Sustainability Scholars Program

This guide provides an overview of compatibility issues associated with industrial land uses, examples of mixed-use industrial developments, and mitigation measures through building and site design. The intent is to encourage industrial intensification in acknowledgement of the decreasing supply and increasing demand of industrial land in Metro Vancouver. Past strategies, current scenarios, and potential opportunities for the mixing of industrial and non-industrial lands are explored.

Partner: City of Vancouver
Keywords: climate mitigation, healthy city, land use planning, sustainable development & green economy, industrial land, intensification

Fuel economy is an important metric in understanding fleet vehicle performance, fuel cost, and emissions. This project report documents the building of a fuel economy calculation tool in Microsoft Excel, designed to work seamlessly with the City of Vancouver's data systems for all fleet vehicles. A subset of heavy and medium duty vehicles was analyzed using the tool to help support the business case to transition to low-carbon options.

Partner: City of Vancouver
Keywords: climate action, zero emission vehicles, transportation, green operations

The purpose of this project is to determine how the built environment of rapid transit stations can impact gender inclusion. The project examines gender and transit through an intersectional lens, identifying barriers to access and biases in the built environment. Recommendations for specific built environment features are identified based on a literature review, a survey conducted in Vancouver, and policies from five cities that lead the way in gender inclusion and transit.

Partner: City of Vancouver
Keywords: social sustainability, transportation

This project aims to benchmark the monthly non-exhaust emissions from tire wear and brake wear of the City of Vancouver's light-duty fleet. It describes several technological and non-technological strategies to reduce the fleet's non-exhaust emissions, improve urban air quality, and mitigate environmental issues. Implementing a fleet emission reduction strategy for both combustion sources and non-combustion sources is vital in response to the climate emergency.

Partner: City of Vancouver
Keywords: climate action, zero emission vehicles, transportation

This aim of this project is to review plans, policies, and strategies prepared in other jurisdictions related to understanding, managing, and protecting groundwater. Recommendations for leading practices and actions currently being executed in other jurisdictions that may be suitable for the City of Vancouver's groundwater management strategy are provided. The recommendations cover issues such as climate change, groundwater contamination, and groundwater conservation.

Partner: City of Vancouver
Keywords: clean water water, groundwater

The purpose of this project is to investigate culturally safe ways to conduct Indigenous research, with a focus on gender-based violence research. This work is needed to ensure that investigative strategies essential for policy and program planning do not further perpetuate violence. Recommendations are made to align practices with critical mandates from the TRC, the National Inquiry, RWR and UNDRIP, as well as best practices in culturally safe research.

Partner: City of Vancouver
Keywords: equity diversity, inclusion, healthy city, leadership & behaviour change, social sustainability, cultural safety, reconciliation, self-determination, data sovereignty, reconciliation, ethics, research, MMIWG, gender-based violence, Indigenous

This project investigates the organic waste-to-energy solutions for a small municipality on Vancouver Island. It surveys the current technological landscape and the ways in which other local governments in Canada are addressing organic waste management in their communities. Several potential solutions are subjected to a full cost-benefit analysis to assess private and economic returns, and to help inform future decision-making on whether to implement the solutions identified.

Partner: District of Central Saanich
Keywords: food systems, waste management & recycling, waste to energy

This project aims to lay the foundation for the City of New Westminster to create a climate equity framework to guide its climate action and assess different groups' vulnerability to climate change. The report provides a literature review of other North American approaches to climate equity and recommends climate equity indicators and potential next steps specific to New Westminster.

Partner: City of New Westminster
Keywords: leadership & behaviour change, social sustainability, equity

Launched in November 2020, the Renovate Smart Kamloops program (RSK) is one of Canada's newest community energy efficiency programs. The program provides home owner information on energy upgrades and incentives to advance comfort and reduce GHG emissions. This report analyzes data gathered through RSK's participant intake and feedback surveys, provides an overview of four successful energy retrofit programs and provides recommendations for how the RSK program might increase participation.

Partner: City of Kamloops
Keywords: green buildings, leadership & behaviour change