Meeting the Climate Change Challenge on Vancouver Island: The Natural City Vision – getting from here to there
The meet-and-greet for Showcasing Green Infrastructure Innovation at the University of Victoria starts at 8:30am on October 10. Program concludes at 2:30pm after a walkabout. To download the agenda, click here. To register, contact Jennifer Wong at either (250) 721-8189 or hydropolitics@gmail.com. Registration will be capped at 40.
Doing Business Differently
Building on the interest and momentum generated by successful series on both sides of the Georgia Basin in 2007, Convening for Action on Vancouver Island (CAVI) is collaborating with the Capital Regional District and the Green Infrastructure Partnership to present Showcasing Green Infrastructure Innovation in the Capital Region: The 2008 Series.
The third in the series will be held on October 10 at the University of Victoria, and will be co-hosted by the Office of Campus Planning and Sustainability and the POLIS Project on Ecological Governance. For a program overview and registration details, click on this link to download a copy of Showcasing Green Infrastructure Innovation at the University of Victoria.
The Natural City
Councillor Vic Derman of the District of Saanich will round out the UVic program by elaborating on his vision for The Natural City. He will pose the question: What do we want this place to look like in 50 years, and how will we get from here to 
there?
Well-versed in a water-centric way-of-thinking, Vic Derman chaired the organizing committee and was the driving force behind the highly successful 2006 Water in the City Conference, held in Victoria. He is a Director of the Capital Regional District; and is Vice-Chair of the Capital Region Water Commission.
3 Lenses to Shape Our Region's Future
In his blueprint for action titled The Natural CIty, Vic Derman opens by writing that “Without doubt, Saanich and our region face a future where we must 'do things differently' to succeed. Past practices have produced a myriad of outcomes such as loss of open space, environmental degradation and choking congestion that are unsustainable and inconsistent with citizen's hopes and expectations.” He then introduces three lenses to shape the future of the region:
- The Regional Growth Strategy
- Climate Change
- Quality of Life and Place
“Collectively, the three lenses bring our future into focus,” writes Vic Derman. “”The picture they define is one of environmental, social and economic sustainability. It portrays a new approach that cannot be accomplished with tinkering and incremental change.Instead, bold and visionary action will be needed.”
A Design Process to Achieve the Vision
Vic Derman calls the project “THE NATURAL CITY” to reflect the dramatic shift in direction it demands. “Accomplishing it will not be easy but the rewards will be worth the effort,” writes Derman. “Getting even close to The Natural City would: fulfill the vision of the Regional Growth Strategy, help meet the challenge of climate change and all but guarantee our future economic success. Can we afford to do anything else?”
On October 10 at the University of Victoria, Vic Derman will introduce the principles and attributes of The Natural City.He will also lay out a layered design process that demonstrates how conventional approaches to urban design could be modified to meet the goals of the The Natural City.
Application to Bowker Creek Watershed?
“The CAVI Leadership Team anticipates that The Natural City vision will help 
shape the design of the program elements for the 2009 CAVI program, in particular how the current multi-jurisdictional Bowker Creek Urban Watershed Renewal Initiative could inform A Positive Settlement Strategy for Vancouver Island,” observes Kim Stephens, organizer of the Showcasing Innovation Series and Program Coordinator for the Water Sustainability Action Plan for British Columbia.
The Bowker Creek Initiative is a collaboration between local governments, community groups, post-secondary institutions and private citizens, to improve the health of Bowker Creek and its watershed.
“Because UVic is situated in the Bowker Creek headwaters, we saw an opportunity to connect the dots between what UVic is doing, Vic Derman's vision for The Natural City, and what the current multi-jurisdictional Bowker Creek Urban Watershed Renewal Initiative would like to see,” adds Jody Watson, Chair of the Bowker Creek Initiative.
About the 2008 Showcasing Green Infrastructure Innovation Series
The goal of the Showcasing Innovation Series is to promote networking, inform and educate practitioners, and help local governments move ‘from awareness to action’ in doing business differently — The New Business As Usual — through sharing of approaches, tools, experiences and lessons learned that will ultimately inform a pragmatic strategy for climate change adaptation.
Previous Water Bucket Stories:
Five stories about Showcasing Green Infrastructure Innovation at the University of Victoria and the Capital Region Series as a whole were posted previously:
- The University of Victoria' POLIS Project Thinks Beyond Pipes and Pumps – and Takes Action Towards a New Water Infrastructure in BC and Beyond —University of Victoria and POLIS co-host third of three showcasing events in the 2008 Vancouver Island Series organized by CAVI (October 10, 2008)
- Sustainability Policy and Action Plan: University of Victoria showcases on-the-ground implementation — UVic precedent provides local governments with a template for moving from talk to action
- Showcasing Green Infrastructure Innovation: Towards a New Infrastructure – Integrated and Water-Centric Planning at the University of Victoria and Beyond — University of Victoria and POLIS co-host third of three showcasing events in the 2008 Vancouver Island Series organized by CAVI
- “2008 Showcasing Green Infrastructure Innovation Series on Vancouver Island” features community-scale projects —Series builds on 2007 Georgia Basin program successes to demonstrate what “The New Business As Usual” means
Registration for Showcasing Innovation at UVic:
To register, contact Jennifer Wong at either (250) 721-8189 or hydropolitics@gmail.com. Registration will be capped at 40. For an agenda and registration details, click on Showcasing Green Infrastructure Innovation at the University of Victoria.
Who is CAVI?
The CAVI Partnership comprises the British Columbia Water & Waste Association, the Real Estate Foundation of British Columbia, the provincial Ministries of Environment and Community Development, and the Green Infrastructure Partnership. CAVI is co-funded by the Province and the Real Estate 
Foundation of British Columbia. The Water Sustainability Committee of the BCWWA is the managing partner and is providing program delivery. For more information about the CAVI Partnership and what it wants to do, please click here
Posted October 2008