At the third and final event in the 2008 Showcasing Green Infrastructure Innovation Series, Councillor Vic Derman of the District of Saanich elaborated on his vision for The Natural City. He posed the question: “What do we want this place to look like in 50 years, and how will we get from here to there?”
“The 2008 Series featured projects that demonstrate what is meant by ‘The New Business As Usual’, and set provincial benchmarks for others to measure themselves against. The series was a progression, starting with a roadway in View Royal and ending with the mini-municipality that is the University of Victoria,” stated Jody Watson.
“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,” explained Eric Bonham.
UVic transitioned to a water-centric approach that is holistic and integrated –– the new business as usual. “This transformational experience resulted in a new vision for constructing water and energy efficient buildings in a built environment that respects the natural environment. UVic is leading by example,” reports Sarah Webb.
