Resource Library

This project examines the possibilities for visualizations of flood mitigation interventions in proactive flood management for mainland Coast Salish communities along the Lower Fraser River. Through direct collaboration and site visits, visualizations were created for each community that reflect their unique flood-related risk situations and address the specific functional requirements for the visualizations of each location. Possible co-benefits of interventions were explored where applicable.

Partner: Emergency Planning Secretariat
Funder: UBC (Sitka Foundation)
Keywords: ecological systems, flood mitigation, traditional ecological knowledge 

While the operational transit benefits of bus bulbs are well understood, there remains a limited understanding of how passengers interact with the additional space and bus stop amenities provided to them. To bridge this knowledge gap, this research involved in-person passenger observations and surveys at four bus bulb locations across. The findings and recommendations will help the City of Vancouver target specific bus bulbs to focus design improvements and create permanent sidewalk extensions.  

Partner: City of Vancouver
Funder: City of Vancouver & UBC
Keywords: climate mitigation, green infrastructure, healthy city, transportation, bus transit

This project aims to develop and prototype a framework to evaluate justice and equity in climate policies at the City of Vancouver, including an exploration of participatory and collaborative methodologies. The prototype framework--developed via design thinking and an iterative approach--was delivered for internal use only. This executive summary includes key takeaways and recommendations to the City regarding best practices for equity evaluation in local government.

Partner: City of Vancouver
Funder: City of Vancouver
Keywords: climate action, diversity, inclusion, healthy city, justice & equity, evaluation, climate justice

The purpose of this project was to evaluate the current landscape of electric vehicle (EV) charging retrofits in Multi-Unit Residential Buildings (MURBs) to identify the major barriers to successful retrofit support programs. These barriers were then contextualized to the City of New Westminster and a set of recommendations were developed to inform and guide city staff as they develop an EV charger retrofit strategy for MURBs.  

Partner: City of New Westminster
Funder: BC Hydro
Keywords: sustainable development & green economy, transportation, electric vehicles

This project aims to improve the health of existing and new street trees in hardscape infrastructure in Vancouver through evaluation of research and best practices, comparison of peer municipal practices and case studies, and analysis of current city trends. Recommendations are provided for Vancouver's existing design and management standards and specifications for below and at-ground practices for existing street trees, newly planted street trees, and current sidewalk and boulevard design.

Partner: City of Vancouver
Funder: City of Vancouver & UBC
Keywords: climate adaptation, green infrastructure, climate resilience, urban forests

This report examines the relationship between farming practices and shorebird conservation on the Fraser River Delta and globally. It includes a description of shorebird ecology, an outline of the state of shorebird habitat and agricultural land use on the FRD, and an analysis of current research on shorebird conservation. It concludes with research-based recommendations for farming practices to improve habitat for resident and migratory shorebirds on the Fraser River Delta.

Partner: Bird Studies Canada
Funder: UBC (Sitka Foundation)
Keywords: biodiversity, ecological systems, food systems 

Southern Resident killer whales are an endangered population of orcas living in the coastal waters of southern British Columbia and Washington state. With only 74 individuals remaining, timely and meaningful action to protect this population is of critical importance. This report identifies the limitations of the Species at Risk Act and argues for expanding Southern Resident killer whale critical habitat into the Fraser River watershed to include Chinook salmon tributaries.

Partner: Raincoast Conservation
Foundation Funder: UBC (Sitka Foundation)
Keywords: biodiversity, ecological systems, endangered species

This report provides recommendations to the City of Vancouver for an envisioned Green Roof Asset Tracker tool and program that would allow the City to quantify and qualify the benefits of green roofs in Vancouver across diverse categories, including stormwater management, biodiversity support, and climate change mitigation. Recommendations for program operational requirements and features of a public-facing green roof map are made based on a mixed-methods approach involving case studies.

Partner: City of Vancouver
Funder: City of Vancouver & UBC
Keywords: green infrastructure, land use planning, climate resilience, green buildings, sustainable development & green economy, water 

The Museum of Vancouver leads the Sustainable Arts and Green Ecosystems Project (SAGE). SAGE is a partnership of museums, galleries and theatres collaborating on development of tools to advance sustainability and circular design, construction and de-construction of staged events and exhibitions. This project assesses the sustainability of materials commonly used in staged events: wood paneling, lumber, and paints. These findings will be incorporated into the SAGE Exhibition Planning and Design Toolkit. For information on the full SAGE Project please visit [link].

Partner: Museum of Vancouver
Funder: UBC  
Keywords: green buildings, waste management & recycling