Transcript Document

WHAT I LEARNED AT THE SCC
February 13‒15, 2013
DAY 1:
Wednesday, February 13
Plenary —
Sustainable Infrastructure: Bridging the Canadian Infrastructure Gap
• We tend to think of
infrastructure as a problem
rather than a foundation;
infrastructure makes healthy
cities possible.
• The best way to change human
behaviour is through the wallet;
most European communities
would think we’re crazy to use
potable water to flush toilets or
water golf courses.
Industry Exchange —
Life Cycle Assessment: Unlocking the economic, social and
environmental promise of sustainable infrastructure
• Resiliency and how we will
adapt to changing weather
patterns must be part of our
conversation about city
building.
• About one third of the
municipal surface is
concrete, which requires 22%
per cent less lighting than
asphalt and reduces fuel
consumption by 3%.
Workshop —
Sustainable Neighbourhoods: The Story So Far
• Local leadership and public
engagement are crucial to
sustainability and carbonneutral neighbourhoods.
• Building and maintaining
relationships is integral to
implementing a sustainable
neighbourhood action plan or
neighbourhood-scale project.
Workshop —
The Tools of (Climate) Change: Inventory, Innovation and
Participatory Action Planning
• Climate change is not an
environmental issue; it is
about how you build your
community.
• Participants learned about
best practices for developing
a climate change action plan.
Study Tour —
Riverfront Retention Treatment Basin and Restoration
• For more than 50 years,
successive city councils have
worked to acquire and convert
5.5 km of Detroit River
waterfront lands into the jewel
of Windsor’s parks system.
Keynote —
Storm Warning: Assuring Water and Climate Security
• Our understanding of the
influence of ocean currents
and the modulating effect
of polar ice has advanced
our understanding of
climate change.
Industry Exchange —
On the Path to Equilibrium
• Sustainable design and
development projects result in
healthier houses that have
less impact on the
environment.
• Best practices show that 80%
of energy reductions can be
achieved through 20% of a
retrofit cost.
Workshop —
Electric Vehicles and Infrastructure: On the Ground in
Urban and Rural Contexts
• Electric vehicles sales are
highest in provinces where
incentive programs support
purchasing green vehicles.
• Don’t underestimate the time
needed to implement electric
vehicle infrastructure.
Workshop —
Making Sustainability Work in Rural Communities
• Access to high-speed
telecommunications
infrastructure is essential for
rural communities.
• Changes in resource
availability mean rural
communities must think
differently about sustainable
infrastructure.
Study Tour —
Dr. David Suzuki Public School
• The Dr. David Suzuki Public
School is the first LEED Canada
Platinum-certified school and
is the most energy-efficient
school in the country.
Study Tour —
CS Wind Corporation Canada
• CS Wind Corporation has
been in the steel
construction business for
over 20 years and has
produced more than 3,200
wind towers since 2004.
Awards Ceremony —
FCM Sustainable Communities Awards and
PCP Milestone Recognition
Meet the winners of the 2013 FCM Sustainable Communities Awards
DAY 2:
Thursday, February 14
Plenary —
Smart, Connected Communities
• Innovation is the engine and
productivity gives you time for
innovation.
• Partner, partner, partner ―
don’t wait for senior levels of
government.
Industry Exchange —
Environmental Technology Verification
• We need to move from
vendor performance claims
to independent verification.
• No more demonstrations —
municipalities need to have
large-scale verification.
Workshop —
Smarter Growth: Implications of Alternative Growth Patterns on
Infrastructure Cost
• Municipalities are realizing that
conventional growth patterns are
driving unsustainable growth in
spending.
• Compact, transit-oriented
development results in lower
infrastructure costs than
conventional, low-density,
greenfield development.
Workshop —
The Role of Sustainability Indicators and Visual Technologies
• Many Canadian municipalities
are starting to integrate
sustainability indicators into
their budgeting and planning
processes.
• Session participants amply
highlighted the benefits of
development indicators to
achieving progress on
sustainability.
Study Tour —
Unconquered Sun Solar Technologies
• Unconquered Sun Solar
Technologies Inc. is a Windsorbased manufacturer of premium
high-efficiency, lightweight
photovoltaic panels.
Keynote —
The Intersection of the Creative Class and Local Government
• The knowledge economy
requires sustainable use of
human and natural
resources.
• Only 6 to 7% of Canadian
workers are in
manufacturing, while 41%
are members of the
creative class.
Industry Exchange —
So You’ve Got a Plan: Now What?
• Sustainability should be
integrated into how a
municipality does
business.
• Communities need to
change their underlying
thought patterns,
behaviours and culture to
fully integrate
sustainability practices.
Workshop —
Innovations in Sustainability on Toronto’s Waterfront
• Developers must comply with
minimum green building
requirements that touch on a
number of elements.
• The success factors of an
intelligent community are
leadership, collaboration and
sustainability.
Workshop —
The Next Frontier of Waste Management
• The Zero Waste Marketing
Council would like to see a
cradle to cradle approach to all
materials to close the loop on
waste.
• Canada is a leader in electronic
waste recycling through
stewardship.
Workshop —
The Rural Infrastructure Challenge
• Fixing rural infrastructure key to
Canada’s growth.
• Core economic infrastructure will allow
rural municipalities to deal with
priorities that impact the movement of
goods and trade.
Study Tour —
Remasco Inc. Greenhouse and BioMass Plant
• This tour visited
Southshore Greenhouses
and the connecting biofuel
energy generation plant,
operated by REMASCO.
DAY 3:
Friday, February 15
Plenary —
Intergeneration Panel: Building Communities for Generations
• Building more roads is not a
sustainable response to
population growth; we must
create great public spaces for
people of all ages.
• Harness citizens’
imaginations to find ways to
make communities more
inclusive, liveable and
resilient.
Industry Exchange —
Food Waste Diversion From Landfill
• Anaerobic digestion is an
integrated solution to food
waste diversion.
• Educate, educate, educate!
Workshop —
The Leading Edge of Wastewater Treatment
• The new federal water quality
standards pose important
challenges for municipalities.
• Optimizing existing water
infrastructure can help reduce
the capital investment required
to comply with the new
standards.
Workshop — EcoDistricts:
New Approaches for Implementing Sustainable Communities
• The EcoDistrict approach aligns
policy and innovation at a
neighbourhood scale.
• EcoDistricts recognize that
different neighbourhoods need
different solutions.
Study Tour —
Ojibway Nature Centre: Species at Risk Project
• The Ojibway Prairie Complex
of protected areas supports
one of the largest
concentrations of species at
risk in Canada.
Closing Keynote —
The New Social Innovation Paradigm
• Social entrepreneurship, like
other economic development
strategies, aims to create
happier people.
• Local governments play a key
role as partners in social
innovation at the community
level.