657 results found

1. City Energy Grid

   Let local solar, wind and other green energy producers (businesses and/or residents) sell energy into a city grid that supplies community infrastructure.

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   0 comments  ·  Reduce greenhouse gas emissions  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →

2. Promote car pooling and/or ride sharing programs

   There are a number of car pooling and/or ride sharing programs in Vancouver but they are not being used by very many people. If the City of Vancouver promoted them, they could reduce a very significant number of car trips.

   Some examples include: carpool.ca; ride-share.com; ride-club.ca; car-pool.ca; erideshare.com; carpoolingnetwork.com; and shareyourride.net.

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   4 comments  ·  Travel predominately by foot, bike, and transit  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →

3. Promote a micro-economy

   Promote a micro-economy:
   Not everyone fits into the monoculture of work and life options available in Vancouver. A healthy city is a diverse city that allows individuals access to the economy on a range on increments. De-regulate work in homes. Integrate services and restaurants into neighbourhood streets and lanes. Turn on-street parking stalls into rent-by-the-hour food and retail vendors.

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   1 comment  ·  Create green jobs  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →
   under review  ·  AdminGreenest City Planning Team (Admin, CG2020) responded

   Agree in principle, but there is more research required. What about property tax implications? How can the city collect tax to support services? This needs to be addressed first.

4. Provide a 5 year property break for buildings that go off grid.

   The concept is that if a building goes off grid, they will be given a property tax holiday for 5 years to fund it. They must use BC based technology whenever possible. This will green our existing buildings, create jobs and reduce out carbon footprint. An investment in our future that reflect all three legs of sustainability.

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   2 comments  ·  Green existing buildings  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →
   under review  ·  AdminGreenest City Planning Team (Admin, CG2020) responded

   The plan addresses incentives for low- or no- emission buildings. Off-grid is not emphasized as one way of achieving our energy reduction and carbon neutral goals is through sharing excess renewable energy between buildings – which requires grid connection.

5. Reduce single day ICBC rates to encourage mixed use transportation

   As an incentive to get people out of their vehicles and onto public transit more frequently, we are proposing a reduction in the fees for daily insurance, and a more user friendly alternative of purchasing daily insurance online.

   Current daily insurance rates cost $25 and require a visit to a local Autoplan broker.

   Average annual coverage in 2005 was $1079 or or $2.96 a day. 

   As a comparison, a person paying for 2 days a week, or every weekend would pay $2600 a year. 

   For most drivers this cost difference and the need to travel to a broker forces them to purchase yearly insurance and therefore encourages them to make use of this insurance and commute via car daily.

   We propose a quicker, cheaper daily use model such as online purchasable and printable insurance that will encourage people to use their vehicles part time and find alternatives such as transit, biking and walking on other days.

   If the government is truly concerned about climate change creating viable alternatives and appealing to persons wallets is the shortest route to such ends.

   As an incentive to get people out of their vehicles and onto public transit more frequently, we are proposing a reduction in the fees for daily insurance, and a more user friendly alternative of purchasing daily insurance online.

   Current daily insurance rates cost $25 and require a visit to a local Autoplan broker.

   Average annual coverage in 2005 was $1079 or or $2.96 a day. 

   As a comparison, a person paying for 2 days a week, or every weekend would pay $2600 a year. 

   For most drivers this cost difference and the need to travel to a broker forces them… more

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   0 comments  ·  Encourage shorter vehicle trips  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →
   AdminGreenest City Planning Team (Admin, CG2020) responded

   Outside City jurisdiction, so City’s role is limited to advocacy. The City supports auto insurance schemes that better reflect the marginal cost of driving (i.e. the cost of the next trip), to send better pricing signals to help citizens make more informed travel mode choices.

6. 2000W society

   To be the best, look around at the competition (friendly competition -- the other green cities of the world), and make sure you're at least matching the best policies out there.
   For instance a number of cities in Switzerland have put 2000 W mandates in their charter. A "2000 W society" is a nice framing of the common objective of averaging less than 2kW per person. A 1 t (ie per year, per person, of CO2e GHGs in this case) society might be more climate relevant.

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   1 comment  ·  Reduce greenhouse gas emissions  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →

7. Composting Program for Buildinga west of Denman

   Use part of Stanley Park to start a small composting program for apartments west of denman St. Low transport costs with high density...reduces garbage in dumpster and offers free compost for park and or residents. if it works duplicate using other parks in vancouver with nearby apartment complexes.

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   1 comment  ·  Reduce waste  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →

8. Encourage Community Groups

   Facilitate meetings at all community centres in the city that give neighbours an opportunity to meet and discuss topics relevant to their communities. This will support community involvement and decision making.

