CHRONICLE OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE FOR PERIOD FROM 1997 THRU 2005: “A paradigm is what we think is true and right about a certain subject. Whether our paradigm is, in fact, true and effective is not the point. We believe it is,” Andy Reese, humourist and co-author (with Dr. Thomas Debo) of Municipal Stormwater Management
In a magazine article titled Stormwater Paradigms, Andy Reese insightfully looked back at why we pursued stormwater management in ways which unknowingly – at the time – foreclosed opportunities for more sustainable, livable communities. Andy Reese traced nine such shifts against the backdrop of social change. “We only reluctantly change our ways and agree with someone else’s paradigm,” observed Andy Reese. The article inspired the BC team of Erik Karlsen, Robert Hicks and Kim Stephens to collaborate with Andy Reese to introduce a tenth paradigm.
CHRONICLE OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE FOR PERIOD FROM 1997 THRU 2005: The beauty of the Growth Strategies Act, which has not been realized, is that it allows all the various agencies to plug into the process in their own interests. This is the only real way to get anybody to cooperate, stated Ken Cameron, co-architect of Metro Vancouver’s Livable Region Strategic Plan in the 1990s“
“In 1990, the Metro Vancouver region initiated a growth strategy embodying many Smart Growth principles. Two former premiers, Mike Harcourt and Gordon Campbell, were planning influencers. When I was manager of policy and planning, I would tell my staff that we have been put in charge of the planning for the life support system for this region. We cannot own it but we can leave it to our children. To build a better place, we need people who understand the state of mind that lay behind the success of the Livable Region Strategic Plan,” stated Ken Cameron.
CHRONICLE OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE FOR PERIOD FROM 1997 THRU 2005: “Local governments have now been unequivocally called on by senior governments and the public to protect fish habitat. Increased effort will be necessary to more effectively engage the full and effective use of local government planning programs.” – Erik Karlsen, 2001, from the foreword to “Overcoming Institutional Barriers: From Planning to Implementation”“
“Fundamental change in the scope of rainwater and stormwater planning, development standards, construction and operations will only happen if there is a broad understanding as to why the changes are needed, what they are, and how they can be practically implemented. Publicly-supported decision-makers will determine the timing and phasing of change. The ability of consumers and the development community to adapt will then set the pace of change, which will not take place with a single event. Success in one area will be transferred to others,” wrote Erik Karlsen.
CHRONICLE OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE FOR PERIOD FROM 1997 THRU 2005: “The Stormwater Planning Guidebook’s premise that land development and watershed protection can be compatible represented a radical shift in thinking in 2002,” stated Peter Law, Chair of the Guidebook Steering Committee
“With the change in provincial government in 2001, the Guidebook steering committee recognized the need to be bold yet strike a balanced tone. We were successful and had support that cascaded down from the highest levels. Prior to 2002, the lack of a science-based bridge meant there was a disconnect between policy objectives and site design practices. The Guidebook integrated breakthroughs in hydrological and biophysical understanding to bridge the gap between policy and site design. It introduced achievable Performance Targets,” stated Peter Law.
CHRONICLE OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE FOR PERIOD FROM 1997 THRU 2005: An introduction to seven Tier One Champions, who were influencers in a profound and public way for implementing an Ecosystem-Based Approach to regional livability in southwest British Columbia
Many individuals have played important roles in the green infrastructure movement. “A lot of this was off the sides of people’s desks originally. And then we turned it into something real…and real valuable,” stated Ed von Euw, former Senior Engineer at Metro Vancouver. But whose efforts were make or break during the crucible period? Seven individuals stand out for their ability to change the game. The whole is greater than the sum of the parts. That expression captures the collective contribution of the group of seven. They are described as Tier One champions.
TIER ONE CHAMPION FOR AN ECOSYSTEM-BASED APPROACH IN BRITISH COLUMBIA: Bill Derry, one of the first stormwater utility managers in the USA, convinced his local government colleagues to co-fund creation of the Center for Urban Water Resources Management at the University of Washington
“Working with local governments in British Columbia in the late1990s, I came up with the phrase ‘a shared vision of science-based watershed management’ to guide our work. A variety of perspectives need to be integrated in reaching consensus on shared achievable goals for watershed and stream corridor management. For this reason, we must understand how adults take up new ideas,” stated Bill Derry. For 20 years, he chaired the Washington State stormwater committee. They framed eight key questions. These defined areas of research by graduate students.
TIER ONE CHAMPION FOR AN ECOSYSTEM-BASED APPROACH IN BRITISH COLUMBIA: “When I reflect on the history of ‘green infrastructure’ in BC, much of what has transpired over the past three decades can be traced back to who was in the room on October 10, 1997 at the UBCM workshop in Richmond,” stated Kim Stephens, Partnership for Water Sustainability in BC
“My collaboration with Erik Karlsen played out in multiple ways during the period 1997 through 2005. High profile among these was Patrick Condon’s vision for the Headwaters Project in East Clayton. Erik brought the three of us together for a meeting at the Simon Fraser University campus in downtown Vancouver. Headwaters was still very much at the idea stage. I left the meeting committed to help Patrick bring the idea to life. That’s the kind of magic spell that Erik Karlsen cast when he brought people together,” recalled Kim Stephens.
TIER ONE CHAMPION FOR AN ECOSYSTEM-BASED APPROACH IN BRITISH COLUMBIA: Professor Emeritus Patrick Condon is a larger than life character at the University of BC. A compelling speaker, he is master of the soundbite. He served as the James Taylor Chair in Landscape and Liveable Environments and led the “Sustainability by Design” project.
“What the cell is to the body, the site is to the region.” A quarter-century ago, that Patrick Condon quotable quote was a call to action to fundamentally change drainage engineering practice in British Columbia from Stormwater Management to interdisciplinary Rainwater Management. Patrick Condon thinks on a grand scale. Recognizing the need for collaboration on the ground as a fundamental part of designing sustainable communities, he pioneered public engagement methods. One of his many claims to fame is his skillful use of charrettes.
TIER ONE CHAMPION FOR AN ECOSYSTEM-BASED APPROACH IN BRITISH COLUMBIA: In 1988, the inaugural Real Estate Foundation Board of Governors appointed Tim Pringle as their first Executive Director, a position he held for 20 years. In 1991, the Governors adopted his recommendation to adopt a philosophy that “use and conservation of land are equal values”
The Real Estate Foundation is a creation of the Province. Adoption of the philosophy that ‘use and conservation of land are equal values’ provided me with the mandate and authority to leverage Real Estate Foundation grant funding to effect positive land use change. That is the context for Real Estate Foundation leadership as a co-funder of the Headwaters Project in East Clayton. Process issues could have derailed the Headwaters Project. But the Real Estate Foundation provided the workaround and Erik Karlsen made the workaround work,” stated Tim Pringle.
TIER ONE CHAMPION FOR AN ECOSYSTEM-BASED APPROACH IN BRITISH COLUMBIA: Barry Janyk, former 4-term mayor of Gibsons, was an early political champion whose efforts as an influencer elevated the profile of the green infrastructure movement in the urban regions of BC
In 1999, Barry Janyk had a vision which morphed into the SmartStorm Forum Series. He chaired the inter-governmental committee which initiated the series. He added political profile in his moderator role for the series. His tone-setting presentation to kickoff each event was titled: The Political Consequences of Doing the Wrong Thing: Why Elected Officials Must Consider Smart Development. “Technical people have to demonstrate cost-effectiveness in order to transform political acceptability into political will to implement change and spend money,” stated Barry Janyk.