GC 2020
62 results found
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make food not lawns
Stop planting grass and instead plant food that people can eat. The big living roof on the convention centre has grass right now but it, and other roofs and lawns could have edible plants living on them.
74 votesThis idea is included within the draft Greenest City Action Plan. It has been started, with City-owned property being converted to community gardens and green streets. See: http://vancouver.ca/engsvcs/streets/greenstreets/index.htm
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Super Insulate All Buildings
Super Insulate All Buildings rather than spend on finding ways to heat inefficient existing building
10 votesInsulation is addressed in the building code for new and existing buildings as well as by the Passive design toolkits
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install many many more public washrooms
Install Many Many More Public Washrooms ... no this idea is not off topic! There are so few public washrooms in Vancouver that it’s a barrier to walking, biking and taking transit even for people with mature, healthy bladders, let alone when one considers the needs of Seniors and parents with young children. With the the paltry offering of public washrooms, who can reasonably view this City as transit and alt. car friendly? The ready access to washrooms is one reason people plan car trips to Shopping Malls and Big Box retailers rather than walk, bike or take transit to…
49 votesGood idea! In the past few years, the City has installed 8 of 16 self-cleaning toilets as part of its street furniture contract with CBS-Decaux, and is looking for additional locations. (As an aside, locating them can be challenging due to limited public sidewalk space, a lack of utility connections, and concerns from adjacent businesses.) New public restrooms have also been installed as part of recent park upgrades. There is also a huge opportunity and need at transit interchanges, but this is outside the City’s jurisdiction — Vancouver has repeatedly requested (and will continue to ask) that TransLink install restrooms in its rapid transit stations.
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Encourage each community to establish a community sustainability plan.
A community can create and build on its vision and formal plans by adopting specific objectives, guidelines, action items, regulations, and policies. Adopt continuous learning mentality (and policy) so that feedback can be used to assess effectiveness of decisions and actions and changes can be made accordingly. Want to create resilient, adaptable, and engaged communities.
3 votesNeighbourhoods in Vancouver have been undergoing community visions and plans for many years, and most communities now have these in place. They aren’t focused specifically on sustainability, but many have a strong sustainability focus: http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/planning/cityplan/visions/
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Reduce light pollution
Relatively easy to correct and largely the result of bad design, light pollution is a common problem throughout the city. Make sure that lights are designed to focus light downwards and not allowed up into the night sky where it disrupts the diurnal patterns of many species (including people).
14 votesAddressed in LEED requirements; not mandatory
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Develop a restoration economy
Promote preservation and redevelopment rather than new development whenever possible in order to minimize destruction of natural and cultural heritage. Capitalize on underutilized and abandoned infrastructure. Revitalize places that have already been developed. Create incentives for the preservation and restoration of buildings rather than tearing them down. This could include incentives for improvements in energy efficiency; community access to services; and improvement or creation of habitat around buildings, for instance.
27 votesDeveloping financing tools, training, and regulations that encourage and support the growth of a retrofit workforce
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Provide rainwater catchments to those living in condos with balconies to help with urban gardens
While waiting for building codes to come into effect requiring rainwater collection and water efficient irrigation systems, this can be a simple way to assist condo dwellers in using less water when it comes to their own balcony gardens.
13 votesThe City sells smaller rainbarrels for this use http://vancouver.ca/engsvcs/solidwaste/grownatural/rainbarrels.htm
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Develop incentives to restore the bee populations
[Submitted via email by Patrice Allen]
Develop incentives to restore the bee populations, not only for their products but for cross-pollination in ALL green spaces.
18 votesHobby bee keeping guidelines under review and there are beehives on top of City Hall. For details on the City of Vancouver bee keeping initiatives, please visit: http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/socialplanning/initiatives/foodpolicy/projects/beekeeping.htm
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Encourage grass lawn alternatives
[Submitted via email by Patrice Allen]
Grass lawns use excessive water and toxic fertilizers, just to get that lush look. Why not more veggie & flower beds? Or Japanese style pebbles, bricks, tiles, and water-recycling ponds (also to help prevent noise pollution and give the birds a place to drink from) and, most low maintenance of all, a herb lawn of thyme or any of the other fragrant, soft, herbaceous carpets that grow themselves. Encourage planting of succulents (less watering) and native plants and grasses.
