Building our Social Future


Richmond’s Social Development Strategy

Richmond is an inclusive, engaging and caring community – one that considers the needs of its present and future generations, values and builds on its diversity, nurtures its social capital and treats its citizens with fairness and respect.

In 2013, Richmond City Council adopted the Richmond Social Development Strategy, Building Our Social Future 2013-2022, to guide the City’s decisions on social development matters and act as a resource for external partners which:

  • Identified social development priorities for City attention between 2013 and 2022;
  • Clarified the roles of the City and other partners with respect to addressing particular social development topics; and
  • Provided a foundation for a more integrated, coordinated and sustainable approach for social development in Richmond for the future.

This strategy is now at the end of its life cycle and the City is in the process of updating the strategy. 


Updating the Social Development Strategy

The City is currently in the process of developing a draft Social Development Strategy, which is anticipated to be brought forward to City Council for consideration in Q3 2025. The City will seek further community feedback once the draft Strategy has been endorsed by Council. Information on future community engagement opportunities will be posted on this webpage, as well as LetsTalkRichmond.ca.

For more information, contact SocialPlanning@richmond.ca. 


Guiding Principles

On April 11, 2023, Council approved the following guiding principles, which will guide the different phases of the Strategy's development.

  1. People-Centred: Ensure the people who live, work, learn and play in Richmond are at the centre of the strategy’s development and implementation. This includes utilizing an evidence-based and data-informed approach, considering both quantitative and qualitative information that values people’s knowledge and lived experiences.
  2. Collective Impact: Develop a shared vision with aligned strategic actions that promote collaboration across the community to draw on strengths from various levels of government, community agencies, non-profit organizations, the private sector and individual residents to achieve the best possible social outcomes for the Richmond community.
  3. Overarching Framework: Provide an overarching framework to guide the City’s approach in addressing city-wide issues related to social development and align with existing City strategies, plans and policies that address and affect social development.
  4. Inclusive and Accessible: Commit to and facilitate public engagement processes that are inclusive and accessible that allow for a wide range of experiences and perspectives to be heard and considered in the design, implementation and evaluation of the strategy.
  5. Accountable: Consider the roles and mandates of those involved in implementing the strategy to ensure actions and mechanisms for demonstrating progress and social impact are reliable, realistic and transparent.
  6. Responsive: Ensure the strategy is based on current need, while being future-focused and proactive and developed in a manner that allows for agile, innovative and responsive action.

Social Development Strategy Timeline

Read the Social Development Strategy progress reports which measured the City’s progress on achieving the Strategy’s ongoing, medium and long-term actions:
Building Our Social Future - Progress Report for 2022
Building Our Social Future - Progress Report for 2021
Building Our Social Future - Progress Report for 2020

Contact 

Program Manager, Social Development: Melanie Burner
Phone: 604-276-4390
Email: SocialPlanning@richmond.ca

Director, Community Social Development: Kim Somerville
Phone: 604-247-4671
Email: SocialPlanning@richmond.ca