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   0 comments  ·  Lighter Footprint  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →
   planned  ·  AdminGreenest City Planning Team (Admin, CG2020) responded

   This kind of work is already underway all over the City, much of which is led by community organisations. Find one in your neighbourhood, or one that works on issues that you care about, and join in. This action plan includes building supports (e.g. tools, resources) to support community groups in talking about, and working toward, the greenest city.

9. Switch building from natural gas to electricity

   Burning fossil fuels to heat our homes and buildings is the single biggest source of climate damage coming from Vancouver. It is 50% of city GHGs and much more damaging than all vehicle emissions. Vancouver should levy a carbon tax on natural gas and use it to subsidize people who choose to switch to electric heating, especially heat pumps. Vancouver will never be able to meet its climate goals and responsibility until nearly all natural gas burning is stopped. No new technology is needed as many buildings already are fully electric and have been for decades. Today 41% of energy used in our homes and buildings is electricity, and it time to fuel switch the dirty 59% of it to cleaner BC electricity.

   Burning fossil fuels to heat our homes and buildings is the single biggest source of climate damage coming from Vancouver. It is 50% of city GHGs and much more damaging than all vehicle emissions. Vancouver should levy a carbon tax on natural gas and use it to subsidize people who choose to switch to electric heating, especially heat pumps. Vancouver will never be able to meet its climate goals and responsibility until nearly all natural gas burning is stopped. No new technology is needed as many buildings already are fully electric and have been for decades. Today 41% of energy… more

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   2 comments  ·  Reduce greenhouse gas emissions  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →

10. Label local/green building materials.

    I would choose local/green building materials if there were some system of assurance. I would prefer to buy BC wood/materials for my house.

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    1 comment  ·  Build carbon neutral new buildings  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →
    under review  ·  AdminGreenest City Planning Team (Admin, CG2020) responded

    The City is supportive of building materials labeling however not in our jurisdiction to implement this.

11. Start a chain of coffee shops that sells exclusively day old baked goods and expired dairy products.

    I hate walking into all these wasteful cafes and having my nose fill up with the smell of freshly baked goods when I know they are just going to get thrown out at the end of the day. I mean $2.25 for a croissant who has that kind of money. I suggest day old baked goods for sale for a quarter only, and then if you want a latte it is 50 cents but the milk might be a little sour. Remember that you are doing it for the environment, it for your childrens children so come on down and enjoy a cup of joe and wax philosophical about the overthrow of our capitalist overlords.

    I hate walking into all these wasteful cafes and having my nose fill up with the smell of freshly baked goods when I know they are just going to get thrown out at the end of the day. I mean $2.25 for a croissant who has that kind of money. I suggest day old baked goods for sale for a quarter only, and then if you want a latte it is 50 cents but the milk might be a little sour. Remember that you are doing it for the environment, it for your childrens children so come on down and… more

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    1 comment  ·  Create green jobs  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →

12. Include energy costs in city & province-funded construction projects.

    Construction projects get graded based on how cheap they are. But that costing model doesn't include the total environmental impact of a project, such as the carbon released by removing old buildings, the ongoing energy cost of the structures, etc.

    The best way to get an environmentally conscious city is to put in economic incentives. Construction is a very high-impact area where the city can exert influence simply by changing the guidelines. A cheap, high-impact proposal.

    Other cities are already doing it, and from what I hear UBC is already doing it for their own projects.

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    1 comment  ·  Green existing buildings  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →
    under review  ·  AdminGreenest City Planning Team (Admin, CG2020) responded

    The draft Greenest City Action Plan addresses ways and means of rewarding projects that are more energy efficient.

13. Small business from home, up to 10 clients can enter home a day in busines hours, as Burnaby allows

    small business at home needs to be able to have clients come to the location.
    Small business in a hood emlliminates emission and reduce traffic volume , encourages biking and walking, in creases neigbourhood safty around the clock , creates multi-leveled community interactions making living in the city more welcoming and stress free, supportive.

    Citizen interaction increases and takes cars out of rush hour as commuting to work is lowered as well as moms and dads can care for kids while having work at home , save money and have better more quallity interaction with their kids , rather then juggling with day care or babysitting and commuting.

    In Burnaby, small businesses can have clients come to their home during regular business hours , why can Vancouver not follow the trend ?
    Specially for Counselors , Therapists, Coaches , RMTS, Acupressure , Consultants , Architects etc .
    this is nessesary specially as the trend of raising rent in business buildings is going up so high, small businsees not seeing more then 8 clients a day are forced to move. The Vancouver rates are to high being 20 to 26 per SF plus operating at 12-18 per SF making hard working small essential servises move out of the core of Vancouver where they are needed.

    this is over all green for lower carbon footprint , better sapce use , safty increase , building real community adn healthy economy in Vancouver using bikes , feet ...smiles in steed of commuting frustration

    small business at home needs to be able to have clients come to the location.
    Small business in a hood emlliminates emission and reduce traffic volume , encourages biking and walking, in creases neigbourhood safty around the clock , creates multi-leveled community interactions making living in the city more welcoming and stress free, supportive.

