The Future of Green

The Built Environment

Dale Mikkelsen City of Vancouver

Central Area Planning

The Future of Green

The Built Environment

Compact City, Compact Region

Vancouver

Canada/US Border

Compact City, Compact Region

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• sustainability has been expressed in Council decisions and policy for many years:

– since the 1970’s: affordable housing policies

– 1990: Clouds of Change report– 1991: Central Area Plan– 1994: Solid Waste Management Plan– 1995: CityPlan– 1997: Vancouver Transportation Plan– 1999: SEFC Policy Statement– 2002: Downtown Transportation Plan

Sustainable Decisions

Sustainable Decisions

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• sustainability is a part of Vancouver’s “Living First” strategy in the downtown

– in recent years Vancouver has doubled it’s downtown population from 40,000 to over 100,000 residents

– by 2020, there are expected to be 120,000 residents downtown, in neighbourhoods like False Creek North and Coal Harbour

Living First in the downtown

Living First in the downtown

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Central Area Plan

• these downtown communities are:

– liveable high-density neighbourhoods built on remediated brownfield sites

– close to transit and jobs

– complete communities that include: commercial uses, community services, parks, child care centres, libraries and schools

– socially sustainable, with provisions for affordable and family-oriented housing

Central Area Plan

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False Creek North

166 acres of land area

10,000 housing units

False Creek North

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Coal Harbour

64 acres of land area

3,500 housing units

Coal Harbour

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Southeast False Creek

• City Council issued a challenge to go even further - to create a community that is even more sustainable:

– on the south shore of False Creek, develop a neighbourhood that is the model of sustainability, incorporating: forward-thinking infrastructure; strategic energy reduction; high-performance buildings; and high transit access

Southeast False Creek

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SEFC Policy Statement

• the SEFC Policy Statement was completed in 1999, and directed us to complete the following plans:

– energy – waste management– water management– urban agriculture– sustainable transportation

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SEFC Environmental Plans

components of the plans to consider include:

• energy– ground source heating – district heating – alternative energy production

• waste management – building material re-use– 3-stream waste system– on-site waste facilities– composting

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SEFC Environmental Plans

• water management– green roofs– water-wise landscapes– on-site wastewater treatment

facilities– capture and reuse of storm water– infiltration on site

• urban agriculture– food production– processing and distribution systems– community gardening– planting heritage varieties

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SEFC Environmental Plans

• sustainable transportation– improved transit service and

community transit pass– transit-oriented development– car-sharing service– parking management and and

traffic calming– home delivery service– pedestrian and bicycle

improvements– walking school bus

• all of the plans are complete and will be consolidated into one coherent vision for the site

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The Built Environment

SEFC Green Buildings

• the Policy Statement also directed us to create and implement guidelines for green buildings

- if we considered all these elements, and didn’t build green, we would fail in this community

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Moving Toward Green Buildings

• in 2000, three levels of government joined forces to discuss LEEDtm and encouraging green buildings:

– City of Vancouver– Greater Vancouver Regional District– Provincial Government

• The LEED BC Steering Committee was established

• The Steering Committee consulted with:

– architects– engineers– the development community

Moving Toward Green Buildings

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Moving Toward Green Buildings

• response from the development community?

– LEEDtm should be voluntary, incentives are welcome, need more information on hard costs/benefits

– Green buildings are desirable and likely marketable

– Want to work with the City to shape a green building strategy for the city

• response from the general public, environmental groups, design industry?

– strong support for using LEED– 3rd party verification reduces liability

and eliminates potential for “green washing”

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City of Vancouver -- First Steps

• City Council approved a process to consider LEEDtm for Southeast False Creek

• City Council asked staff to report back on the possibility of implementing a LEEDtm Silver rating standard on all new civic buildings

• City staff continued on-going work toward developing a green building strategy for Vancouver

• City staff engaged stakeholders within the design and development community, SEFC land owners, and SEFC stakeholder groups to establish directions

City of Vancouver -- First Steps

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LEED BC Steering Committee

• to implement LEED in BC, we needed to regionalize LEEDtm

• we worked with other levels of govt. to produce the LEED BC Adaptation Guide

• Final draft submitted to USGBC and approved

• LEED BC was formally launched April 14, 2004; fully operational and administered by the new CAGBC

Looking At LEED

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Why LEED?

