Crown Street Sustainable Streetscape and Fish Habitat Enhancement Project
The City of Vancouver has undertaken an exciting new approach to residential street design and rainwater management. Vancouver's Crown Street has become the city's first Sustainable Streetscape. The design uses innovative ideas to integrate transportation into an environmentally sensitive setting. The Sustainable Street demonstration project has provided a design that can be used as an inspiration or template for future street improvement projects.
Green Infrastructure Partnership helps launch “Convening for Action on Vancouver Island”
“The Consultation Workshop held in conjunction with the Water in the City Conference provided a timely opportunity to test and validate an approach that can bridge the gap between talk (interest) and action (practice)in advancing a water-centric approach to community development,” stated Eric Bonham.
Water Balance Model now a National Initiative
The early success of the Water Balance Model in British Columbia, particularly in promoting an understanding of how to achieve a light ‘hydrologic footprint’, generated interest in expanding the focus of the tool to reach a national audience. The province of Alberta, being British Columbia”s eastern neighbour, was approached by the British Columbia Inter-Governmental Partnership in August 2004 to form the first inter-provincial partnership.
Green Infrastructure Communication Guide for Elected Officials
The issue of how to accommodate a doubling of the population in the high growth regions of British Columbia is the driver for implementing changes in the way we develop land and use water.
Introducing the Water Balance Model to Ontario
The Credit River watershed is in one of the most rapidly urbanizing parts of Canada, adjacent to the Greater Toronto area and includes parts of the municipalities of Mississauga and Brampton. The Credit River Water Management Strategy (CRWMS) is aimed at ensuring “abundant, safe and clean water” now and in the future for both the people and wildlife within the Credit River watershed.
Reducing Negative Affects of Urban Development will be the focus of Cochrane Low Impact Development Conference
“LID is a practical and cost-effective approach to reducing and/or better managing the impacts of urbanization on our landscape in order to leave a better place for our children and grandchildren,” stated Bert van Duin. “The urban environments that we can build for them using LID will be healthier, more sustainable and use less natural resources then the ones we grew up in. “
BC Municipalities Lead Way with Eco-Sensitive Streets
A number of British Columbia municipalities have embraced the concept of “sustainable streets” and have recently completed flagship projects. The City of Vancouver's Crown Street has the highest profile as the result of a $1.4 million investment in road reconstruction along a three-block stretch in the City's Southlands, an older neighbourhood.
Green Infrastructure Partnership announces development of “Topsoil Law and Policy and Technical Primer Set”
Ray Fung (120p)
The Topsoil Primer set will help local governments ensure that a healthy layer of topsoil is a priority during development and re-development. If we can show how to get the topsoil part right, then other parts of the water sustainability equation are more likely to follow.
Water Balance Model is a core element of program developed by Green Infrastructure Partnership
Have a look at some of the Water Balance Model slideshow presentations that have been made to industry and government groups starting in 2001.
Rainwater Management on Vancouver Island
The EMCO Corporation collaborated with the inter-governmental Water Balance Model Partnership to sponsor and organize three regional technical sessions on Rainwater Management in British Columbia during the period 2005-2006. The third in the series was held in Victoria in June 2006.