Note to Reader:

The mountains that form the spectacular backdrop to the City of Vancouver backdrop are where several events for the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralymic Games took place. The District of West Vancouver is a community of less than 50,000 people on the edge of the ocean in the middle of a rainforest, surrounded by glaciertopped mountains and the burgeoning metropolis of 2.1 million people that make up Metro Vancouver.

In April 2011, the District of West Vancouver was recognized as a Global Green City by the United Nations.  West Vancouver received an award for its model for citizen engagement and for key projects and initiatives which have resulted from citizen-led working groups. Such initiatives include: energy retro-fits of homes (Cool Neighbourhoods), water meter installation and marine foreshore restoration.

In May 2013, this noteworthy recognition was featured at a workshop organized by BC Hydro PowerSmart’s Conservation Community of Practice. The purpose of these annual workshops is to create an opportunity for community leaders from around the province, engaged in conservation, to come together to learn with and from each other. West Vancouver Councillor Trish Panz spoke about her involvement in the Cool Neighbourhoods program.

Local Government Decision-Makers & Community Champions Align Efforts to Implement Change On-the-Ground

“How does fresh energy and ideas enter into traditional local government systems?   How do we create an environment that allows citizens to lead, staff to facilitate and politicians to innovate? A new approach called Working Groups shifted our political decision making and community engagement in West Vancouver,” reports Trish Panz, an elected Councillor with the District of West Vancouver.

“Council defines our top public policy questions, like childcare, climate action and housing, and we hand these priorities to our citizen-led working groups. We empower them to innovate in an effective and inclusive process.”

“One innovation, Cool Neighbourhoods, is building low carbon neighbourhoods one ‘hood’ at a time. This is an outcome of a partnership between a community champion and our Climate Action Working Group. Cool Neighbourhoods, now part of the Cool North Shore initiative, is leading our community aspirations for low carbon solutions; and more importantly, learning and innovating along the way, while building more connected and resilient neighbourhoods. Ideas put into action, citizen-led, staff-facilitated and politically innovative.”

“We know that community issues can be tricky and we know we are always at our best when citizens, staff and politicians work together pulling on the same oar. Working groups have knit our community together, in a way that allows community energy to builds energy for change,” concludes Councillor Panz.

To Learn More:

To read the complete story posted on the Convening for Action community-of-interest, click on  Citizen-Led, Staff-Facilitated and Politically Innovative: West Vancouver’s “Working Group Model” recognized by the United Nations for community engagement leadership.

Tarah Stafford – Mayor Pamela Goldsmith-Jones – StephenJenkins – Councillor Trish Panz

Courtenay Continuing to Reduce its Footprint on Environment

The City of Courtenay in the Comox Valley region of Vancouver Island has issued its first “State of the Environment Report” with updates on targets for air quality, water consumption, transportation, land use, waste, and energy.

“The City has committed to reduce community-wide greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent by 2020,” states Nancy Hofer, the City’s Environmental Planner and report co-author. “In order to meet that goal, the City will need to continue to explore efficiencies in transportation, buildings, and solid waste in its corporate operations as well as the community at large.”

“The State of the Environment Report is colourful, succinct and only four pages. The objective is to raise community awareness of what we mean by the phrase ‘ecological footprint’; as well as how the City is drawing on readily available data to measure impacts and set targets. For each target area, the report addresses three questions: Where are we now? How are we reaching our targets? What can you do to help?”

“So far the City has received positive feedback on the readability of the document and its ease of use. The City is exploring how to use the data from the many environmental groups and social justice groups in the Valley to incorporate the data that they have been collecting. We hope that other local governments will find the approach and format helpful in communicating key messages.”

TO LEARN MORE:

To read a story posted on the Vancouver Island Water community-of-interest, click on City of Courtenay Issues its first “State of the Environment Report”.

To download a copy of the report, click on “State of the Environment 2013”

The City is one of four Comox Valley local governments that are collaborating in a forum known as the Comox Valley Leadership Team of “Convening for Action on Vancouver Island” (CAVI). Through collaboration, the four are striving for consistent application of strategies and tools to achieve watershed goals.

Note to Reader:

The Green Infrastructure Partnership is promoting a “design with nature” approach to infrastructure policies and practices. The branding for this approach is borrowed from the title of tge seminal book by Ian McHarg. For background, click on Convening for Action to Change the Way We Develop Land: “Designing with Nature” explained.

