Whistler2020 is our community's shared vision 

Whistler2020 is our community's shared vision and plan for continued success to the year 2020 - and an ambitious step on a longer journey to a sustainable future. Rooted in our values and a science-based approach to sustainability, Whistler2020 is long-term, comprehensive, community-developed, community-implemented, and action-focused.  

Inspired by our natural surroundings and heritage, Whistler has always been visionary and thoughtful about planning. Building on the resort community’s previous five-year vision, Whistler2020 was developed in four phases over three years of consultation and community collaboration before it was adopted in 2005. During Phase 1, ‘success factors’ were identified. In Phase 2, five alternative futures were explored and assessed by the community. Phase 3 involved crafting a preferred future and developing the draft plan with the involvement of sixteen community task forces. In Phase 4, the preferred future was transformed into the Whistler2020 vision, and the sixteen strategies were completed with ongoing action-planning by community task forces and on-the-ground implementation through the involvement and commitment of a broad spectrum of implementing organizations throughout the community.

The global and local challenges that face Whistler highlight the need for an overarching sustainability-based approach to planning. Whistler2020 uses such an approach – to inspire, align and guide our resort community toward a shared vision of sustainability and success. Drawing on local and external knowledge, Whistler2020 informs decision-making, optimizes use of limited resources and provides a framework for aligning community efforts in a common direction.

Presenting both challenges and opportunities, global and local trends set the context for influencing and shaping the future of communities such as ours. Recognizing external trends and understanding their potential impacts is an important part of Whistler2020. Global trends facing Whistler span economic, social and environmental areas, including:
• Economic globalization
• Changing tourism patterns
• Changing demographics and population
• Socio-political insecurities
• Growing wealth gap
• Technological change
• Climate Change
• Declining natural resources, ecosystem services, natural habitats and biodiversity values
• Accumulating materials that affect health and pollute nature
• Environmental and health impacts of materials and toxins  
Often linked to global trends, some important local trends facing the community include:  
• Escalating living, housing and business costs
• Increased growth pressures
• Changing travel patterns and fluctuating visitor numbers
• Changing demand for resident and visitor products, as a result of demographics and market trends
• Changing climate that may result in erosion of winter sports and snow based activity
• Increasing dependence on limited and costly natural resources
• Health issues, currently known and unknown 
WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR WHISTLER2020?
Whistler2020 was developed by the community, and for it to be truly effective it needs to be both supported and implemented by the community. The RMOW houses the Whistler2020 Team, but the creativity, direction and execution of the plan is a product of the ongoing dedication and commitment of Whistler2020 Partners, community task forces, and the many organizations and businesses that are making its vision a reality on a daily basis.