SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

The Centre for Ecocities is spearheading new innovations in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions planning and management and ecological footprinting. Using the ecoCity Footprint Tool, created by Dr. Jennie Moore, the Centre is helping local governments assess and act on their consumption-based emissions and ecological footprints. These two metrics help them understand their fair share of the planet’s resources, and associated GHG emissions reductions, that are needed to close their sustainability gap and stay within the Earth’s carrying capacity, also known as one-planet living.

Ten British Columbia (BC) municipalities in have participated in the pilot. They represent both large and small communities in urban and rural settings and together account for the majority of the BC population.

One of the participating municipalities, the District of Saanich, won a silver award from the Planning Institute of British Columbia for their climate action plan, which incorporated results from their inventory.

Additional communities in BC and beyond are eager to learn from this work and next phases of the initiative are in development.

An online version of the ecoCity Footprint Tool is currently being developed, when launched it will be available to all BC municipalities so that they can create their own consumption-based emissions inventories and ecological footprint assessments.

The Lighter Footprint App, a complementary tool targeting citizen engagement, will also be available to help people in the municipal pilot communities to pinpoint changes in their own lives that will leverage maximum impact for achieving low carbon lifestyles aligned with climate stability goals and ecological carrying capacity.

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Dr. Jennie Moore, Director of Institute Sustainability, is a member of the Global Urban Monitoring Framework (UMF) Task Team, an international group of experts working with UN Habitat on the UMF for SDG 11.

UN Habitat works in over 90 countries to promote transformative change in cities and human settlements through knowledge, policy advice, technical assistance and collaborative action.

The Urban Monitoring Framework will help cities track progress on the SDGs and will serve as a monitoring tool for the UN-Habitat SDG Cities program, in which the Centre for Ecocities is a collaborator.

Dr. Jennie Moore was awarded a grant from the Social Science and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) through its Knowledge Synthesis Grant program. The project explored how living within the Earth’s carrying capacity can be measured and managed at the city scale. The purpose was to understand how a handful of high-consuming cities around the world are achieving absolute reductions in energy and material throughput and how this might be translated into policy and action in Canadian cities.

Work was conducted in conjunction with co-applicant, Claudiane Ouellet-Plamondon of École de technologie supérieure at the Université du Québec. Other collaborators included UBC Professor Emeritus, William Rees, originator of the ecological footprint concept and co-developer of ecological footprint analysis; David Lin of the Global Footprint Network; and Alastair Moore, a registered professional planner with expertise in creating one-planet cities and Director of think-and-do-tank One Earth.

The synthesis project reviewed the conceptual frameworks, policy tools, and methods available to measure whether an average lifestyle in a given city or community – if adopted by everyone on Earth – would result in humanity living within Earth’s carrying capacity.

The final report and other insights to emerge from this project will be posted on the Centre for Ecocities website in the near future.

A smart microgrid is a modern, small-scale version of the electricity system with smart new features. They incorporate variable electricity generation such as wind and photovoltaic solar, which must either be used or stored when available.

The Smart Microgrid Applied Research Team (SMART) has been conducting strategic research in the area of Smart Microgrids, advancing the state of the electric power Smart Grid at national and international levels.

For more information on SMART, see SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy.

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The Smart Microgrid Applied Research Team (SMART) is working on research, development and demonstration (RD&D) initiatives aimed at solutions that will reduce barriers to the adoption of Electric Vehicles (EVs). These projects will build on a recently completed renewable (solar) energy generation, energy storage, and electric vehicle charging infrastructure project called Energy OASIS.

In support, BCIT was awarded $1.7 million to address barriers to electric vehicle adoption.

As part of the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure work, SMART is involved in a research project to investigate efficient ways to retrofit existing Multi-Unit Residential Buildings (MURBs), strata and rental apartments, in the Greater Vancouver area with electric vehicle charging stations. The goal of the project is to provide demonstration sites that show how to develop a scalable plan for installing EV chargers in existing MURBs.

Further work includes making recommendations to codes and standards bodies such as CSA, Canadian Electric Code, Technical Safety BC, on smart EV charging solutions, as well as creating a “blueprint” for Canadian municipalities to follow to leverage streetlight infrastructure to provision Level 2 EV charging in otherwise challenging locations.

As part of a suite of efforts to support cities and communities in meeting their sustainability goals, Dr. Jennie Moore, BCIT Director of Institute Sustainability, collaborated with colleagues from Ecocity Builders in leading the publication of Ecocities Now.