Green, Heal and Restore the Earth

Renowned landscape architect and educator Ian L. McHarg was best known for introducing environmental concerns in landscape architecture. He was also instrumental in founding the original “Earth Week” in 1970. Ian McHarg died in 2001.

McHarg’s book Design With Nature is widely considered one of the most important and influential works of its kind. It has sold more than 155,000 copies and remains one of the most widely used textbooks on landscape architecture and architecture in the United States. His premise is simple: “that the shaping of land for human use ought to be based on an understanding of natural process.” The ecological planning method developed by him to apply this theory was seized upon and used throughout the world. 

McHarg insisted we look at the many aspects of the entire system we are designing when building streets, structures, and cities. That instead of having the hubris to fight against natural forces, to rather design in harmony with them. And he showed how to do this, with modern tools, analytic overlays, GIS mapping, and a fact-based approach. 

“For me, the great dream would be, if by the remaining years of this century…the nation and the world concluded there should be a global and national ecological inventory…all of us address ourself to greening, healing and restoring the earth,” stated Ian McHarg in his acceptance speech when he received the President’s Award at  the 1997 Esri User Conference.

To Learn More, Watch the Video:

During his acceptance speech, Ian McHarg reminisced with typical humor about his seminal discoveries of overlays and chronology, the challenges of environmental planning, and the role that GIS can play. To watch him speak, click on Video of Ian McHarg at the Esri User Conference in 1997

Doing Business Differently in BC

To help local governments continue the extensive work they are already doing in fostering green communities, the Ministry of Community Development developed A Guide to Green Choices to provide practical advice and ideas in making land use decisions.

Released in September 2008, this Guide was intended to work in tandem with many other provincial programs and projects, including Living Water Smart, the BC Climate Action Plan and the Water Sustainability Action Plan for British Columbia, An over-arching goal of these initiatives is to encourage land and water managers and users to do business differently.

To Download a Copy:

Click on “A Guide to Green Choices: Ideas and Practical Ideas for Land Use Decisions in British Columbia Communities”

Making Green Choices

“We have a series of initiatives within the Ministry that are integrated with other broader provincial initiatives,” stated Dr. Laura Tate in 2008 when the Guide to Green Choices was released. “These are seeking to help us build green communities in our province..We all benefit from having attractive, liveable communities…with a healthy natural environment.” Formerly the Ministry’s Manager of Vancouver Island Growth Strategies, Laura Tate was the lead author for the Guide.

Link to YouTube Video:

Click here to view a 2008 YouTube video clip of Laura Tate when she described what is in A Guide to Green Choices. “We are providing local government with the information to make better decisions,” she said.

A Living Document

“The guide is meant to assist communities of all types: large, small, rural, resort-based, urban, and suburban. It is designed to help maximize both creativity and adaptability to varied scales, specific contexts, and changing on-the-ground conditions,” stated Laura Tate.

“This is particularly important when working with local communities, where each have their own settings, histories, needs, and values — and of course their own unique visions for the future. For this reason, A Guide to Green Choices is intended to be a living document. It will be revised over time to address ongoing changes in community needs, and to respond to suggestions from local government.”

The ‘Green’ Destination

What will it look like when we arrive? This ‘green’ destination or vision will mean a healthier natural environment, healthier communities, and healthier citizens, and lead to:

• Public spaces in all communities embraced by urban forests, and well- onnected with safe cycling and walking access to all parts of the community;
• Sustainable, compact rural and urban communities, with a range of options for different household types and sizes;
• Affordable housing choices;
• More opportunities for residents of all communities to comfortably age in place;
• A fitter population;
• A choice of transportation options serving all trips, needs and incomes;
• Diverse and vibrant local economies;
• Air quality improved by 50 percent over 2008 levels, and lowered rates of asthma in the population;
• Lower greenhouse gas emissions;
• Plenty of choices for residents to buy attractive and varied locally-produced foods; and
• Reduced energy and water consumption.

“The vision depends on many players, strong leadership, and a willingness to face challenges en route,” continues Laura Tate. “It needs new approaches, forward thinking and long-term commitment. It will continue to rely on timely decision-making by all parties.”

