Resource Library

The Solutions Lab is a new approach to seeking breakthrough, transformative solutions to some of the City of Vancouver’s most complex problems. It is currently in a soft launch stage (phase 2), with core methods, operating model, and appropriate types of Lab challenges and teams all being developed by working on four complex challenges in the Lab context.

The purpose of this report is to share what the Solutions Lab has been doing and why, how we’ve been evaluating our activities, and what kinds of questions could we be asking for the next iteration of the Lab. The hope is that the Solutions Lab will offer City staff and community partners viable ways to reach different kinds of solutions to the sustainability challenges we all face.

Partner: City of Vancouver
Keywords: green economy, sustainable development & green economy

The intent of this research is to better understand how the learnings and successes of other cities can help inform the development of Vancouver’s Poverty Reduction Plan and how existing city- and community-level initiatives in Vancouver can create the necessary foundation for a robust and effective Poverty Reduction Strategy. This report provides preliminary considerations to the City of Vancouver as it prepares to engage communities and move forward on poverty reduction work. 

Partner: City of Vancouver
Keywords: healthy city, social sustainability

This project is about continuing the momentum in collaboratively building social connections across the Vancouver region. The goal was to explore how to build an enduring platform for sustaining and strengthening linkages between various change-makers to create a larger combined impact. The project was sparked by an event called CONNECT: Catalyzing a Social Movement. This report provides a summary of the process, findings, and outcomes of this project. 

Partner: City of Vancouver
Keywords: healthy city, social sustainability

The Vancouver Economic Commission (VEC), aims to create a formal program to facilitate partnerships between Vancouver’s small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and local post-secondary institutions. This report summarizes research completed to date and presents three potential skills-matching programs for VEC to pursue. The trajectory, required resources, business model, and risks are outlined for each option. Recommendations for implementing a more formal VEC Environmental and Social Impact (EASI) Partnerships program are also included.

Partner: City of Vancouver
Keywords: green economy, sustainable development & green economy

The scope of this project was to research five of the City’s owned and operated theaters collectively known as Vancouver Civic Theatres in the context of the greenest city action plan focusing on waste diversion and sustainable procurement specific to food and beverage. 

Partner: City of Vancouver
Keywords: zero waste, supply chain management & green procurement, sustainable development & green economy

The purpose of this project was to identify important themes, goals, current program efforts related to UBC Wellbeing priority area of Inclusion and Connection. Sponsored by the Equity & Inclusion Office, the scope of the project focused on an analysis of the UBC Vancouver campus programming, initiatives, services, policies, and processes that actively seek to educate and support the development of social, cultural, academic, and leadership skills of traditionally marginalized student populations, within a context of students, staff, faculty in the broader UBC community. 

Partner: VP Students
Keywords: sustainability in education, social sustainability

This project aims to research and define kindness contingencies, increase capacity for kindness among students, and liaise with faculty, students, chaplains, and members of faith community in order to further assess barriers to kindness on campus and involve them in the project. This report includes a literature review on kindness and an action plan for kindness week at UBC.

Partner: University Multifaith Chaplains Association
Keywords: leadership & behaviour change, social sustainability

The aim of the project is to promote walking at UBC by providing a package of resources that encourages members of the UBC campus community to integrate walking into their work or school day. Research to develop resouces was based on textual data from consultations with key stakeholders through one-on-one interviews and facilitated group discussions.

Partner: UBC Recreation
Keywords: social sustainability, sustainability in education

As a crucial species in the landscape, a primary character in local stories, and a foundational economic resource during colonial times, beavers are a cherished part of Canadian and First Nations’ wildlife and culture. After reaching a population low due to over-harvesting from the fur trade, beavers have now made a strong comeback across North America, including the city of Vancouver. The goal of this report is to improve management of beavers in the city through more informed decision-making.

Partner: City of Vancouver
Keywords: access to nature, biodiversity, ecological systems