    Citizen interaction increases and takes cars out of rush hour as commuting to work is lowered as well as moms and dads can care for kids while having work at home , save money and have better more quallity interaction with their kids , rather then… more

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    0 comments  ·  Create green jobs  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →

14. Put Some Teeth into Tree Policy:Trees really are an essential cornerstone to our green future.

    Trees really are an essential cornerstone to our green future. Very few strategies have as direct a relationship to carbon offset as does the planting of a tree. However to effectively achieve the planting of more trees (and protection of existing stock) will require a paradigm shift from the current passive City policy.

    For example:
    (1) The tree removal bylaw must be actively enforced in the manner that parking bylaws are with routine patrols and ticketing. Why not use the same active enforcement team? They are already out, patrolling resident neighborhoods. And the bylaw needs to be rewritten to put the burden of proof of compliance on to the landholder, rather than the burden of proof of noncompliance on the City. With the prevalence of Satellite imagery, it is just not that difficult to document tree removal. Much like the de facto effectiveness of speed cameras, the use of before and after photographs should result in automatic fines with mailed in evidence and tickets. This approach would substantially lessen the cost of collecting penalties while increasing voluntary compliance.

    (2) It is all too common for the City/Parks Board supplied boulevard trees to be the ONLY trees in many neighbourhoods. The development permit process should include a substantial tree enhancement component. Parking lot developers should be required to include a tree plus ground soil meridian in every 5th “parking spot”. Commercial developers should be required to include a set back from the curb, with at least as many trees planted as the City boulevard planting guidelines set out, effectively doubling the number of sidewalk trees on our commercial streets. Residential developments should include the requirement for one tree in the front and one in the back of the building lot, on any new development, as well as a no net loss rule on all lot redevelopment.

    (3) Boulevard tree planting (and replacement of damaged trees) under the Parks Board program must be proactive. There are still too many neighbourhoods without any trees. These neighbourhoods are so unlivable, with the lack of tree cover, that it is clear the residents rely on air-conditioned car travel as their primary mode of transport in the heat of the summer. Witness the swaths of housing stock East of Rupert/South of East Hastings and West of Clark/South of Kingsway. There are areas where the only green comes from patches of lawn. Without the benefit of a boulevard tree, these areas are concrete deserts.

    (4) To encourage tree planting in existing developments, landholders could receive a property tax grant for the addition of up to three trees. As with the home owner tax grant, these type of self-reporting grants have to be supported by an assessment, inspection process to heavily fine people who file false claims. It ought to be an easy political sell to ask for the Province’s cooperation in adding this mechanism to the property tax.

    Trees really are an essential cornerstone to our green future. Very few strategies have as direct a relationship to carbon offset as does the planting of a tree. However to effectively achieve the planting of more trees (and protection of existing stock) will require a paradigm shift from the current passive City policy.

    For example:
    (1) The tree removal bylaw must be actively enforced in the manner that parking bylaws are with routine patrols and ticketing. Why not use the same active enforcement team? They are already out, patrolling resident neighborhoods. And the bylaw needs to be rewritten to put… more

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    0 comments  ·  Plant additional trees  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →

15. Build a cooperative economy.

    Co-op's are a great tool in building a green economy. They are member driven, and are grounded in local community needs and values. Let's see how many financial, housing, food, transportation, employment, and product needs can be met in our community by cooperatives.

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    1 comment  ·  Create green jobs  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →
    under review  ·  AdminGreenest City Planning Team (Admin, CG2020) responded

    Need co-op model in different green sectors.

16. Vancouver as a Cleantech Center

    Vancouver has a dynamic and growing clean tech cluster. These companies are home grown and are addressing global challenges. Vancouver could become the world's leading clean tech center, but we need incentives, a clean tech center, and programs to help Vancouver based companies stay in Vancouver as they grow.

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    0 comments  ·  Create green jobs  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →

17. Buying locally should not only include food but all items

    I heard rumours that the City choose to purchase material for the seawall reconsturction that requires shipping from China, I wonder how much GHG are used for shipping? . Again City Internal operations need to walk the talk and set the example and be leaders.