The book details ten of the best papers from the 2019 Ecocity World Summit hosted by BCIT in Vancouver. The book shares knowledge on what constitutes what cities around the world are doing to become ecocities, and how education can play a role in preparing the next generation of ecocity practitioners.

Material presented in the book chapters span the globe and provide an orientation to the importance of engaging people, where they live, in ecocity transformations as well as emerging opportunities for affordable and accessible technologies that help cities build capacity for implementation of ecocity initiatives.

“Whether it is helping communities to rebuild in post-earthquake Nepal, finding nature-based solutions to urban pollution challenges, or demonstrating how people can achieve net-zero emissions lifestyles, BCIT has industry leaders committed to delivering applied education and research that builds a better future for everyone.”

Dr. Jennie Moore.

In April 2021, the Centre for Ecocities collaborated with Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) to deliver a cross-Canada pilot of the Climate Changemakers Youth Leadership Training. The three-hour workshop provided training for youth to become climate change leaders.

The training for each of the workshops covered: global sustainability challenges and related frameworks (including SDGs); an introduction to science-based and action-oriented tools drawn from the World Environmental Situation Room, the City Prosperity Index, and the Sustainable Living Protocol developed by BCIT; leadership training and community organizing; and communication and inter-governmental engagement.

For more information on Climate Changemakers, see SDG 13: Climate Action.

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CityStudio Vancouver is an innovation hub that brings together city staff, students, faculty and community to co-create experimental projects that make Vancouver more sustainable, liveable, joyful, and inclusive

Born in response to Vancouver’s plan to become the greenest city in the world by 2020, CityStudio was created with the support of founding partners, Simon Fraser University (SFU) and the City of Vancouver. Since then it has grown into a collaboration between the City of Vancouver, SFU, University of British Columbia (UBC), Langara College, British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT), Emily Carr University of Art + Design (ECUAD) and the Native Education College (NEC).

CityStudio Vancouver aims to shift the way that students, City staff, faculty, and community members work together to co-create solutions for the city. They provide students with a unique, hands-on opportunity to develop real projects, gain employable skills, widen professional networks, while bring engaging project ideas from City of Vancouver.

The British Columbia Institute of Technology is a key academic partner, supporter and funder. Every year, BCIT collaborates with CityStudio on projects that further Vancouver’s strategic aims. In the first ten years of partnership, 1,561 BCIT students collaborated with CityStudio.

BCIT has various initiatives and infrastructure in place to support sustainable modes of transportation to and from the campuses: 

1. Electric Vehicle Charging Stations: The BCIT Burnaby Campus has numerous allocated spots for electric vehicle charging stations. The stations are available for staff, students, and visitors, on a first-come first-serve basis. In addition to the Burnaby campus, they can be found at the Aerospace Technology, Center for Applied Research and Innovation (CARI), Downtown and Marine campuses. As seen on the Burnaby Campus map, the stations are situated close to the buildings, always accompanied by wheelchair accessibility, and spread out to effectively access various parts of campus.
2. Car Sharing Programs: BCIT Parking Services has partnered with Evo Car Share for on-campus car share programs. These programs provide benefits of having a vehicle without actually having to own one. Members have unlimited and unrestricted access to a fleet of vehicles selected by model and style.
   
3. U-Pass: Every full-time student at BCIT is provided a U-pass which they have paid as part of their student fees. The cost of the U-pass is discounted.
4. Biking to Campus: Students and employees are provided with bicycle commuting tips and resources, including bike maps and information on end of trip facilities such as bike locks, showers, and lockers or cages.
5. Other: Employees and students are encouraged to use public transportation, car pools, and walking whenever possible. Tips and basic information on public transportation, car pooling, and walking to work/school is also provided, along with insight on fare deals.

BCIT participates in Go by Bike Week organized twice a year by HUB Cycling – a charitable not-for-profit organization that has spent over 20 years removing barriers to cycling in Metro Vancouver, while cultivating the health, environmental, and economic benefits that active transportation can bring. 

Learn more about cycling, cycling facilities and navigating BCIT’s campuses by bike. 

The Smart Microgrid Applied Research Team (SMART) worked with three BCIT Digital Design and Development students to design and produce animated videos to help illustrate good etiquette when charging an electric vehicle (EV): The Do’s and Don’ts of EV Charging.

