banner

Green Infrastructure

Green communities – ‘today’s expectations are tomorrow’s standards’ is a provincial government mantra in British Columbia. Since the built and natural environments are connected, design with nature to protect watershed function. The Green Communities Initiative provides a policy, regulatory and program framework for enabling local governments to create more compact, more sustainable and greener communities. Lead by example. Showcase innovation. Celebrate successes.

Latest Posts

Green Infrastructure Community-of-Practice is the online home for EAP, the Ecological Accounting Process, which is an initiative of the Partnership for Water Sustainability for British Columbia


“Commencing with a launch announcement by the BC Minister of Environment in 2005, this community-of-practice has served an important function as the home for green infrastructure in British Columbia. Originally created to support the work of the Green Infrastructure Partnership, the community-of-practice now has a dual focus in supporting two interconnected initiatives, that is: EAP, the Ecological Accounting Process: and Asset Management for Sustainable Service Delivery in BC, which is led by Asset Management BC,” stated Mike Tanner, Waterbucket Chair.

Read Article

HOW WE CHANGE WHAT WE ARE DOING ON THE LANDSCAPE: Synthesis Report on EAP, the Ecological Accounting Process, a BC Strategy for Community Investment in Stream Systems (released by the Partnership for Water Sustainability, June 2022)


“In 2016, the Partnership embarked upon a 6-year program of applied research to evolve EAP through a 3-stage building blocks process of testing, refining, and mainstreaming the methodology and metrics for financial valuation of stream systems. The program involved 9 case studies and 13 local governments and yielded 19 “big ideas” or foundational concepts. The program goal was to answer the question, how much should communities budget each year for maintenance and management of stream systems,” stated Tim Pringle.

Read Article

HISTORY OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE IN BRITISH COLUMBIA: “The Partnership for Water Sustainability is the keeper of the GIP legacy,” stated Paul Ham, a Past-Chair of the Green Infrastructure Partnership


During the period 2003 through 2010, the Green Infrastructure Partnership played a prominent role in leading change and assisting with implementation of the Water Sustainability Action Plan for British Columbia, primarily in the Metro Vancouver region. “I see my years of chairing the GIP as helping to get the ball rolling and ideas disseminated, on green infrastructure, all of which has subsequently been taken up by others to a much greater degree of implementation and success. Our efforts a decade ago moved the state of-the-art of green infrastructure to a more mainstream level,” said Paul Ham.

Read Article

FLASHBACK TO 2007: What is “Green Infrastructure”? Looking back to understand the origin, meaning and use of the term in British Columbia


In 2007, the first Beyond the Guidebook guidance document provided a clear distinction between natural and engineered green infrastructure. “Two complementary strategies can ‘green’ a community and its infrastructure: first, preserving as much as possible of the natural green infrastructure; and secondly, promoting designs that soften the footprint of development,” wrote Susan Rutherford. “Green infrastructure design is engineering design that takes a ‘design with nature’ approach, to both mitigate the potential impacts of existing and future development and growth and to provide valuable services.”

Read Article

LAND PLANNING PERSPECTIVE FOR RISK REDUCTION ON STREAMS: “Urban streams are rarely managed as ecological systems or as municipal assets. Rather, they are sliced and diced to suit land development objectives,” Tim Pringle, Chair of the Ecological Accounting Process (EAP)


“The starting point for EAP is Natural Asset Management. We are taking a spatial approach. We deal with parcels which is as spatial as you can get. We need readers to understand that in order for EAP to be real to them. It lets local governments know the financial value of their streams as a Natural Commons Asset. Next, we are moving EAP from a primary emphasis on Asset Management to use by planners for spatial analysis related to streams and trees. As we evolve EAP through more projects, we will be able to say here are rules of thumb for planners,” stated Tim Pringle.

Read Article

FUSION OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND NATURAL INTELLIGENCE: “Engineers do not understand nature because they were not taught it. And that brings us to why there is the need for Blue Ecology and interweaving other ways of thinking so that we can fuse AI, artificial intelligence, and natural intelligence, aka NI,” stated Michael Blackstock, independent Indigenous scholar and co-founder of the Blue Ecology Institute


“There is untapped intelligence out there in nature. It is on our doorstep but we are tapping it even less because we are so focused on Artificial Intelligence,” says Michael Blackstock. “There is this vast amount of wisdom out there that Indigenous peoples have seen forever…and that is Natural Intelligence. Avoid getting caught up in only looking to AI to solve your problems. The balance principle is central to Natural Intelligence and Blue Ecology. It calls for a narrative shift towards healing and giving back to the environment.”

Read Article

CHRONICLE OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE INNOVATION IN METRO VANCOUVER: “There is no question that we have come a long way in overcoming memory loss in regional growth management and the future looks promising,” stated Ken Cameron, co-architect of Metro Vancouver’s Livable Region Strategic Plan in the 1990s (4th installment in a preview series)


“In Spring 2023, a group of us had meetings with Metro Vancouver planning staff to pass on our knowledge and experience. Our message was, use the strengths of the unique regional planning system you have. We did this in the interest of providing current and future Metro planning staff with some personal background on the people and, in some cases, organizations, that influenced the preparation and adoption of the Livable Region Strategic Plan in 1996 and the subsequent evolution of the planning function,” stated Ken Cameron.

