GC 2020
248 results found
-
High Speed Rail to Seattle
From waterfront station tunnel underground to YVR then the line would follow parallel to highway 99 and then follow the I-5. Traveling an average speed of 250 km/hr you could reach YVR in 3 min at 4.10$, the border in 14 min, Bellingham in 23 min at 29.00$, Everett in 46 min at 58.00$ and finally Seattle in 57 min at 71.63$..... Imagine the possibilities of being able to travel to from downtown Vancouver to Downtown Seattle in just under an hour. Not only would this create green jobs, improve air quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but it would also…
626 votesThis idea is not included in the Draft Greenest City Action Plan, but it is supported in principle. Convened a high speed rail summit in July 2010 to discuss this proposal
-
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
-
Encourage Eco-Industrial Parks & Eco-Business Zones
The city can develop an eco-business strategy to help build networks of businesses who work together to : reduce their impacts, resource consumption rates, strain on public infrastructure, and, of course, costs.
Eco-Industrial Parks and eco-business zones are effective models for greening new and existing industry/business activity: By acting collectively, and taking lessons from natural systems, we can create new green business opportunities and transform existing employment areas to use less resources like water & energy, and to attract progressive new green businesses to town.
12 votesNeed to research eco-industrial practices. Strathcona is implementing at a neighbourhood scale. This idea is included in the draft Greenest City Action Plan.
-
Cap building energy consumption for different building types on a per occupant basis NOT area
There is no use in capping annual energy consumption on a per area basis if we continue building larger buildings. If we want to effectively limit total energy use, let's do it on a per occupant basis (i.e. kWh per building occupant).
6 votesWill move toward outcomes based codes which will take area and occupancy into account. This idea is included in the Draft Greenest City Action Plan.
-
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.
-
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.
-
Introduce shared streets
Granville Island is the closest thing we have in Vancouver to a shared street, where pedestrians, bikes, and cars are free to mix at low speeds. Side streets in Yaletown, Gastown, and other areas would benefit from this concept. New Road in Brighton is but one of many examples.
5 votesThe Draft Greenest City Action plan will include directions to explore pedestrian-only and pedestrian-priority streets in the downtown core. Potential locations will be identified at a later date (e.g. as part of the transportation plan update).
-
Empower apartment residents to hang their laundry to dry
Many strata and co-op buildings prohibit drying laundry on balconies or outside. Hanging to dry uses far less energy than using a dryer. Pass a by-law: prohibit the prohibition!
43 votesFalls under occupant engagement in energy conservation
-
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
-
2 votes
This is a good idea for framing our ongoing engagement campaigns
-
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.
-
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.
-
Make the full transition to gasification
Help to entice local diposal business to conglomerate and move towards gasification. Create greater incentive for local waste managment business to move towards this sustainable technology. Incurring the short term cost of enticing companies such as Nexterra to expand gasification technology and encouraging local businesses to merge and take on this great challenge will pay for itself in terms of stability by reducing large vehicle use between competeing companies, landfill and infrastructure maintenance and the grand promotion and attraction of being the first city in the world with an entirely sustainable waste disposal system.
4 votesCity of Vancouver is considering gasification technologies as part of a full matrix of solutions
-
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.
-
Cool roofs to combat the "heat island" impact, and save energy and reduce emissions
From July 22 "Science News" (everything old SHOULD be new again...)
Global model confirms: Cool roofs can offset carbon dioxide emissions and mitigate global warming
Light-colored roofs and pavements would help in 2 ways. First, the "urban heat island" effect would be mitigated. Second, by reflecting incoming solar radiation back into space, the whole globe would, on average, become a bit cooler. In terms of CO2 emissions, an offset of two years worth of emissions could be attained. Provided of course, such a huge amount of light-colored stuff can be produced and installed in a carbon-neutral manner.
Can light-colored rooftops…
16 votesCurrently exploring an approach to addressing cool roofs, green roofs & walls.
-
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
-
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.
-
Compost, compost, COMPOST!
Encourage people to compost!!!!! Send out info to people and they will build it! And rainwater cachement systems are GREAT too.
20 votes -
solar trash compactor
City of Vancouver has 2,400 public space litter bins on streets, transit stops and parks. By introducing a wireless capable solar trash compactor system to replace this system significant financial and environmental benefits can be realized. Operating costs will be reduced by 70% as well as Green House Gas emissions from the Diesel powered waste collection vehicle that go out at least once per day to pick up each of these 2,400 bins. Imagine having the collection take place once per week instead of seven times per week and have the reduced trip frequency pay for all this equipment in…
1 voteThe City is piloting over 20 solar-powered trash compacting bins in South East False Creek and Cambie Street.
However, this idea isn’t included in the Draft Greenest City Action Plan. Compacting waste reduces volume and makes collection more efficient, but it doesn’t reduce the tonnes of waste sent to landfill or incinerator. The proposed Zero Waste target is to reduce 50% (by weight) of garbage sent to landfill or incinerator by 2020.
-
Integrate Green with 125th Celebrations
2011 marks the 125th birthday of Vancouver. The City is planning to spend $ on the celebrations. How can we celebrate in a way which moves us forward on creating a significantly more sustainable city.... so that we might have something to celebrate in another 125 years?!
3 votesThis idea is under discussion.