• relatively simple to implement • not overly prescriptive • can be modified for local climate

and standards• has legitimacy and consistency • has momentum, allowing

benchmarking:

– the use of LEEDtm is growing at a fast pace across North America

– the USGBC has over 2000 member organizations, and there are over 550 LEEDtm registered projects

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Momentum of LEED

• USGBC has grown from 250 members in 2000 to over 3,000 members

• 14 registered projects in 2001; currently over 1000 registered projects

• Over 30 projects registered in BC, compared to 6 in 2002

• Over 250 LEED Accredited professionals in BC

(257)(164)

(1)(15)

(70)

(8)(3)

BC 31 AB

13

(525) LEED Accredited Professionals

58 LEED Registered Projects

USGBC: Dec. 2003

SA 1 MB

2 ON 5

QC 4

(5)

1 (1)

NU1

(1) NS

NF

NB

PE

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North American Experience

• City of Portland: Office of Sustainable Development, Green Rated Program, LEED Silver minimum for civic buildings

• City of Seattle: LEED Silver minimum for civic buildings

• California: San Jose, San Francisco, San Diego, Santa Monica, and Los Angeles have commitments to LEED of various levels; Pleasanton requires all public and private buildings meet a minimum LEED Certified Standard

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The Canadian and Local Experience

• Federal Government: Public Works and Government Services have adopted LEED Gold as a minimum standard for all buildings over $10 million

• City of Calgary: LEED rating system for all civic buildings by end of 2004

• City of Victoria: LEED rating system for all civic buildings by end of 2004, DockSide development LEED Silver (mixed-use, commercial, industrial)

• GVRD: June 27, 2003 GVRD’s P & E Committee adopted LEED as the primary tool in the region to promote green buildings

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The Vancouver Experience

• Council policy and directions

– SEFC Policy Statement; 1999– National Works Yard LEED

commitment; 2001– Mt. Pleasant Community Centre green

building pilot; 2002– Preliminary work program to

investigate LEED for civic and private developments; 2002

– Corporate Climate Change Action Plan recommending LEED rating system or system for civic structures; 2003

– Motion to develop a green roof policy as part of the development of a green building strategy; 2004

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Myths of LEED

• Myth #1: LEED™ is a for-profit organization based in the United States. – the USGBC is a not-for-profit organisation. The CAGBC now owns the exclusive license and rights to administer LEED™ in Canada and to revise and make modifications, local application guides, and interpretations as felt necessary without consent of the USGBC.

• Myth #2: LEED™ biases against wood products by requiring FSC Certification. --LEED™ does not exclude the use of wood products. Wood products can quality for 17 LEED points given design decisions. Only 1 point is based on FSC Certified wood.

• Myth #3: LEED™ is not designed for multi-unit residential housing. -- LEED™ Version 1.0, 2.0, and 2.1 all state that “LEED™ is a measurement system designed for rating new and existing commercial, institutional, and high-rise residential buildings.”

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Challenges of a Green Building Program

• To address the affordability of housing within the City of Vancouver in relation to real or perceived costs of green buildings.

• To work with the LEED™ BC Steering Committee to form a task group to examine medium and high density developments (which will include the development industry), but to date, no medium and high density development application guide exists.

• To facilitate and track demonstration and/or leadership projects within the SEFC model sustainable community to test and refine green building principles for implementation in the larger Vancouver context.

• To continue to work with the CAGBC and LEED™ BC to further adapt the Canadian LEED™ Adaptation guide to suit local conditions.

• To ensure that any green building system does not impact the quality of urban design represented in the city of Vancouver (e.g. – the ability to economically develop high glass percentage residential towers).

Growing A Green Building Program

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Benefits of a Green Building Program

• To lead by example and illustrate through practice the upfront capital costs that may be recaptured through reduced operating costs.

• To encourage water conservation, stormwater management and sustainable transportation.

• To encourage energy-efficient technologies and design approaches that significantly reduce operating costs, energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

• To explore advances in renewable energy that stem resource depletion and greenhouse gas production.

• To encourage use of recycled-content products that reduce waste and greenhouse gas emissions.

• To support and utilize repairable, recyclable building materials.

• To encourage resource-efficient construction practices that conserve resources and generate less construction waste.

• To recognise that green buildings have emerged as a high priority in the City’s GHG reduction action areas.

