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Regrets from Christina, and so I geek out. This episode leans in on a favourite topic of mine - the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

During July 2026, the United Nations will conduct an in-depth review of Sustainable Development Goal 11 — Sustainable Cities and Communities. That review asks a simple but powerful question: Are cities actually becoming more inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable… or are we still working in fragments?

I leverage that question and the latest Spring 2026 issue of Plan Canada from the Canadian Institute of Planners that brings a Canadian planning lens to that global moment. The issue emphasizes that sustainable communities are not built through isolated decisions, but through alignment across systems — housing, infrastructure, mobility, climate, and equity.

In Part 1, I explore what SDG 11 really demands, and why 2026 is a critical checkpoint as we move toward the 2030 targets.

In Part 2, I bring that lens home to the Prairies and look at what has actually happened in April 2026:

• Edmonton grappling with affordability and tax tolerance following a 6.9% property tax increase
• Calgary navigating climate risk through floodplain development debates and new wildfire planning
• Regina investing $147 million in infrastructure while managing regional growth pressures with the RM of Sherwood and White City
• Saskatoon and region balancing outward growth, downtown intensification, transit transformation, and infrastructure capacity
• Moose Jaw and Prince Albert advancing critical infrastructure renewal and downtown rebuilding
• RMs of Edenwold and other rural municipalities managing growth at the edges of urban systems.

Across all of these, one question emerges: are we building systems that work together… or are we still layering decisions that don’t quite align?

This episode is not about whether cities...communites are trying — they are.
It’s about whether those efforts are beginning to add up.

Civically Speaking,
Lenore Swystun

Civically Speaking- Saskatoon Saskatchewan's #1 show about civic issues.