GC 2020
178 results found
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Rezone areas adjacent to commercial streets rather than displacing existing businesses.
Our network of commercial streets are generally the cultural heart of various Vancouver neighbourhoods. Currently, Vancouver is rezoning many commercial areas to accommodate higher density structures. This is a good ideas; however, this progress is slowly eradicating long-time businesses in commercial buildings. This is also eroding Vancouver's commercial property tax revenue.
I believe that (in more cases) the city of Vancouver should be rezoning the single family residences that surround these arteries instead. In many cases the houses are generic 'Vancouver Specials' and lowrise, 1950s style homes that were built to accommodate a vehicle-centric lifestyle. Many people are price out…
4 votesConcern for the continued viability of existing business is an important issue in Neighbourhood Centre and Corridor planning initiatives. However, rezoning residential properties to allow for commercial uses should be considered on a case-by-case basis (it could work in some areas, but not in others) and should proceed with caution.
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2 votes
This is a good idea for framing our ongoing engagement campaigns
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2 votes
Currently reviewing how this might work to create green jobs and advance sustainability.
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Local Green Grads Employment Site
One of our challenges is finding good people with green backgrounds to employ. Once people get certified (i.e. to a B-Corp standard) they could post open jobs and internships to a green jobs site run by the city. UBC SFU BCIT and other universities could encourage their graduates to create profiles on this one-stop-shop for green grads.
3 votesC3 committee is considering building a website / database along these lines. This would likely be Provincial or at least wider than just the City.
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street end community gardens
The short streets on the end of a typical block are 66 feet wide just like the streets along the front of most residential properties.
What if we made them 33 feet wide which is wide enough for a laneway a sidewalk and some trees. The remaining 33 feet could be used for community gardens, pocket parks or leased for a standard residential lot. The lot would provide additional housing without changing the character of a neighbourhood.2 votesVarious options for creating new green spaces are being considered. Converting street ends into mini-parks is an idea considered in the Draft Greenest City Action Plan.
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Ban woodstoves through by-laws
Wood-burning fireplaces and stoves can emit substantial amounts of air pollutants (mostly particulate matter). Health Canada reports that the health-impacts of wood smoke include: eye, nose and throat irritation; headaches, nausea and dizziness; and it can cause or worsen symptoms for people with asthma or respiratory problems. The CIty could update its building code so that woodstoves are not allowed in new home construction or limit permitted appliances to advanced combustion technologies only.
58 votesCity of Vancouver is considering the possibility of a ban for all new residential construction. This idea is considered in the draft Greenest City Action Plan.
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5 votes
This is addressed by the planned green renovation strategy which will require upgrades to all buildings during the time of renovation, and also by the building labeling program which will require mandatory disclosure of energy performance and eventually mandatory performance standards.
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A shared vision of sustainability
We need to work more to build ashared vision of what sustainability is and how it embraces culture and economy as well as ecology. What do we mean by 'sustainability'and how do we build resilience?
3 votesThis big picture framing questions are very important in the work of the greenest city.
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14 votes
The City supports the idea of road / congestion pricing, and bridge tolls are one possible implementation. A regional (as opposed to a city) approach might work best, given travel behaviour, patterns of movement, and jurisdictional issues. This lies outside City jurisdiction, so our role is limited to advocacy; changes to Provincial legislation are required.
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Stop automated sprinklers
I've seen automated sprinklers spraying while it's raining! Encourage people to choose plants that will thrive knowing that summers are dry periods. Or at least accept less-than-perfect lawns for a couple months of the year. I notice this mostly around condos that just have small strips of grass. They should replace the lawn completely with alternate groundcover - nobody uses it as a lawn anyway.
15 votesSprinkling regulation enforcement is
part of Draft Greenest City Action Plan. -
Introduce water conservation rebates to encourage purchase of water-saving fixtures and appliances
The City could introduce water conservation rebates to encourage the purchase of appliances and fixtures that use innovative water-saving technology. High efficiency toilets and fixtures, rain sensors, rainwater harvesting, water efficient appliances among other initiatives are proven to reduce water consumption.
