BLUE CITY: New Report Highlights Innovative Water Solutions for Municipalities and Regions across Canada
Note to Reader:
The Blue Economy Initiative (BEI) has released a new report, Blue City: The Water-Sustainable City of the Near Future, authored by Econics. This visionary report is built on the interviews of 17 water-related professionals in Canada who share their views on what a water-sustainable city might look like and the success stories of existing projects.
To download a copy, click here.
Report focuses on how Canadian Cities can become a Water Sustainable City of the Near Future
Canada faces an estimated cost of $88 billion water and wastewater infrastructure deficit and this estimate is expected to grow under a “business as usual” approach. As record infrastructure costs grow, the need for innovative solutions alongside innovative funding mechanisms, are increasingly in demand.
Canadians are feeling, first-hand, the changes that need to be made within their own communities. For regions and municipalities in Canada, the Blue City report is a strategic tool for creating a business case and framework for their own water-sustainable city.
Build the Case for Integrated Water Management
Grounded in research, design, and innovation, the report is intended to help policy-makers, government officials, businesses and community leaders create tangible solutions for sustainable water management on a national and global scale.
The report features interviews with high level managers, executive directors, and researchers from innovative organizations, including the Partnership for Water Sustainability in British Columbia.
“This report is a timely and fascinating look at how communities can move forward with water as a central theme,” notes Shari Austin, Vice President, Corporate Citizenship & Executive Director of the RBC Foundation. “There are excellent cases of successful water projects that communities have already implemented.”
“We were fortunate to speak with a diverse, distinguished and multi-disciplinary cast. It was remarkable to note similar themes in our discussions with them,” said Kirk Stinchcombe, Co-Founder Econics and lead author. “The report focuses on real measures and solutions of urban water issues that exist today. This is a very tangible report on a common vision and shared innovations.”
“We wanted Blue City to be an accessible report, grounded in rigorous research and analysis but presented in the style of a magazine. We didn’t want to create a ‘how-to’ guide. Instead, this is intended to stimulate a discussion about the complexities of urban water management. More importantly, though, we offer a vision of what is possible in the near future.”
“This is a story about what is possible in urban water sustainability. Blue City is an idea that is emerging and well within reach for most communities. It is not a utopian fantasy. The elements that make the City exemplary are occurring in real places across Canada and around the world. The City described herein combines these characteristics into a single, fictional location, and in so doing demonstrates an end state towards which real cities can aspire. It is what any place could look like if water really mattered.”
“With a shared vision, taking small, frequent steps towards creating a water sustainable city is possible. Together, we can navigate diversity and complexity, and ultimately move a real city towards more sustainable practices. The time to plan, to innovate, and to act is now,” concludes Kirk Stinchcombe.
TO LEARN MORE:
To down a copy of this visionary report, click on Blue City: The Water-Sustainable City of the Near Future.
About the Blue Economy Initiative
The Blue Economy Initiative is a national project founded by Canadian Water Network, the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), and the Walter and Duncan Gordon Foundation. The project seeks to inspire dialogue among Canadian decision-makers and key influencers around the opportunities and benefits of preserving water, and the economic risks of not making sustainable decisions.
BEI’s goal is to build the business case for water sustainability by strengthening the understanding of the value of water. The long-term vision is for Canada to have a prosperous future as a global leader in water stewardship.