Integration

“A key theme in A Guide to Green Choices is the notion of integration. It stems from a belief that the solid efforts already being made could be even stronger if they work together in the right direction — not at cross-purposes,”concludes Laura Tate.

Kate Madison, University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee Center for Economic Development

Beneficial Impact of Green Infrastructure on Property Values within the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District Planning Area

The new wastewater permit for the Metropolitan Milwaukee Sewerage District (MMSD) requires that it add at least 1 million US gallons of water-retaining infrastructure each year. The permit is the first of its kind in the United States.

The MMSD is recognized as a regional and national wastewater utility leader in its integration of green infrastructure into its combined sewer overflow reduction strategy.

The MMSD has implemented a variety of green infrastructure projects that capture rain where it falls. By reducing runoff volume, such projects help prevent sewer system overflows and basement backups during heavy storms. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requested that MMSD do a study to quantify the financial benefits of green infrastructure projects.

MMSD commissioned the Center for Economic Development at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee to undertake the study. The Center is a central part of the University’s mission to apply university-based research and technical expertise to improve the quality of life in the Milwaukee region.

A team of researchers led by Kate Madison has demonstrated that integrating green infrastructure (GI) features into redevelopment projects has reaped financial benefits for property developers, homeowners and local taxing authorities.

Green Features in Four Study Areas

The research team analyzed green features in the Menomonee Valley, the Lincoln Creek area on the city’s northwest side and the redeveloped Pabst Brewery site on the edge of Downtown Milwaukee. The fourth study area was the Village of Shorewood because it has a Downspout Disconnection Program and Raingardens.

Preliminary results were released in April at the Clean Rivers, Clean Lake Conference organized by the Southeastern Wisconsin Watersheds Trust (also known as “Sweet Water”).

“Using local data, we were able to develop four hedonic pricing models that measure the impacts of Green Infrastructure on property values,” explains Kate Madison. “Overall, the models indicate that the integration of GI into redevelopment projects has had a positive impact on property values.”

“Unlike other forms of infrastructure that have known and well- established economic benefits, GI is a relatively new form of infrastructure and there aren’t a lot of studies out there measuring GI impacts beyond savings to grey infrastructure systems.”

“The EPA is leading the way, but more work needs to be done in this area. By demonstrating that GI techniques have added economic benefits, incorporating Green Infrastructure can become standard practice in the development or redevelopment process.”

To Learn More:

To access the conference presentation by Kate Madison, click on Impact of Green Infrastructure on Property Values within the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District Planning Area: Four Case Studies

To download an extract from Rooftops to Rivers that describes the approach that the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District is implementing, click on Milwaukee, Wisconsin: A Case Study of How Green Infrastructure is Helping Manage Urban Stormwater Challenges.

To read an article published in Milwaukee Shepherd Express newspaper, click on Green Value Boosts Property Values.

Bioswales and underground detention basin (under Zilber Park) at The Brewery in Milwaukee.

Note to Reader:

Most Canadians take water for granted. We think we have lots of it and it will always be there. So in 2008, RBC started polling Canadians about their attitudes towards water—to see if the serious water issues around the world were having an impact on how Canadians use and think about water, and tracking whether attitudes are changing.

Since 2008, RBC has made the poll results freely available to NGOs and other interested parties. RBC has encouraged the broad dissemination of the data and its findings because RBC wants to help contribute to a healthy conversation about the value and vulnerability of water in Canada.

Click on  2013 RBC Canadian Water Attitudes Study to download a copy of the survey and learn more about the findings.

Urban sprawl and paved paradise threaten clean fresh water today and tomorrow, says leading expert

While nine-in-10 (90 per cent) Canadians believe that an extreme weather-related disaster is possible in their community, town or city, few are aware of the consequences if excess water caused by rain and snow storms is not managed properly. In towns and cities across Canada, paved surfaces, overloaded storm water management infrastructure and extreme weather conditions dramatically increase the challenge of managing excess water caused by storms.

“Extreme storms have a direct impact on water, as storm water runoff can drag contaminants into local waterways and pollute water bodies that are important forrecreation and water supplies,” says Bob Sandford, chair of Canadian Partnership Initiative of the UN Water for Life Decade.

“All the impermeable surfaces in cities create the ideal condition for excess water to overwhelm our already strained municipal storm water systems. Municipalities, property developers and homeowners must work together to better manage storm water.”

