The purpose of ICES Municipal Policy Toolkit is to provide municipal and provincial staff members, councils and policymakers in Ontario and elsewhere with the resources they need to achieve an ICES action in their community.
It is hoped that this toolkit will help advance the wide-scale implementation of ICES, which in turn will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase energy efficiency across a variety of sectors and improve livability and quality of life in communities.
The guidebook, produced by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities as part of a series for its new Leadership in Brownfield Renewal Program, has been developed to help Canadian municipalities devise and implement successful brownfield strategies. It is designed for municipalities ready to develop a brownfield strategy and for municipalities with existing brownfield strategies that are re-evaluating or renewing their programs.
The key to addressing the affordable housing shortage is for local governments to take leadership in developing and implementing housing strategies that include a package of practices tailored to each community’s market and affordable housing needs. Local governments are now the ongoing facilitators responsible for ensuring that an adequate range of housing types addresses market and non-market demand.
The purpose of this Toolkit is to give local government staff and decision-makers more detailed knowledge about eight tools that deliver market and non-market affordable housing so they are better equipped to decide which approaches suit their community and to develop an affordable housing program. Local governments have the legislative authority to work with developers to use all of these tools to create affordable housing. This Toolkit provides the support and suggestions on how to craft an effective affordable housing program.
The research paper is intended to assist the provincial and local governments of British Columbia, citizens, civil society organizations and other stakeholders in expanding the conversation on the tools available for local governments to create complete, compact, and energy-efficient communities. Its focus is on fiscal tools to reduce sprawl, increase density, and support a reduction in car dependency, energy use, and greenhouse gas emissions. This paper examines those tools presently available to local governments, and those that could be available through changes in legislative powers.
Community Energy Plans (CEPs) provide the pathway for communities to become aware of and take part in solid economic returns on investments, environmental gains, health benefits, and improved quality of life for local residents.
Canadian cities, towns and villages have influence over approximately 60 percent of energy consumption and over half of all GHG emissions in Canada. Consequently, communities have the potential to make significant contributions to addressing Canada’s current and future energy and climate challenges.
A Community Energy Plan (CEP) is a tool that drives community priorities around energy with a view to increasing efficiency, reducing emissions and driving economic development.
The report draws primarily on the findings of six comprehensive economic analyses of CEP actions and programs, and case studies to illustrate the value proposition of CEP implementation to communities across Canada.
The Cycling Embassy of Denmark has a mission is to encourage cycling all over the world by sharing their knowledge and expertise in the area of cycling. Cities worldwide face challenges related to the effects of car-oriented city planning, which leads to congestion, air pollution, noise, physical inactivity, CO2 emissions and crowded and unattractive public spaces are damaging our cities. It is proposed by the Cycling Embassy of Denmark that cycling is a key component in tackling these challenges.
Denmark has over 100 years of experience planning bicycle traffic. As a result, they have a high share of cyclists. Visit the Cycling Embassy of Denmark (CED) to gain knowledge about bicycle traffic with cities around the world working to promote cycling as a transport mode.
The BC Housing Design and Construction Standards provide standards and technical guidelines for designing and constructing new buildings, conversions and renovation projects funded and financed by BC Housing. The BC Housing Design and Construction Standards are intended to provide safe and secure housing that responds to the needs of the residents and fosters a sense of community. The standards also help guide the design projects to be cost-effective, spatially efficient, easy to maintain and to pursue sustainable design and construction practices that balance environmental, among others.
Overall, the BC Office of Housing and Construction Standards website offers information on building standards and best ‘green’ practices in BC.