The project aims to identify best practices regarding approaches taken by transit authorities for partnering with local and/or senior levels of government to support the success of major transportation investments. Through case study reviews and interviews with practitioners, key takeaways were summarized. The findings from this study may help inform TransLink's approach to future Supportive Policies Agreements, which are called for by the 10-Year Vision for Metro Vancouver Transit and Transport

Partner: TransLink
Keywords: sustainable development & green economy, transportation, land use

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2020
Veronica Ardila Vernaza

The objective of this project is to assess the hazards and risks associated with the chemical ingredients used in patient care products in BC's health care facilities. A chemical screening framework that includes human health and environmental hazard criteria is utilized to assess the risk and further classify the chemicals into different hazard categories. A chemical ingredient inventory database and a recommendation of chemicals to avoid are also included.

Partner: Vancouver Coastal Health
Funded by: Fraser Health
Keywords: supply chain management & green procurement, waste management & recycling, zero toxicity 
 

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2020
Anuradha Ramachadran

This project aims to further the body of research on how a circular economy can be applied to plastics in health care. Key topics covered in this report are: circular economy principles and best practices, special considerations, senior leadership and stakeholder engagement, and steps to transition to circularity. This project also aims to identify and develop a preliminary plan for a CE initiative that focusses on a priority healthcare plastic.

Partner: Vancouver Coastal Health
Keywords: leadership & behaviour change, social sustainability, circular economy 

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2020
Shayna Moore

This report lays the foundation for carbon accounting for Metro Vancouver's biosolids land application program by looking at historical work, interviewing industry professionals, and creating a list of considerations for future work. Future considerations include: soil carbon sequestration factors; biomass carbon storage; GHG emissions from soil, stockpiles, transport, and application; biosolids characteristics; fertilizer displacement; pre- and post-application field measurements; and regular monitoring.

Project Partner: Metro Vancouver
Keywords: sustainable development & green economy, waste management & recycling, biosolids

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2020
Connor Robinson

One of the biggest challenges in attracting transit ridership is the first-and-last mile problem. While transit can provide an efficient, cost-effective and quick journey for heavily traversed routes; the low density first-and-last mile poses challenges. This project seeks to investigate the role of one-way carsharing in bridging the first-and-last mile connection to transit through a spatio-temporal analysis of ridership data of trips by BCAA's Evo carshare members in Metro Vancouver.

Partner: TransLink & BCAA/Evo
Keywords: sustainable development & green economy, transportation

2019
Neha Sharma

This project aimed to help TransLink assess the impacts of the proposed implementation of fare capping by studying consumer preferences and ridership impacts. It reviewed literature from behavioural science and transportation studies to examine how human behavioural biases influence transit ridership. Findings were used to design an experiment of how fare capping will impact ridership and customer perceptions of fares. Results will inform whether to pursue the implementation of fare capping.

Partner: TransLink
Keywords: transportation, leadership, mobility

2020
Andrea Byfuglien

This project aims to assist further integration between bikes and transit by creating a framework to help plan and prioritize future investment and capital expenditures in bike parking at transit facilities. This includes an assessment of transit facilities and their surroundings to determine opportunities for biking and identify locations that show the most potential for combining bikes and transit to promote sustainable and active transportation. 

Partner: TransLink
Keywords: transportation

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2019
Julia Higson

This project aims to evaluate current emission reduction resources provided by Climate Smart Businesses Inc., using a sectoral approach to identify gaps in current emission reduction resources and develop sector-specific emission reduction plans. Climate Smart will utilize sector-specific emission reduction plans to guide reduction efforts of small to medium-sized (SMEs) businesses in the short, medium, and long-term. 

Partner: Climate Smart
Keywords: green buildings, leadership & behaviour change, sustainable development & green economy

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2020
Eliza Bethune

Researched innovative practices to support health & wellbeing to reduce incidence of chronic disease in employee populations. Identified strategies to increase usage of nutrition services available to faculty and staff at the University of British Columbia. Uncovered barriers to utilizing and quantified usage of Employee Family Assistance Program (EFAP) nutrition services through an internal employee survey. Created three electronically-distributable tools to be sent throughout UBC.

Partner: UBC HR
Keywords: food systems, leadership & behaviour change, social sustainability

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2020
Katherine Lienhard

This research provides an overview of the experiences of students belonging to equity-seeking groups at UBC and outlines the barriers that impact their sense of belonging and social connection at the institution. Through assessing the relationship between wellbeing priority areas and social connection the report synthesizes and evaluates the connection between social determinants of health, and the structural determinants of wellbeing that can impact social connection.

