GC 2020
657 results found
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Encourage all businesses to roof with solar panels.
Ways of doing this could include government subsidies for new buildings going up if they build the roof/walls exposed to the sun with solar panels. Or, the company could use the energy it generates instead of having to pay for electricity from other sources or receive a reduction in taxes or something if their building provides power for the city's grid. This could also apply to houses, but I say businesses because I was thinking of skyscrapers due to the fact that they are so exposed to the sun most of the time.
41 votes -
Divert sewer runoff into groundwater
Before 1850 when the rain fell on Vancouver, it soaked into the ground, which then fed the over 50 streams which crisscrossed the land. This water which supported a multitude of life then ran to the Burrard Inlet, False Creek and the Fraser River.
Today most of rainwater ends up on asphalt streets and the rooftops of buildings and this water runs into countless sewers which end up in the same surrounding water systems. As the water runs into the sewers, it picks up pollution from cars, residue from asphalt streets and tar roofs and many other small and large…
40 votesIn addition to the ones in place, the Draft Greenest City Action Plan recommends increasing the number of infiltration systems.
This link explains the types of integrated drainage that the City of Vancouver uses: http://vancouver.ca/engsvcs/watersewers/sewers/enviro/protect.htm#drainage
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Slow Down Vancouver: Working Less Equals Lower Footprint - Think about it
Slow it all down folks. Shorter work days, less stress, less racing about in cars, more time to walk to work, more time to think about your impact, more time to cook food, if you have time to cook you'll have time to eat whole foods - look for local products. Rushing about in our current culture is a recipe for unsustainability. Slow down Vancouver and Live Again. The facts are here...
"Shortening working time by 1% reduces the environmental impact by 0.8%, according to research carried out by Jörgen Larsson at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden - this…40 votesGreat idea that comes down to personal choices, and discussion with those that set work schedules (labour unions, other employers).
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40 votes
City 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. Chemical products of concern to possibly be addressed through a VoC strategy under consideration.
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Encourage smaller, denser housing
Many people around the world live in smaller housing units in denser neighbourhoods. In Toronto, many freehold lots are between 15-20 feet wide. The typical Vancouver lot is 33 feet wide. We could double the density in the City by encouraging the development of smaller, attached homes on freehold lots that are 15-16 feet wide. Density alone is not enough to create a livable city, but density will help to reduce emissions as well as helping to improve the affordability of housing in Vancouver.
39 votesThe Ecodensity planning process kicked off efforts in this area. Laneway housing is a good example smaller, denser housing we are starting to see across the city.
http://vancouver.ca/engsvcs/watersewers/sewers/permits/laneway.htm -
Require Timer Light Swtiches & Motion Sensors for Lights in Building Code / Existing Bldg Retrofits
It boggles the mind why in North America we light up our interior corridors, parkades and other common areas in buildings 24/7. Motion sensored lights in large parkades and common areas, and light switches on times in corridors and stairwells would keep people just as safe and give them light when it was needed, stopping the energy waste of having lights on all the time. It would also reinforce the conservation mentality that people might then bring into their homes as well.
39 votesThis is addressed in a retrofit pilot program
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Green roofs and Living walls
Make green roofs and living walls mandatory or at least implementing a city bylaw forcing people (at least commercial and industrial buildings) to have a minimum of their walls and roofs covered with plants.
39 votes -
Have all of the city's fleet of vehicles be electric and plug-in hybrid (when possible).
Have electric vehicles for short distance trips and plug-in hybrids for longer trips. Also, have all new heavy trucks (like garbage trucks) be diesel hybrid.
39 votesA great idea that will be captured in the draft Greenest Ctiy Action Plan as part of a larger low carbon vehicles strategy.
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promote native plant species
Promote greenspace around infrastructure from native plant species.
38 votes -
Start window farms in Vancouver
http://www.windowfarms.org/
This could be great for Vancouver with all of our donwtown condos. Unfortunately this is only available in the US. City could start this in Vancouver and make it available like the water saver kit.38 votesThis is a strategy best implemented at the individual level. The City is not taking an active role on this idea.
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Create a separated bike lane along Kingsway
It is an incredibly direct route leading from Broadway corridor to Burnaby, but currently has far too many lanes of car traffic to feel good cycling along it.
37 votesThe city’s new 10-year cycling program master plan will soon be in development, and hopefully completed within the next year. A big part of the work ahead is to identify where separated bike lanes might be appropriate.
Lessons learned from the downtown trial will be an important input into the plan. The results so far support evidence elsewhere that separated bike lanes are a great way to make cycling more attractive on busy streets.
For more information, visit http://vancouver.ca/cycling .
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Comprehensive Food Waste Collection
Why not collect all food waste? Seattle does it. UBC does it. Why limit it to uncooked fruits and veggies and eggshells? This makes some people not bother. More would use the service if it didn't require any discrimination and sorting.....
37 votesThis is planned for Phase 2 of the food scraps recycling program.
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Work with school districts to make commuter cycling/bike confidence skills part of Phys-Ed
Like most cities, there are different sorts of routes for biking - from trails, to physically separate lanes, to painted lanes, or signed shared bike routes. In order to take full advantage of these the City should work with School Districts to help support cycling as a Phys-Ed requirement - working up to kids going on field trips on bikes. There could also be hardscape bike-training space with miniature lanes in neighbourhood parks for families to take their kids to practice riding.
37 votesGreat idea. The draft Greenest City Action Plan will include directions to work with the school board and provincial government to support compulsory commuter cycling education in school curriculums.
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Ban non recyclable products
It is about time no? Why can we still buy products that cannot be recycled? If we want a zero waste society, we can not have the choice anymore of consuming goods that will end up in the garbage.
36 votes -
Buying of Local Foods
Encourage the buying of local foods so products can be bought and sold without harmful chemicals, and are sold and grown with natural products
36 votesThe draft Greenest City Action Plan includes an action to create a local food procurement strategy for City facilities.
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refillable containers at supermarkets
Refillable milk, butter, juice, etc. stations at supermarkets would eliminate such an enormous amount of wasted packaging. Think about bringing your refillable bottles every week to get what you need. This goes beyond the local level though - we'd need to get producers onboard. Taking it a step further would be to fill all the stations with locally produced food/drinks.
35 votes -
Car Free Sundays
Designate one major boulevard (Main, Commercial, Granville, etc.) throughout the city as car free every Sunday. Build on the success of Vancouver Car Free Days in the summer.
35 votes -
Grow local supply chains
For Vancouver to be a sustainable city locally-owned businesses mustbe able to source locally. This is especially true of light manufacturing (clothing, utensiles ...), food, local stories. We should be moving information around the world (bits) but physical supply chains should be grounded in the local economy. Let's look for the subsidies and tax incentives that act against local supply chains (most of these are federal and provincial, but let's look at the city as well). A great service would be an open social directory of local suppliers!
34 votesRecommendations for greening existing businesses include recommendations to support building of local supply chains. This idea is included in the draft Greenest City Action Plan
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Free parking for 100% electric cars
For the first x number of 100% electric cars registered, free metered parking anywhere in Vancouver.
34 votes -
Transport freight using trains instead of trucks
The transport of freight using heavy duty trucks is not sustainable and causes air and noise pollution. It is far more efficient and less costly to move freight on rails rather than building new roads to accomodate increasing truck traffic.
34 votesThe draft Greenest City Action Plan will include directions that support less polluting, appropriately sized goods movement vehicles, including rail where appropriate. Trucks will still have a role to play for the forseeable future. Success requires support and leadership from regional, provincial, and federal partners.