Read Article

AN ENGINEERING PERSPECTIVE GROUNDS NATURAL ASSET MANAGEMENT: “We see EAP as a closely aligned initiative with the things that we promised to do in the 10-year work plan for the region’s Drinking Water & Watershed Protection Program,” stated Murray Walters, Manager of Water Services with the Regional District of Nanaimo on Vancouver Island


“Our focus in moving forward with EAP, the Ecological Accounting Process, is on land we own. The RDN is all-in with our participation. As an organization, we need to get wiser about natural asset management. We need to be able to open people’s eyes about natural asset management in general and as an element of municipal infrastructure services. We also need to open eyes more so to the financial side of what these natural assets contribute. And vice versa. How much financial aid we need to put into these assets to allow them to do that,” stated Murray Walters.

Read Article

AFFORDABLE, EFFECTIVE AND PRAGMATIC NATURAL ASSET MANAGEMENT: “The credibility of the Ecological Accounting Process is building. With UBCM involvement, it is about hitting that critical mass piece as you get more and more understanding,” stated Bill Sims, General Manager of Engineering and Public Works with the City of Nanaimo on Vancouver Island


“The EAP program is embedded in our Integrated Action Plan. This supports City Plan: Nanaimo Reimagined which provides direction for the coming 25 years on everything…land use, transportation, climate adaptation, etc. We made sure EAP is part of that. It is firmly rooted,” stated Bill Sims. “By being pragmatic and making the financial case using real numbers, we answer the question of why we should be investing in stream maintenance and management. You also need the Repetition Factor to reinforce what EAP stands for…so that people have the context in their minds.”

Read Article

CHRONICLE OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE INNOVATION IN METRO VANCOUVER: “We need to think of local government as being more like a Mars Rover with wheels that can move in different directions,” stated Pete Steblin, former City Manager in the Metro Vancouver region (3rd installment in a preview series)


“It is important for each generation to learn to look back to see ahead so that they can turn rather than reinvent the wheel. At the same time, I think the Mars Rover is an appropriate analogy to describe how things work in local government. If it flips over, and we are not there to right size it…well, all is lost. Wheels are good to go in one direction. You need a steering wheel. But you need something different to change direction. Direction is going to be changed as you move forward. You have to at least recognize that reality so that you can adapt to it,” stated Pete Steblin.

Read Article

THE PERFECT STORM – WHY ‘ASSET MANAGEMENT FOR SUSTAINABLE SERVICE DELIVERY’ PROVIDES SOLUTIONS: “With limited resources, how do we balance priorities across the organization to provide the range of services yet maintain affordability in very tough times,” wrote Wally Wells (Summer 2024 issue of Asset Management BC Newsletter)


“Our biggest challenge today is affordability for our residents and businesses. Our local governments and First Nations Councils and Boards are challenged more than ever with balancing priorities of service against tax and fee increases and availability of capital for projects,” stated Wally Wells. “With an Asset Management policy to drive the process, the asset management framework and plan, along with the long-term financial plan, Councils and Boards have the background and analysis necessary to make informed decisions and stay within financial limits.”

Read Article

EAP TRANSITION STRATEGY PARTNERSHIP: “There are lots of partnerships that exist for selfish reasons. But the EAP Partnership is selfless; and from all angles. The strategy ensures that knowledge is retained at an institutional level, that is, Vancouver Island University,” stated Graham Sakaki, Manager of the Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Region Research Institute


“The story behind the story is about the importance of embedding knowledge of EAP into the youth who are going to be the future of our local governments. The framework that we have set up ensures this will happen. Vancouver Island University, as a smaller university, is very focused on applied research and community engagement. This is a good fit for the EAP mission. The program enhances the ability of students to take part in applied research and have direct links to future jobs with these local governments who are providing project work experience for students,” stated Graham Sakaki.

Read Article

CHRONICLE OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE INNOVATION IN METRO VANCOUVER: “Being an elected leader goes beyond saying I care about my community. We take that as a given. That’s the starting point,” stated Darrell Mussatto, former mayor North Vancouver City (2nd installment in a preview series)


“Now how do we become educated? What are we bringing to the table that is going to help make good decisions? Politicians know how to get elected. But do they know all that other stuff that they need to know? Today, the people getting elected know how to use social media to get people to vote for them. But do they know and care about what matters in local government? To ask the tough questions, you must be informed and educated about what matters,” stated Darrell Mussatto.

Read Article

ASSET MANAGEMENT FOR SUSTAINABLE SERVICE DELIVERY: “Our investments in relationships, clarity, understanding, and direction-setting will help us in the work to come. We’ve laid the foundation, and now it’s time to build upon it,” wrote the City of Abbotsford’s Gracelyn Shannon (Summer 2024 issue of Asset Management BC Newsletter)


“Asset management is a complex, arduous, exciting, long-term, involved process. As practitioners, we wholeheartedly embrace this journey because it empowers us to collaboratively make informed decisions about our infrastructure, ultimately benefiting the public we serve. But where do we begin? In the article, I explain what tools, documents, or processes I’m using to set the foundation for the asset management work to come in Abbotsford,” wrote Gracelyn Shannon. “With a better understanding of our stakeholders and current practices, we wrote our Asset Management Policy.”

Read Article