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SEFC Green Building Strategy

• Baseline environmental performance• Medium and high density residential,

mixed-use, commercial, institutional, and industrial developments

• LEED as a design tool• LEED certifiable level of design; no

formal registration• Additional requirements as identified

through SEFC environmental reports and other Council adopted policy (GHG emissions, energy performance)

• Assurance taken as a condition of development permit

• Milestones or checkpoints throughout the development process (green building staff or project facilitators)

• Formal LEED registration is optional and identified at development permit; if registered, then internal standard is waived

Premise

SEFC Green Building Strategy

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SEFC Green Building Strategy

Energy:

– Minimum energy efficiency to meet ASHRAE 90.1 2001

– Specify energy efficient appliances – EnergyStar or gas (dryers exempt)

– Energy efficient lighting to follow ASHRAE 90.1 2001.

– Specify fireplaces listed as a heating appliance with a minimum combustion efficiency to meet or exceed ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1 - 2001 heating appliance standards. Electric fireplaces must be 100 percent efficient and offer heat/no heat modes.

– Heating of domestic hot water to be done with high efficient boilers with a minimum efficiency of 87%.

Part #1:

Mandatory Requirements

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SEFC Green Building Strategy

Parking:

- Ensure that the minimum parking is reduced to 0.5 spaces per dwelling unit for small units with a limitation to 1.0 required space per dwelling unit

- Designated visitor parking shall be separately required at a rate of 0.1 spaces per residential dwelling unit

- Ensure that a car-sharing [or co-op] vehicle, accompanied by a designated parking space, be provided for sites with 50 to 149 dwelling units, and a second car-sharing vehicle and space for sites with 150 or more units

- For future car-sharing, one additional designated parking space, be provided per 100 dwelling units

Part #1:

Mandatory Requirements

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SEFC Green Building Strategy

Water:

– Dual flush toilets.– Low flow faucets and showerheads

to meet current best practices.– High efficiency irrigation system

(drip irrigation), stormwater reuse for landscape irrigation, or no permanent irrigation.

Part #1:

Mandatory Requirements

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SEFC Green Building Strategy

Waste Management:

– 3 streams of waste collection (organics only if organic pick-up is available at time of development application).

– Management of construction and demolition waste, ensuring a minimum of 50% landfill diversion through construction process.

Part #1:

Mandatory Requirements

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SEFC Green Building Strategy

Part #2:

Towards a LEED Silver Certifiable Building

• CAGBC adaptation to LEED 2.1 as the standard design tool

• LEED-BC Adaptation Guide to be utilised• All points in all categories available:

- Sustainable Sites- Water Efficiency- Energy and Atmosphere- Materials and Resources- Indoor Environmental Quality- Innovation and Design Process (open only to previously awarded innovation points as identified by USGBC and CAGBC)

• Between 33 and 38 points must be achieved

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Council Endorsed Policy

1. THAT Council adopt a minimum requirement of LEED™ Gold (including full registration and certification under LEED BC and the Canadian Green Building Council) for all new civic buildings greater than 500 square meters; and that Council make the first 4 LEED points in the Energy and Atmosphere section mandatory to ensure a minimum of at least 30% energy reduction;

2. THAT Council adopt a green building standard or system similar to the green building strategy presented in Appendix A of the Policy Report for the first rezoning sub-areas of the Southeast False Creek (SEFC) community, (to be refined and finalized prior to rezoning Public Hearing) with LEED Silver being the minimum design goal, with the intent to move toward achieving LEED Gold as a goal, both without formal certification under the LEED system, but with the intent to move as soon as possible toward formal registration and certification;

Council Report; July 8, 2004

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Council Report Recommendations

3. THAT Council approve a new temporary Planner 1 position, with classification to be subject to review by the Director of Human Resources, at an annualized cost of $92,000 and the total cost of the position’s tenure to be $150,000, with the 2004 cost to be $58,000, to be funded from Contingency Reserve, and with the 2005 cost to be $92,000, to be approved in advance of the 2005 operating budget without offset;

4. THAT Council approve new consulting, research, travel and related expenditures associated with the development and implementation of a new green building strategy, as laid out in Table 3 of Policy Report Developing a Green Building Strategy for the City of Vancouver, dated May 3, 2004, of $12,000 in 2004, to be funded from Contingency Reserve, and of $38,000 in 2005, to be added to the 2005 operating budget without offset;

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Council Report Recommendations