“Part of our ongoing research investigates how we build social norms that adapt to new and evolving technologies. With this student video project, we explore a gentle way to shine a light on good etiquette to help build social norms for EV charging.” – Joey Dabell, SMART Project Leader.

The SMART team was awarded a 2021 ECO IMPACT Award for the project. The ECO Impact Award recognizes positive environmental projects from across the country by groups that have displayed environmental advocacy, sustainable initiatives, and skill-building.

Meet our three drivers who need a refresher on their EV etiquette

Olivia Overstayer drives an EV and takes too much time charging her vehicle, preventing other EV drivers from getting a chance to charge.

Ian Icer drives an ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) car and parks in spots designated for EV charging.

Peter Perker is an EV driver who thinks the charging station is used for VIP parking.

After the devastation of a forest fire, the first plant to grow back is fireweed. A vibrant wildflower from the Pacific Northwest, it symbolizes hope, resilience, and adaptability—things we could all use a little more of right now.

Building cities has traditionally meant altering or destroying the natural environment, but it doesn’t have to be like that. Episode 2 of the Fireweed podcast features Christina Olsen from the Centre for Ecocities about her vision for healthy urban centres, and from Mark Angelo about why it’s vital to protect and restore the natural features within our urban limits.

The North Campus Infrastructure Project (NCIP) was an ambitious and forward-thinking initiative that leveraged the opportunity of infrastructure replacement to advance sustainability at BCIT and the surrounding community.

The NCIP originated with the need to replace a major power receiving substation for the Burnaby campus, which was at risk of failure, and to create a new connection to the local electrical utility, BC Hydro. The project became a unique opportunity not just to replace the infrastructure but to take a systems-level view of the campus and its future, and to integrate institutional goals to be a leader in community and campus engagement, climate resilience and environmental responsibility.

BCIT chose to use the Envision framework for sustainable infrastructure to guide the $46.9 million project, while prioritizing an integrated design process and ongoing engagement of key stakeholders through existing campus plan consultations and project-specific feedback. As a result of this initiative, BCIT became Canada’s first education-sector recipient of the Envision Gold award for sustainable infrastructure.

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Rivers and waterways are often how cities come to be. Having a body of water within an urban region provides access to water, transportation, and overall positive contributions to mental well-being in humans. Having filtering abilities, rivers can contribute to drinking water in some geographical locations and provide protection from natural disasters such as flooding in cities.

The Burnaby campus is situated in the Brunette River watershed with Guichon Creek running from the south end of campus to the north. The Brunette watershed was historically full of fish, such as salmon and trout, and functioned as important wildlife habitat. During the 1920’s Guichon Creek was still a vibrant part of the ecosystem, and people could catch fish along its banks. From 1930 to 1960 the creek was urbanized and the lower half was culverted, travelling underground through the north-east quadrant of the campus.

Since 70’s and 80’s, restoration work has been ongoing by BCIT staff and students. Guichon Creek is now a successful example of urban stream restoration, with its streams repopulated with cutthroat trout.

For more information on Guichon Creek, see SDG 14: Life Under Water.

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BCIT has a comprehensive recycling, composting, and waste management program that diverts over 70% of our waste materials from landfill. In recent years, our program has seen a 12% reduction of total waste generated on-site and a 25% increase in our diversion rate.

For more information on waste management on campus, please see SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production. 

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The Grounds and Landscaping Team at BCIT have established an honeybee and pollinator program called BeeCIT in partnership with urban beekeepers Alvéole to install and manage the hives. The five hives located on four campuses are now home to around 70,000 bees, which travel thousands of kilometers across the Metro Vancouver region each day in search of food.

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The BCIT Energy Team is tasked with reducing Institute greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 33% by 2023. One GHG source of concern is the fuel used in fleet vehicles and equipment. BCIT provides fleet vehicles for use by students, staff, and faculty for Institute related activities and business. There is a strategy in place to reduce emissions from fleet vehicles by retiring fossil-fuel vehicles at their end of life and replacing them with electric equivalent zero emission vehicles as available. As of 2021, 61% of fleet vehicles are electric.

Electric vehicle (EV) recharging stations are installed with all new construction projects. BCIT has invested heavily in installation of EV recharge stations in an effort to both promote a zero emission vehicle fleet and private vehicles, but also to support education in all aspects of this technology including EV vehicle maintenance, recharge station maintenance, as well as applied research initiatives in addition to other initiatives off-campus intended to support the electric vehicle industry.

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