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    0 comments  ·  Lighter Footprint  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →

18. Create green collar jobs for local residents, especially low threshold opportunities

    Use the principles of community economic development to create job opportunities for those with barriers to employment, including incentives for green businesses that provide local employment and procurement of local goods

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    0 comments  ·  Create green jobs  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →

19. Simplify, Synchronize, and Rationalize the Collection of Recyclable Materials.

    Simplify: Have one large blue bin - the same capacity as the City’s largest Green Bin currently used for single family dwelling yard waste collection. The current residential recycling program is too little and too complex. Most residents do not understand what can go into one of three distinct containers and they don’t understand that they can request additional containers. Miss-mixed containers and stacks of cardboard not broken down to the requisite 12”x12” sheets are routinely left curbside to rot and eventually be discarded in the larger waste containers. The current fact that the blue box is tiny and waste containers massive sends a very clear visual message as to priority and options. Requiring separation of materials at point of drop off merely serves to diminish participation and increase contamination. Most everyone would participate if they could include all recyclable material in one large container, which was then separated at the City’s waste management level. This is the type of system used in Toronto, which has a more successful waste reclamation program than ours.

    Synchronize: Use the same Blue Bin and the same collection and separation waste management system for business, residential, recreational, streets, and educational public facilities. It’s irrational that we can collect recycling at the residential level but not use the same equipment and staff to collect at our Parks, Civic Centers, Schools, and on commercial streets. Currently, if schools want to recycle the PAC pays for it!! And the Parks! For goodness sakes, the Provincial Parks have been collecting recyclable materials in separate bins for a decade, how can it be that our Parks board and Metro Vancouver Parks can lag THAT far behind? We require one public-wide system, for every public and residential private facility. Aside from the cost advantage - once fleet of collection vehicles and trained staff - a higher participation and reclamation program means more revenue from the collection and resale of the raw materials. Having one standard container also contributes to the publics acceptance and understanding of the program. With the wide range of container variants in the City, there remains a great deal of confusion among users as to what can go where. It is very common to see recyclable non-reuseable plastic cups, for instance, in the City’s paltry returnable container trays affixed to the litter receptacles. This happenstance points to the fact that people do NOT want to put the recyclables into the litter containers but have limited choice of alternatives.

    Through the business licencing and regulation powers, require the mandatory participation of waste producing businesses, such as fast food and drive through, in the program. These businesses - the ones contributing to the waste containers volume in our consumption stream - should have to lease the Blue Bins from the City annually. The lease rates set on a cost recovery basis. They would have to demonstrate a Zero waste system (via a licencing audit) before they could opt out of the Blue Bin program.

    Rationalize: In the first year of the program there should be a 1:1 ratio of blue bins to garbage receptacles in parks, schools, civic centers and at Bus Stops. A 2:1 ratio to residents (weekly pick up of the blue bin, bimonthly pick up of the garbage bin). By the third year of the program, the ratio should shift to 2:1 in public facilities, 4:1 in residential facilities(weekly pick up of the blue bin, once a month of the garbage bin - with compost in the yard waste container, there is no reason garbage collection couldn’t be decreased to once monthly given a generous and simplified recycling collection system). The mandatory commercial Blue Bin participants would be permitted to shift their ratio from 1:1 on applying for and passing the requirements of a waste inspection audit. As their ratio shifts (more reclamation, less waste), their annual fee would go down.

    One Blue Bin, One System, Universal Participation!

    Simplify: Have one large blue bin - the same capacity as the City’s largest Green Bin currently used for single family dwelling yard waste collection. The current residential recycling program is too little and too complex. Most residents do not understand what can go into one of three distinct containers and they don’t understand that they can request additional containers. Miss-mixed containers and stacks of cardboard not broken down to the requisite 12”x12” sheets are routinely left curbside to rot and eventually be discarded in the larger waste containers. The current fact that the blue box is tiny and waste… more

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    4 comments  ·  Reduce waste  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →

20. Increase the number of facilities available for community kitchens/ food processing

    Are people still interested in joining community kitchens? These were popular a couple of years ago but excitment seems to have died off due to a lack of available facilities.
    Have community kitchen with themes- such as urban singles, local food etc...
    Have these spaces double as urban food processing centres- have commercial kitchens set up to allow groups to come in and process large amounts of local food at harvest time so that it will be available for later us. Host workshops on various low energy food preservation techniques, nutrition, cooking, low energy cooking etc...
    Install large size community food driers.
    Have kits available for people to borrow to host food preservations sessions outside or in people's houses.

    Are people still interested in joining community kitchens? These were popular a couple of years ago but excitment seems to have died off due to a lack of available facilities.
    Have community kitchen with themes- such as urban singles, local food etc...
    Have these spaces double as urban food processing centres- have commercial kitchens set up to allow groups to come in and process large amounts of local food at harvest time so that it will be available for later us. Host workshops on various low energy food preservation techniques, nutrition, cooking, low energy cooking etc...
    Install large size community… more

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    1 comment  ·  Encourage local food  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →
    under review  ·  AdminGreenest City Planning Team (Admin, CG2020) responded

    The City supports a number of non-profits that have community kitchens. We are looking at increasing the number of the community kitchen opportunities in the draft plan