5. THAT Council approve the work plan as set out in Policy Report Developing a Green Building Strategy for the City of Vancouver, dated May 3, 2004, and instruct staff to investigate the development and implementation of a new green building strategy for private sector development using knowledge gained in SEFC; to expand discussions with the development industry and other stakeholders to ensure the cooperative development of a green building strategy for new development in medium to high density residential zones, as well as commercial and industrial zones; and to continue to promote events, research and publications which promote green building development and more sustainable thinking;

6. THAT Council instruct staff to further develop a specific green roof policy as a part of the green building strategy;

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Council Report Recommendations

7. THAT Council instruct staff to continue work with the LEED BC Steering Committee and continue its involvement with the Canadian Green Building Council (CAGBC) to further develop green building standards for the Vancouver and Canadian context; and to further development of a green building application guide for multi-unit residential dwellings (for possible formal adoption upon completion and stakeholder support);

8. THAT prior to recommendation of any green building strategy for the City of Vancouver beyond SEFC, Council instruct staff to report back on resolutions to outstanding issues identified over the work program period; and

9. THAT Council ask staff to develop and report back on an interim strategy to address current, privately initiated green building applications outside of Southeast False Creek.

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Work Program and Timing

• 18 month program beginning fall ’04

• 1 dedicated Green Buildings Planner

• 1 support senior planner/manager

• Possibility of extension or redefinition post 18 months to continue research, establish program, guide green building development

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Work Program and TimingWork Item

Notes/Stakehold.

Timing Product

Green building Review Group – implementation policy, and operations

oStaff review groupoCBO, Dev. Services, Urban Design, Facilities, Rezoning

oOct. ’04 ongoingoContinuous review/revision as necessary

oInformation updates, memo’s, and bulletins

Interim green building strategy for voluntary developments and rezoning conditions

oCBO, Dev. Services, Urban Design, Rezoning

oOct. ’04 to Jan. ’05 o3 month process

oReport to Council estimated late Feb. ‘05

Analysis of LEED Commercial Interiors (CI)

oPlanning, Facilities, Sustainability GroupoCommercial interior upgrades to municipal facilities; cost/value to achieve LEED Gold

oOct. ’04 to Jan. ’05 o3 to 4 month process

oPossible Report to Council or Information Report estimated late Feb. ’05

Formal LEED implementation tools for SEFC incl. LEED Core & Shell analysis (CS) and/or pre-approval pilot

oPlanning, Sustainability Group, Facilities, Real Estate Services, Engineering ServicesoPrivate land-owners in SEFCoCAGBC

oOct. ’04 to March ’05o6 month process

oReport to Council estimated April ’05

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Work Program and Timing

Work Item

Notes/Stakehold.

Timing Product

Green Roof Strategy

oPlanning, Social Planning (Food Policy), UBC Planning School (Scarp Master’s candidate)oPending CMHC funding ($25,000) for partnership; UBC, COV, Sharpe & DiamondoIncludes new construction and retrofit options

oOct. ’04 to March ‘05o5 to 6 month process to match SEFC ODP roll-out and private sector voluntary measures

oReport to Council as part of overall green building strategy Report estimated Feb. ’06

Green building Review Group – private sector implementation

oPrivate sector review groupoUDI, AIBC, APEGGBC, BOMA, NAIOP, GVHBA, and others

oJan. ’05 to Dec. ’05o12 month process

oInformation updates, memo’s, and bulletins as necessary

Energy Precinct/ Sustainability Precinct

oPlanning, Sustainability Group, Engineering Services; possibly led by Sustainability Group (Sean Pander)oStakeholder group – to be defined

oJan. ’05 to Dec. ‘05o12 month process

oReport to Council Jan. ’06

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Work Program and Timing

Work Item

Notes/Stakehold.

Timing Product

Analysis of economic implications per bldg. type and performance goal (local models only); implications for economic develpmn’t.

oPlanning oMarch ’05 to Feb. ’06o12 month process to follow new development post DP in the COVocoincide with new energy by-law modelling initiative

oInformation item added to overall green building strategy Report estimated Feb. ’06

Draft City-wide green building strategy and phasing/roll-out

oPlanning, Sustainability Group, CBO, Engineering Services, Dev. Services, Urban DesignoUDI, AIBC, APEGGBC, BOMA, NAIOP, GVHBA, and others

oJan’ 05. to Feb. ‘06o13 month process

oReport to Council Feb. ’06

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Green Buildings…

Reaching For a

Better Tomorrow