Topic: Land use and Transportation

Solar exposure image courtesy District of Saanich

Development Permit Area Guidelines

Sustainable site design through development permits

A Development Permit Area (DPA) is a set of development regulations pertaining to a specific area as specified by the Official Community Plan. Any proposed building or subdivision within a DPA requires the issuance of a development permit. The authority for local governments to establish DPAs is set out in the Local Government Act.

The purposes of a DPA are:

  • protect development from hazardous conditions;
  • protect agricultural land;
  • protect the natural environment, its ecosystems and biological diversity;
  • revitalize an area in which a commercial use is permitted;
  • establish objectives for the form and character of intensive residential development, and/or to establish objectives for the form and character of commercial, industrial or multi-family residential development.
  • establish objectives to promote energy conservation, water conservation, and reduce greenhouse gases

The flexibility of DPA guidelines allow local governments to exercise their discretion in granting or refusing a permit on a case-by-case basis while providing objective principles to guide conditions for approving or refusing a DP application. [1]

Complementary Measures

  • DPAs can be developed through an Official Community Plan and Neighbourhood Plan.
  • DPAs work in coordination with a Zoning Bylaw to shape development on the scale of a parcel or development site. Comprehensive Development Zones can be quite specific, working well in tandem with DPAs.
  • Development Permit Areas can stipulate conditions for Density Bonusing.
  • Standards and designs for streets (e.g., “Complete Streets”) specified in Subdivision and Development Control Bylaw must be consistent with DPAs objectives.
  • The key objectives of the DPAs can be represented in a Sustainability Checklist.

A versatile policy tool

A DPA is a versatile design tool that can be designed to influence emissions from land use, buildings, and transportation. There are some key implementation considerations in applying DPAs to address climate change priorities.

Key Implementation Considerations

In setting guidelines for a DPA, a local government may not require buildings to meet standards that exceed a local government’s authority over building standards. However, local governments may encourage green building standards by indicating they are desirable.

The scope of authority for DPAs does not include buildings (inside the building envelope). However, it allows for DPAs that promote energy and water conservation and reduce greenhouse gases at the site scale. This includes:

  • landscaping
  • siting of buildings
  • form and exterior of buildings
  • specific features in the development
  • machinery, equipment and systems that are external to buildings.

Measuring performance

The Local Government Act requires local governments to develop targets for emission reductions and report on progress. Local governments can tailor DPA guidelines so that development will contribute to specific measurable targets for the community.

Process of Creating DPAs

DPAs can be created during an Official Community Plan and/or a Neighbourhood Plan process. To have a robust planning framework, there must be continuity and support between the policies, land use designations, and DPAs.

Land Use Opportunities

Complete, compact neighbourhoods

DPA guidelines define the form and character of new developments, with the following applications:

  • areas of intensive residential development (ex: small lot areas, infill areas)
  • mixed use development
  • multiple family residential development
  • commercial areas

DPA guidelines develop continuity and set parameters for performance of new developments. DPA guidelines are not intended to foster monotony or uniformity in design.

Sketch showing preferred exterior design of secondary suites. Image: City of New Westminster.
Sketch showing preferred exterior design of secondary suites. Image: City of New Westminster.

Good planning and design-including DPA guidelines-are the foundation for creating compact communities where people want to live.  Success requires deliberate planning for the mix and density of land use, and design is of utmost importance:   “How we perceive density has everything to do with how it is designed, not the actual ratio of units to acres,” according to the Lincoln Institute [2].

DPAs are essential in guiding new development that will be supported by residents and fit in with the character of existing neighbourhoods.

Ecologically significant areas, natural hazards, and agricultural land

To maximize the benefits of compact and complete communities that concentrate growth, DPAs can be used to protect ecologically significant areas, natural hazards, and agricultural land – objectives that increase resilience to climate change and enhance carbon sequestered in soils and forests.

Building Opportunities

In setting guidelines for a DPA, a local government cannot require buildings to meet standards that exceed a local government’s authority. However, local governments may encourage green building standards by indicating they are desirable. For example, the DPA guidelines for the Dockside Green project in Victoria indicate that LEED standards are a “should” whereas other DPA guidelines are stipulated as mandatory elements.  A separate master development agreement was negotiated by the City and the Dockside developer for LEED Silver standard. [1]

Form and character

Building design guidelines that advance climate action include:

  • glazing and orientation for solar energy gain
  • landscaping that requires less water
  • drainage by infiltration, maximizing pervious surfaces on the site
  • natural ventilation (to reduce cooling loads) [4]

More information, see EQuilibrium: Healthy Housing for a Healthy Environment.

Energy efficiency, water efficiency and reduction in emissions

One approach is to develop voluntary design guidelines and encourage uptake with incentives like a tax exemption or building permit rebate. Subsequently they could be formally included in a DPA.

