcase local cuisine, through the review of existing regulations and the development of a program in partnership with local businesses and the health authority.	17.16;	*
food sales, access and procurement;	farmers' markets;	Encourage the development of farmers markets in Town Centres and Urban Villages, and a viable year-round farmers market in the Downtown Core Area, to animate the public and private realm and support local growers and food processors.	17.17;
waste management; urban agriculture; food production; food processing, storage and distribution;	pilot project; food processing; food recovery/gleaning/donation;	Pilot new uses in appropriate locations that enhance urban food production, processing and food waste recycling.	17.18;	*
food processing, storage and distribution;	food processing; farmland trust; partnerships/advocacy/liaising;	Work with neighbouring municipalities, the Capital Regional District, the provincial government and other food system stakeholders to increase the regional food supply by: 17.19.1 Establishing policies, tools and initiatives to protect and expand working farmland, such as a regional farmland trust; and, 17.19.2 Implementing strategies to support and re-establish key food system infrastructure such as meat, fruit and vegetable processing facilities.	17.19;	*
nutrition and public health; food sales, access and procurement;	community food system education;	Support the efforts of community centres, community organizations, the health authority, the school district, senior government and the private sector to establish programs and resources that build knowledge and skills to help people move towards healthier, and more secure and dignified access to nutritious food.	17.21;	*
food sales, access and procurement;	emergency preparedness; research and data collection;	Identify short and long-term food supply and infrastructure needs as part of a critical infrastructure assessment in City emergency preparedness planning.	17.22;	*
policy planning, partnerships, advocacy and development;	emergency preparedness; climate change and greenhouse gases;	Work with regional partners to enhance the capacity of the regional food system to adapt to climate change impacts, including water shortages, extreme weather events and fluctuations in global food and energy prices.	17.23;	*
waste management;	food recovery/gleaning/donation;	Support the efforts of community organizations and the private sector to establish initiatives that divert recoverable food from the pre-waste stream for redistribution to local food security organizations.	17.25;	*
waste management;	composting; commercial development; residential development;	Encourage the Capital Regional District to undertake a regionally coordinated approach to the recycling of food waste that retains biological nutrients regionally by: 17.26.1 Promoting household composting systems; 17.26.2 Establishing a household organic waste collection program with opportunities for finished compost to be made available for farmers and other food producers within the region; and,17.26.3 Developing strategies to encourage organic waste diversion from multi-unit housing and commercial properties.	17.26;	*