Ahead of World Water Day on March 22, the sixth annual 2013 RBC Canadian Water Attitudes Study, commissioned by the RBC Blue Water Project and administered by GlobeScan, found that while two-thirds of Canadians (68 per cent) say that we should be prepared for the possibility of a major disaster that affects storm water management systems, only one-in-five (19 per cent) believe that major actions are required now.

What are Canadians willing to do to help?

This is not just a municipal planning issue. Sandford says that individual Canadians could be doing their part to manage excess water from rain and snowstorms around their homes now. Yet, according to the study, few Canadians have taken preventive measures such as landscaping with grading (23 per cent) or replacing paved surfaces with water-permeable materials such as interlocking stone or gravel (seven per cent).

Paved and impermeable surfaces are part of the problem. Half (47 per cent) of Canadians say their ‘ideal’ house has a paved driveway or yard – and the majority of these wouldn’t change this preference even when told about the positive impact of permeable surfaces, which allow rainwater and melted snow to seep slowly into the ground rather than causing polluted runoff. Only one-in-ten (12 per cent) Canadians indicated that they would replace paved surfaces with water-permeable materials such as interlocking stone.

“Canadians continue to have a love affair with paved driveways, and there’s a serious trickle-down effect. With impermeable sidewalks, roadways and parking lots added to the mix, we’ve actually created the ideal condition for excess water to overwhelm our already strained municipal water and storm water systems,” says Sandford.

According to the study, most Canadians say that they plan to take measures to help prevent water damage in and around their home in the coming year such as maintaining eavestroughs and downspouts (64 per cent) and adding landscaping such as grading (33 per cent).

“In most cities across Canada, infrastructure is crumbling and in urgent need of replacement or repair. It’s time for a wake-up call,” says Sandford. The Federation of Canadian Municipalities estimates cost of replacement for drinking water, wastewater and storm water infrastructure reported to be in ‘fair’ or ‘very poor’ condition to be approximately $80 billion.

A large majority of Canadians (78 per cent) continue to trust that their municipal water infrastructure is in good condition and don’t see a need for major investments. Despite this confidence, just 15 per cent of Canadians admit to being ‘very aware’ of the condition of their municipal water infrastructure. Additionally, an overwhelming number of Canadians (80 per cent) are not willing to pay for necessary storm water management system upgrades.

Highlights of the 2013 Study

In March 2013, RBC hosted a webinar discussion and shared insights from the 6th annual survey on Canadian attitudes toward water. Bob Sandford and Chris Coulter (President of GlobeScan) presented the findings and implications from this quantitative survey of 2,000 Canadians, the most comprehensive of its kind in the world.

Click on Review a recording of the full webinar to view the co-presentation by Bob Sandford and Chris Coulter. To download their PowerPoint slides, click here.

Canada’s Most Important Natural Resource

Forty-seven per cent believe fresh water is Canada’s most important natural resource, down from 55 per cent in 2012.

Sixteen per cent say agricultural land is most important.

Fifteen per cent believe oil is Canada’s most important, except in Alberta, where 41 per cent thought oil was most important.

Water Conservation Behaviours

Sixty-nine per cent of Canadians are trying reasonably hard to conserve water, slightly down from 71 per cent in 2012.

One-in-10 Canadians use an automated sprinkler system.

Thirty per cent of Canadian homeowners use rain barrels or other devices to collect rainwater runoff.

Pavement / Driveways

Fifty-four per cent of Canadians have paved driveways.

Forty-seven per cent say their ideal house has a paved driveway.

Sixty per cent of 18-34 year olds would give up a paved driveway to help water management.

Only 24 per cent of urban dwellers have unpaved or water permeable driveways.

Green Solutions for Rainwater Management

When it became necessary for Washington, DC to improve its water and sewage systems, the capitol of the United States opted for a focus on traditional “gray” options. Tunnels and pipes were the main solution for Washington’s sewage and stormwater problems.

But George Hawkins, General Manager of DC Water managed to convince the district to “go green.” By incorporating green infrastructure options with their stormwater management plans, Washington DC has become a model of sustainable infrastructure. They’re saving money and resources, while fulfilling the EPA consent decree, reports George Hawkins.

Green Infrastructure Challenge

DC Water is challenging firms to design innovative green practices to absorb rainwater before it can enter the combined sewer system. These practices, known as Green Infrastructure, include installing green roofs (gardens on rooftops), rain gardens, rain barrels, and pervious pavements, removing impervious surfaces, and using other natural means to capture and infiltrate rain water.