Guidelines could potentially include requirements for energy efficiency for “specific features in the development”, or as “machinery, equipment and systems external to buildings and other structures”. Requirements could include ground-field loops for ground-source heat pump systems, solar thermal collectors, a district energy system (using recovered sewer heat or biomass), and systems or features that implement eco-industrial networking concepts, such as the use of “waste” heat from one business as an input to a neighbouring business. [3][4]

To meet legislated requirements for targets and reductions, local governments could potentially develop an energy conservation target for a DPA and correlate the target with a required proportional component of renewable energy in new development. [3][4]

With the authority to include specific landscaping guidelines, DPAs can restrict the placement and type of trees and other vegetation in proximity to buildings and other structures within a DPA, thus allowing local governments to guarantee access to sunlight for buildings that include solar energy features [4], and irrigation systems. Additional opportunities include guidelines for energy-wise outdoor lighting, building siting and orientation. [3]

Transportation Opportunities

Form and character guidelines for site and building design can include elements that favour sustainable and active modes of transportation.

Site layout

Site access illustration. Image: IBI Group / Canadian Institute of Transportation Engineers.
Preferred design for pedestrian crossing of a driveway with low volume is to raise the driveway crossing up and over the pedestrian crossing, and texture the surface of the crossing. This warns visually impaired pedestrians about the driveway, slows vehicle traffic, and reinforces the continuity of pedestrian movement along the sidewalk. Image: IBI Group / Canadian Institute of Transportation Engineers.

Internal transportation network configuration determines how pedestrians, cyclists, carpoolers, transit riders move through the site. Guidelines can influence design to minimize conflict between pedestrians and cyclists with cars.

Building design

The location of the building (setback, location of entrances, organization of parking) affects how conducive the building is to active transportation modes. Well-designed bicycle storage, parking space allocation, pedestrian walkway details, change facilities, and lighting can tip the balance toward choosing an active mode of transportation.

DPAs are an excellent opportunity to require site and building design that allows people with varying mobility and sensory abilities to efficiently get to, from and around new developments. DPAs can include requirements for entrances, hallways, entryways, parking areas that facilitate unrestricted movement.

More information:

See Development Permit Areas for Climate Action for guidance on climate supportive DPAs, examples and case studies.

Examples:

 

[1] Rutherford, Susan, 2006.  Green Buildings Guide. West Coast Environmental Law

[2] Campoli and MacLean, 2007. Visualizing Density, 2007, Lincoln Institute of Land Policy

[3] Compass Resource Management Ltd., West Coast Environmental Law, Holland Barrs Planning Group, Shaun Martin Consulting Prepared for: The District of Squamish, 2008. Advanced Briefing of Options for Advancing Energy Efficiency for New Buildings.

[4] Community Energy Association, 2008. Policy and Governance Tools: Renewable Energy Guide For Local Governments in British Columbia (Draft).

 

 

Conceptual design of an EQuilibrium house

EQuilibrium: Health Housing for a Healthy Environment

EQuilibrium was a national sustainable housing demonstration initiative, created and led by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. It developed on the ground prototypes of houses whose ultimate goal is a highly energy efficient, low environmental impact dwelling that provides healthy indoor living for its occupants, and produces as much energy as it consumes on a yearly basis. Design criteria could be used to inform the development of development permit areas.

Two staff members working with computers

Community Energy and Emissions Modelling

Community energy and emissions modelling (CEEM) is a tool that allows local governments to assess the impact of projected land use changes on future energy use and GHG emissions through different transportation patterns and the built environment.

Map of CEEM analysis for City of North Vancouver
Map of CEEM analysis for City of North Vancouver

CEEM enables local governments to understand the emissions and energy implications of future development scenarios in their communities. It may be used in the development of local government GHG targets, policies, and actions in official community plans (OCPs), regional growth strategies (RGS), community energy and emissions plans (CEEPs), climate action plans, and integrated community sustainability plans (ICSPs).

Local government staff, namely sustainability and land use planners are the key drivers in CEEM efforts. With practitioner support from the private sector, not-for-profits, academia and other levels of government, planners use CEEM to explore the emissions and energy implications of future land use development, and to actively engage their fellow financial and engineering colleagues, gaining insights and priorities from their community constituents and direction from their elected officials.

Case Studies

Screen capture from CLIC tool

Community Lifecycle Infrastructure Costing (CLIC) Tool

Infrastructure and services have financial, social and environmental implications. There is plenty of evidence showing that compact, complete community development is more financially and environmentally sustainable over the long term. The Ministry of Municipal Affairs created the CLIC tool to help local governments make informed decisions related to the long-term sustainability of infrastructure development. The tool enables local governments to compare the infrastructure costs of different development scenarios over a 100-year period informing sustainable development and asset management decisions. The tool is effective in facilitating integrated decision making by bringing together engineering, finance and planning perspectives.
Civic building or office

Civic Building Retrofit

Building efficiency retrofit programs have been successfully undertaken by many local governments. Unlike most capital projects, energy efficiency upgrades for buildings provide an economic return through energy savings. They can therefore be viewed as investments opportunities, rather than simply expenditures.