11 votesThe City does encourage alternatives to lawns http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/guidelines/W005.pdf
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Avoid 50-100 year mistakes.
Ensure that long-term infrastructure, especially buildings, are sustainable from the very start.
4 votesOngoing green building programs address sustainability.
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Organic, Fair Trade and Low carbon agricultural products
Promotion of Fair Trade, organic and low carbon imports. Why not take social and environmental responsibility for your consumption? People will always want an avocado, mango, a cup of coffee or tea on their tables. There are agricultural products that can not been grown locally, so why not import them but making sure they are low carbon, and that they are not harming our planet and its producers?
100 votesThe City has a procurement policy covering our own procurement choices that includes many of these issues; it is now being implemented throughout City operations. http://vancouver.ca/policy_pdf/AF01401.pdf
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Indoor farmer's markets and community garden spaces for winter months.
Create indoor farmer's markets and community garden spaces for winter months in order to support healthy eco-living and eating.
94 votesCouncil has worked with Farmers Market Society to locate a new winter market site at Nat Bailey Stadium. Garden sites an interesting idea, but would need more study.
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Urban Orchards
Create urban orchards in every neighbourhood ( cherry, apple, fig, berries, plums, apricots and peaches). Employ staff to maintain these and to teach people how to preserve and use the harvest. Graft producing branches to existing cherry, plum, apple root stock.
48 votesSmall orchards are being planted by the Park Board in golf courses and at Sunset. Plans are in the works for more community orchards. This is a strategy in the draft Greenest City Action Plan.
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Install outlets for electric vehicles in parking lots
[Submitted via email]
Consider a downtown parking lot with outlets so plugin electric hybrids can recharge. Could have some type of metre.
13 votesFollowing a 2009 Council adopted report, scaleable public charging infrastructure is being deployed to support the adoption of electric vehicles in Vancouver.
Read more here:
http://vancouver.ca/sustainability/electric_vehicles.htm
http://vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/documents/penv3.pdfhttp://www.easypark.ca/about-easypark/parking-programs/go-green.aspx
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More street food more places
The City's recent allocation of 17 new street-food licenses is a good start. Let's take it to the next level with street food hubs on city-owned parking lots or under-utilized alleyways. These centres could be modelled after those in Portland and feature a wide variety of local, healthy options. A bonus idea: a plate refund system like at the Folk Fest -- so that packaging and wrap can be minimized or done away with!
16 votesThe City has increased the number of street food vendors and types in 2010 and are looking to expand the program in 2011. For details, please visit: http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/socialplanning/initiatives/foodpolicy/projects/streetfood.htm
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rain water toilets
rainwater can be collected from eco-roofs or rain gutters use in toilets.
19 votesHas been approved on project by project basis.
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A Call to Town Hall - Plant Veggies, not Flowers
A Call to Town Hall - Plant Veggies, not Flowers
Poverty Reduction, Environment Protection and Community BuildingGoal
Reduce poverty, involve community, promote healthy lifestyles, reduce personal and city spending, create a well connected and safer community, add natural nutrients back to top soil, and educate about healthy living and healthy food.Most cities and towns have multiple flower gardens that are taken care of by city workers. Call your local city hall, ask them to plant hardy vegetables in garden spots instead of the usual flowers. Vegetable plants produce very beautiful flowers that turn into edible veggies like Squash,…
41 votesThis idea is included in the draft Greenest City Action Plan. Action to date on this issue include community gardens and green streets on City-owned property. The City has also developed an edible landscaping policy http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/socialplanning/initiatives/foodpolicy/tools/links.htm#Edible
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Pedestrian countdown signals
Burnaby has introduced many of these on city streets, while Vancouver still has very few. Especially at pedestrian controlled intersections it is important to know how long the wait will be (and whether the button is working or not).
3 votesCity crews installed its first pedestrian countdown signal at Main and Hastings earlier this year, and could install more if this trial is successful.
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Mandatory Lighting Controls for Commercial buildings
Why are there so many office lights on in commercial office buildings, when nobody is occupying those areas. Mandate the use of green lighting controls (Daylight Harvesting, Absence/Presence detection etc.)
25 votesThis is addressed in a retrofit pilot program
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Zero waste
Create a Zero Waste Plan as has been done in other cities to reduce waste on a timeline of progress
64 votesThe Draft Greenest City Action Plan includes a Zero Waste Action Plan.