DC Water will award more than $1 US million for design and construction of Green Infrastructure projects in the Potomac and Rock Creek drainage areas in the District of Columbia. The Green Infrastructure Challenge invites proposals of projects that absorb rain water on public, private, government and institutional properties before it reaches the storm and sewer systems. Prize money will be awarded to winning designs in each category for the design and construction phases.

To Learn More:

To download a copy of the Briefing Document published by DC Water, click on Green Infrastructure Challenge.

To read an article posted on the Rainwater Management community-of-interest in April 201, click on United States EPA Proposes “Next Generation” of Rainwater/Stormwater Controls in Clean Water Permit for Washington, DC.

Also, click on British Columbia Moves Beyond 90% Rainfall Capture Target Proposed by United States EPA. “I have to think that the 90 percent number was influenced by our work in British Columbia over the years,” observes Patrick Condon of the University of British Columbia. Going back to the late 1990s, one of his best-known sound-bites has been “capture the first inch of rainfall”.

Green Investments Pays Off

“Preliminary results conducted by a UW-Milwaukee researcher show that ‘green infrastructure’ has boosted property values in Milwaukee,” wrote Lisa Kaiser, News Editor of the Shepherd Express newspaper, in an article posted on April 30, 2013. 

“According to researcher Kate Madison, a policy analyst for the UW-Milwaukee Center for Economic Development, green features added to developments in the Menomonee Valley, the Pabst Brewery site and the Lincoln Creek area have reaped financial benefits for those properties as well as local taxing authorities.”

“The green infrastructure features Madison studied were those that manage stormwater runoff, such as greenways, rain gardens, wetlands, bioretention facilities, porous pavement and other landscaping elements.”

“Madison’s study indicates that in addition to improving the environment, green features have a positive impact on property values and the tax base.”

To Learn More:

To read the complete article by Lisa Kaiser, click on Green Value Boosts Property Values.

Volunteers installed retrofits in downtown Phoenix. WMG, Phoenix Hostel & Cultural Center, Roosevelt Row and the city of Phoenix combined efforts for the environmental and beautification project. (Photo acknowledgment: Courtney Wadzita/DD)

Green Streets – Green Neighborhoods

In state of Arizona, the non-profit Watershed Management Group (WMG) aims to ensure long-term positive environmental resources for people and their neighborhoods as well as other areas,

Through its Green Streets – Green Neighborhoods program, WMG works with neighborhoods, homeowners’ associations, businesses, institutions, and informal community groups to promote and install green infrastructure practices to improve community livability. 

This program provides citizens with the skills and resources to problem-solve and take action on issues of flooding, stormwater pollution, urban heat island effect, alternative transportation, and neighborhood beautification in their own neighborhoods.

A Green Street Retrofit in Downtown Phoenix

Watershed Management Group collaborated with Phoenix Hostel & Cultural Center, Roosevelt Row and the City of Phoenix to incorporate green infrastructure in a Phoenix neighborhood just east of downtown at a public volunteer workshop that was held on a Sunday.

“In five hours this area was transformed into something beautiful,” said Ryan Wood, WMG Phoenix co-op coordinator. “Approximately 30 volunteers gathered to install retrofits along Ninth Street between Portland and Roosevelt streets. The green infrastructures use curb cores to convey storm water from the street to bio-retention basins. In addition, they beautify the neighborhood.”

To Learn More:

To read the complete story about this neighbourhood project, download a copy of the article published by the Downtown Devil by clicking on Sustainability organization, volunteers build green infrastructure along Ninth Street.

Note to Reader:

In April 2013, the Partnership for Water Sustainability in BC recognized the City of Surrey as a Champion Supporter of the Partnership. The presentation of a framed “letter of recognition” to Mayor and Council provided the opportunity to reflect on the historical and provincial significance of successive transformational events hosted by the City over the past decade.

The vignette presented below is extracted from Getting Green Infrastructure “Built Right”: City of Surrey has Moved Beyond Pilot Projects to a Broader Watersheds Objectives Approach. Note that the vignette incorporates supplementary detail that expands on the significance of the Water Balance Model Forum hosted by the Surrey in 2009.