Water efficient rebate programs would be targeted towards homes and businesses built before 1995 when the City Plumbing Code began to mandate high efficiency fixtures. Since this time, the City Plumbing Code has required low flow toilets, showerheads, and aerating faucets in all new construction. The industry standard for new toilet installations is now to use six litres of…
33 votesIncluded in the Draft Greenest City Action Plan.
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Enforce lawn sprinkling restrictions during summer months
In the summer months, water use can double, with most of this water being used on lawns. Sprinkling restrictions have been in place since 1998 without strict enforcement. By implementing an education and enforcement strategy, Vancouver could expect to achieve a 15 % reduction in outdoor water use.
The cost of an education and enforcement program would be off-set by the revenue from the ticketing program. Additional revenues could be reinvested into other conservation measures, like incentives for low flow toilets and shower heads.
32 votesIncluded in the Draft Greenest City Action Plan.
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A Comprehensive Odour Management Plan
A comprehensive odour management plan is needed for the 'greenest city'
Our neighbourhoods smell of a rendering plant throughout the summer and very little action has occured over the decades. A truly green Vancouver would smell nice on warm days and we would then be able to open our windows and cool our houses with the breeze.
5 votesCity of Vancouver will support Metro Vancouver in its efforts to address this.
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Assess all green business/economy ideas by eco-equity indicators
At the Pecha Kucha night sponsored by the City of Vancouver to launch this website, Kevin Millsip described the importance of striving for an eco-equitable future: one in which our cities are not only green but just in its ways of providing for people of all incomes, races, and education levels. Let's build a dimension of equity into the green economy we want — healthy, sustainable and inclusive.
21 votesEco equity is addressed through focus on generating job creation opportunities for full spectrum of workers, from high skilled to those with barriers to employment. This is an idea that is included in the Draft Greenest City Action Plan
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Work with shipping & cruise line industry to reduce idling and diesel emmissions whilst in Port
Vancouver is the second busiest port in North America and sees a lot of shipping traffic. The City needs to work with the shipping & cruise industries to cut emissions whilst tankers/freightlines/cruise ships are docked in Port. Can we mandate a power hook-up to shore?
3 votesPort Metro Vancouver is under Federal jurisdiction. The City of Vancouver works with Metro Vancouver, Environment Canada, Port Metro Vancouver to advocate for shore-power. This idea is included in the Draft Action Plan.
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Installing a 50 kw Wind Turbine @ Vanier Park to power the MoV, PSC & MM to showcase wind energy
Vanier Park's ideal location for wind and reducing the GHG's for Vancouver's 3 major museums would not only be beneficial environmentally but would be a major attraction to the public.
17 votesGreat idea. The Vancouver Park Board has examined opportunities for small wind energy generation at locations further west like Jericho.
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Municipal Control of Blanket Speed Limits
Limit motor vehicle speeds in the metro core to 40 km/h.
Place a 30 km/h speed limit on all local residential and collector streets.
Speed reduction is essential to ensure the safety of pedestrians and cyclists.19 votesThis is a policy direction that was adopted in the 1997 Transportation Plan. Staff have since been in discussion with provincial officials about legislative changes to support municipal control over blanket speed limits. Unfortunately those changes have not yet been adopted by the province.
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Develop a preprocurement strategy for the City's procurement managers to engage with local industry
Several jurisdictions have developed formal pre- and post-procurement engagement strategies in order to create a dialogue between public procurers and local firms. A pre-procurement consultation process at which procurers broadly outline expected future growth areas gives local firms a focus for research as well as a time horizon for development. The procurer in turn benefits from the most up-to-date information on emerging technologies and best practices. This type of engagement and information exchange can also help with early identification and resolution of issues around permitting or licensing, and can actively engage technology developers and suppliers in meeting the City’s climate…
3 votesThe Draft Greenest City Action Plan suggests recommendations on how this can be done
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15 votes
Included in the Draft Greenest City Action Plan.
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Increase indoor temperature range, to connect people to outside and reduce energy. Sweaters! Shorts!
Change commercial (including offices) buildings operating temperature range, to decrease air conditioning in the summer, and decrease heating energy in the winter. My estimates show that a changing the range from 2°C to 8°C could decrease overall building energy by 10%.
4 votesWhile the City cannot mandate the temperature that people set their thermostats to, this issue is addressed through occupant engagement as well as education and capacity building for building operators.