Partner: UBC Wellbeing
Keywords: leadership & behaviour change, social sustainability, diversity equity and inclusion

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2019
Beatrice Zano

This project aims to support the City of Port Moody to develop an Electric Vehicle (EV) strategy by reviewing the best practices of selected local governments as well as by analyzing the policy context and feasibility of a joint tri-cities strategy.

Partner: City of Port Moody
Keywords: transportation

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2019
Zeynya Alemayehu

This project aims to develop a high-level equity approach to inform the City of Vancouver's Equity Framework for City Plan. Includes best practices on racial and gender equity, intersectionality and decolonization from local governments across North America and Oceania. Provides directions for embedding equity in city planning in a meaningful, transformative and substantive manner to positively impact the lives of all residents, particularly those communities excluded by colonial and other unjust systems.

Partner: City of Vancouver
Keywords: healthy city

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2019
Romina Tantalean

This project showcases existing global sustainability precedents for large-scale redevelopments. A total of thirteen case studies were examined across five countries. The case studies demonstrate innovative approaches to environmental, social and economic sustainability. The subsequent discussion focuses on policy analysis, opportunities for reconciliation, and best practice implementation. This project will help to inform the future redevelopment of the Jericho Lands.

Partner: City of Vancouver
Keywords: climate and renewables, green economy, healthy city

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2019
Craig Busch

This project aims to support the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation to develop a proactive plan to improve canopy cover and increase equitable access to green space for residents in the Downtown Eastside (DTES). This project reviews successful cases of greening dense and vulnerable communities, identifies gaps in the planning and implementation of urban forestry projects in the DTES, and develops recommendations on next steps.

Partner: City of Vancouver
Keywords: access to nature, healthy city

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2019
Zhaohua (Cindy) Cheng

The long term goal of this project has been to develop capacity around Teaching Assistant (TA) wellness at UBC. Building off data collected in 2018, we continued collecting information on TA wellbeing through focus groups and surveys until June 2019. This data was used to: 1) Construct a university-wide report on TA wellbeing (2018) 2) Create a TA Wellbeing Research Strategy (2019), and 3) Construct department specific TA wellbeing reports (2019). 

Partner: UBC Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology
Keywords: ecological systems, social sustainability, sustainable development & green economy

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2019
Nicole Malette

This project aims to evaluate the low cost strategies to comply with the BC Energy Step Code Standard in affordable housing projects for BC Housing. The main purpose of the report is to primary focus on Energy Conservation Measures (ECM) that can improve energy efficiency of the building while do not necessarily increase the cost. The report also analyses a few examples from BC Housing Energy Step Code Compliant projects.

Partner: BC Housing
Keywords: green buildings, social sustainability, sustainable development & green economy

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2019
Hamid Karimi

This project identifies the barriers of energy conservation measures through case studies. Strategies are currently being developed by BC Housing to determine the most impactful energy conservation measures that can achieve the Clean BC 50% greenhouse gas emission reduction target. Increasing the building envelope's R-Value, switching to an air source heat pump fuel source, and ventilation upgrades are impactful strategies for deep energy savings.

Partner: BC Housing
Keywords: green buildings, GHG reduction

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2019
Halley Sveinson

Investigating the development of an analysis tool to support the business case for medium and heavy-duty zero-emission vehicles.

Partner: Fraser Basin Council
Keywords: transportation, electric vehicles, fleet procurement

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2019
Balpreet Kukreja

This report seeks to examine barriers to effective green infrastructure (GI) operations and maintenance (O&M) models and aims to document best practices in developing alternative frameworks. Alternative programs include community stewardship programs and workforce development programs. Lessons learned from these alternative strategies demonstrate how GI O&M can be leveraged to provide social and equity benefits.

Partner: City of Vancouver
Keywords: access to nature, clean water, green economy

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2019
Alicia Kingdon

This project aims to contribute to the attainment of the City of Vancouver's healthy city goals by reviewing the City's policies through an anti-Black racism lens. The project culminated in long-term and short-term recommendations which if adopted would assist the City in tackling anti-Black racism. The project entailed interviews with City staff, the Hogan's Alley Society and select members of the Black community.

Partner: City of Vancouver
Keywords: healthy city

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2019
Oludolapo Makinde

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