Living Water Smart and Making Green Choices to Create Liveable Communities & Protect Stream Health

Branded as Living Water Smart and Making Green Choices to Create Liveable Communities and Protect Stream Health, and hosted by the City of Surrey, the program for the Metro Vancouver Water Balance Model Forum  was built around the HOW question as it pertains to green infrastructure:

• HOW will the City of Surrey get it built right;
• HOW will a consistent regional approach be achieved in Metro Vancouver?

The Forum was co-sponsored by the Water Balance Model Partnership and the Green Infrastructure Partnership, with a goal of moving beyond pilot projects to a watershed-based approach to achieving performance targets for rainwater management and green infrastructure.

Joint Statement by the Forum Partners

“To get to the big picture, it starts with the smallest pieces. For this reason, the Surrey Forum is advancing a regional team approach that aligns local actions with provincial policy goals as articulated in the Living Water Smart and Green Communities initiatives  Making this happen requires partnerships, collaboration, innovation and integration.”

“We see the Forum as providing an opportunity to generate positive energy in the region. In particular, the Forum will inform the actions identified in the rainwater/stormwater component of Metro Vancouver’s updated Liquid Waste Management Plan. We believe this is where the opportunity for implementing a regional team approach resides.”

“We anticipate that the Forum sharing sessions will show that there are solutions if people talk to each other about what they each could do differently. This will help all parties collaborate to more effectively fulfil their piece of the sustainable development puzzle.”

“Once we know what we want our watersheds and neighbourhoods to look like, the next step is to decide what the tools are that will get us there. All of us ….whether we are regulators, developers or designers ….need to understand and care about the goal if we are to create the future that we all want.” 

Shared Responsibility Framework

The Surrey Forum was a first step in advancing a regional team approach to rainwater management and green infrastructure that would align local actions with provincial goals as stated in Living Water Smart.

Creating Our Future

 “Living Water Smart provides a framework and sets a direction. The purpose in convening for action is to establish consistent expectations on-the-ground: This is what we want to achieve, and this is how we will get there,” stated Kim Stephens, Forum Team Leader.

“Our immediate objective in convening for action is to encourage ‘green choices’ that will ripple through time, and will be cumulative in creating liveable communities and protecting stream health. We are NOT saying that every community must follow the same formula; what we are saying is that everyone needs to agree on expectations and how all the players….regulators, developers, designers, etc….will work together, and after that each community can reach its goals in its own way.”

What Tools Work?

“The Surrey Forum was an opportunity for Metro Vancouver participants to explore the responsibility theme,” states Susan Rutherford, Staff Counsel with West Coast Environmental Law and a member of the Green Infrastructure Partnership Steering Committee. “The program design for the Surrey Forum incorporated experience gained through successful team-building on Vancouver Island.”

“Each party in the process has a responsibility. So, we facilitated a discussion of the respective responsibilities involved in implementing a vision, as well as a discussion of what each person’s experience has to tell us about which tool – legal, policy or otherwise – is appropriate for holding each party accountable. In this way, we hoped to learn what works well and what could work better.”

“What tools work in which context? What are the legal tools and what are the challenges, and which legal tool makes the most sense for getting the job done?”

“What do you want to say to each other – the other parties in this joint endeavour of community development – about who has ‘dropped the ball’ in what process. What is (not) working?”

“Have you turned your mind to how this might work more effectively to achieve results? What bylaws, policies, procedures or other tools can you imagine would make this work better?”

Starting a Dialogue

“Once we know what we want our watersheds and neighbourhoods to look like, the next step is to decide what the tools are that will get us there,” emphasized Vincent Lalonde, General Manager of the Engineering Department for the City of Surrey. “All of us ….whether we are regulators, developersor designers ….need to understand and care about the goal if we are to create the future that we all want.”

“Surrey hosted the Forum because we wanted to start a dialogue in this region between policy-makers and project implementers. We approached the program design from a shared responsibility perspective. We explored how policy and legal tools can help developers, regulators and designers collaborate to ensure responsible outcomes.”

To Learn More:

The story of the Forum is told in a series of six stories published weekly on the Waterbucket website. Balance Model Forum: Living Water Smart and Making Green Choices to Create LiveabThese describe the elements of the Forum program, and are consolidated in a stand-alone document titled The Story of the 2009 Metro Vancouver Water le Communities and Protect Stream Health