My team and I at WCS Engagement and Planning were pleased to take the lead in designing and planning the Mountain & Resort Town Planners Summit last fall. Celebrating its 19th year, the Summit returned to Whistler, where its inaugural meeting took place. The Summit is an annual gathering of community planners (and other professionals) based in mountain and resort towns mainly in the Pacific Northwest, and typically alternates between Canada and US communities. This year attendees came from BC, AB, WA, OR, CA, MT, ID, UT, CO, WY; this diversity and representation created a special culture and experience.
The Summit focuses on the unique challenges, ideas and leading practices in mountain and resort communities, and learning from and sharing with each other is what makes the Summit valuable for all participants. While there are definitely some jurisdictional differences between Canada and the US municipalities (e.g., ability to apply local sales taxes), there are more things in common than not, and what works well in one community can likely be adapted to work successfully in another.
This year, Summit topics included: growth management, wildfire response, people-focused transportation planning, ethics of AI in planning, workforce housing, innovative engagement, circular economy, and others. Presentations, panel discussions and lots of opportunities for shared learning through workshops and world cafe discussions, along with ample networking time, were provided.
Participants highlighted the value of the unique focus of the Summit on issues pertinent to their communities and the opportunity to share among this network of mountain and resort town planners. We look forward to supporting the next Summit in spring 2027 – it will be in Canada again – which community will be the next host? If your community would be interested in hosting the 2027 Summit, please email Cheeying at cho[at]whistlercentre.ca
