Resource Library

This guidebook offers strategies for mitigating the urban heat island (UHI) effect in UBC Vancouver neighbourhoods. It highlights nature-based and engineered solutions to enhance outdoor shading, reduce cooling demands, and support sustainable transportation use during extreme heat. Offering recommendations and actionable insights, the guidebook serves as a resource to UBC planners & architects, UNA staff, and residents working to build climate-resilience within existing and future neighbourhoods.

Partner: UBC
Funder: BC Hydro
Keywords: climate adaptation, climate resilience, green infrastructure, urban heat island, nature-based solutions

The Maplewood Flats Conservation Area is home to sixteen ecosystems in 256 acres. The site's ecosystems are at risk of being lost due to rising sea levels and flooding. This project mapped the ecosystems at Maplewood Flats and modeled inundation levels on site to better understand its impacts. Finally, the plants, topography, ecosystem zones, and inundation were graphically depicted in sections. Drawing on this information the reoprt suggests areas for coastal adaptation strategies and pilot projects.

Partner: UBC
Funder: UBC (Sitka Foundation Grant)
Keywords: biodiversity, climate adaptation, climate resilience, water 

This project assesses the economic impact of Vancouver's Community Benefit Agreements policy by examining policy evaluation tools and determining a multiplier to capture the policy's effects. The project would be used as a reference for the economic development department at the City of Vancouver to discuss with the City council.

Partner: City of Vancouver
Funder: City of Vancouver
Keywords: equity, diversity, inclusion, social sustainability 

The HE Climate Action Toolkit, produced by the Climate Commission for UK Higher and Further Education, identifies critical elements to climate action across 5 themes: leadership, teaching, research, community engagement and campus management. These elements support institutions to reach net-zero targets, prepare students and staff with skills and attributes for a changing world, protect biodiversity and worktoward climate justice.

A collection of open figures for visualizing electron transport chains functioning within the global nitrogen cycle and the global carbon cycle. Suitable for microbiology and biochemistry courses within higher education.

This project focuses on enhancing accessibility at rapid transit stations and plazas in Vancouver for a more comfortable, convenient, and safe experience for all users. It proposes a toolkit of design interventions aimed at improving accessibility within transit stations. The enhancements specifically target users with diverse disabilities, such as visual, auditory, and cognitive impairments, aiming to foster inclusive and equitable experiences throughout Vancouver's transit infrastructure.

Partner: City of Vancouver
Funder: City of Vancouver & UBC
Keywords: active transportation, equity, diversity, inclusion, green infrastructure 

Non-road engines (NREs), operating primarily on diesel fuel, significantly contribute to air pollution in the Metro Vancouver region. Effectively controlling emissions from NREs depends on a thorough understanding and accounting of the different types of sources, engine population, and type. This report develops a methodology for disaggregating provincial-level NRE emissions inventory to produce an emissions inventory from NREs in Metro Vancouver using R programming.

Partner: Metro Vancouver
Funder: Metro Vancouver
Keywords: climate mitigation, transportation 

This project aims to identify a holistic indicator to evaluate social sustainability and quality of life, aligned with the City of Vancouver's equity, reconciliation, and accessibility goals. The objective is to provide a clear, evidence-based assessment of whether Vancouver is evolving into a healthier city overall. Additionally, this indicator is envisioned to serve as a benchmarking tool for comparing progress across global and Canadian cities.

Partner: City of Vancouver
Funder: City of Vancouver
Keywords: equity, diversity, inclusion, social sustainability 

The project aims to document existing climate research partnerships between UBC and Indigenous communities, collectives, and organizations in the Downtown Eastside and understand the strengths and weaknesses of such partnerships as they already exist. The project goals were met through an extensive desktop review and semi-structured interviews with UBC researchers and representatives from community organizations.

Partner: UBC
Funder: UBC (McConnell Foundation Grant)
Keywords: climate adaptation, climate resilience, equity, diversity, inclusion, social sustainability