A civic building energy retrofit can:

  • Reduce energy consumption and associated utility costs of the existing building portfolio
  • Be cost-neutral
  • Reduce emissions resulting from existing buildings, improving the carbon neutral status of local government operations
  • Improve working conditions and productivity for employees

Process to guide retrofits

Typical steps in civic building energy retrofits include:

  1. Establish policy and commitment, such as a Civic Green Building Policy
  2. Conduct an energy audit and opportunity assessment – usually done by a specialized energy consultant or engineering firm
  3. Prioritize actions and study feasibility of opportunities further where necessary
  4. Make decisions on investments and financing
  5. Design
  6. Tender
  7. Construction and commissioning
  8. Monitor results and report

The above steps are not necessarily done in sequence. Though there are advantages to comprehensive retrofits, individual buildings can also be selectively retrofitted – this can be a “quick start”, especially for small communities. For example, an older municipal hall can be upgraded with ENERGY STAR windows, better insulation and efficient heating and ventilation systems, improving efficiency and the working environment.

Retrofits will generally involve measures like efficient lighting, control systems, high efficiency mechanical (HVAC) systems, high performance windows, and water-efficient fixtures and appliances. These measures should be complemented with low-cost measures like improving building operating procedures and educating building users.

The right set of measures will be different for every building, as they will vary by type, age and condition of building, climate, and other factors. These are determined during the process steps 2-5 outlined above and driven by investment criteria.

Investment Criteria

Energy efficiency projects can be viewed as investments, as they provide a monetary return through energy savings. Financial analyses should therefore be appropriate for this type of investment.

Energy projects are often assessed solely in terms of simple payback, with short paybacks (e.g., 7 years) required. While this method is straightforward to calculate, it does not reflect the true long-term value of the project. Utilizing a more sophisticated method such as Net Present Value (NPV) or Internal Rate of Return, over a full life cycle such as 15 or 20 years, more accurately reflects the benefit of the investment. A positive NPV using life-cycle costing may therefore be considered as a primary investment criterion.

Implementation and Financing

A retrofit project may be managed and implemented internally, or via an Energy Services Company (ESCO) – this is called energy performance contracting. Energy performance contracts are turnkey projects, where the ESCO guarantees the upfront cost as well as future energy savings, minimizing risk to the local government. Costs of the initial energy studies, as well as a markup on services such as design and project management, are rolled into the overall project cost.

In some cases, an ESCO can also provide financing. However, local governments can usually arrange financing through the Municipal Financing Authority at much more favourable rates. In any case, the contracts are created such that the energy savings will cover all financing costs, so that there is no net cost to the local government.

Energy Efficiency and Buildings – A Resource for BC’s Local Governments, produced by Fraser Basin Council in association with Community Energy Association, provides further guidance on civic building retrofits as well as other building efficiency measures.

Examples

Examples of ways local governments have retrofitted civic buildings include:

  • Incorporating biomass energy boilers as primary heating sources
  • Re-insulating roofs
  • Installing energy efficient windows and doors
  • Renewing weather stripping
  • Installing solar arrays to heat pools
  • Replacement of dated HVAC systems
A Guide to Green Choices

A Guide to Green Choices: Ideas and Practical Advice for Land Use Decisions in British Columbia Communities

A Guide to Green Choices provides practical advice and ideas for local governments making land use decisions. The guide is meant to assist communities of all types (large, small, rural, resort-based, urban, etc.) and maximize both creativity and adaptability to varied scales, specific contexts, and changing on-the-ground conditions. It provides ideas and guidance across seven key issues that or common themes in planning growth and land use: green settlement patterns, protecting natural features, integrating settlements with nature, community economy, transportation choices, social inclusion, and food supply.

CleanBC Move. Commute. Connect

CleanBC Move.Commute.Connect is part of BC’s strategy for cleaner, more active transportation. The Province has worked with regional, local, and Indigenous governments to support quality of life enhancing infrastructure that will allow individuals to get to where they need to go in an easier and safer way.

 

Partners for Climate Protection

The Partners for Climate Protection (PCP) program is a network of more than 160 Canadian municipal governments that have committed to reducing greenhouse gases and acting on climate change.

PCP is a partnership between the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) and ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability. It is the Canadian component of the international Cities for Climate Protection (CCP) program. PCP receives financial support from FCM’s Green Municipal Fund (GMF), which is managed by the FCM Centre for Sustainable Community Development.

PCP offers:

  • A plan: PCP’s five-milestone framework is a proven municipal strategy to cut GHGs.
  • Resources: PCP members have access to useful resources and information, including case studies, templates, technical assistance and newsletters.
  • Networking: PCP offers valuable opportunities to share experiences with more than 150 participating municipalities, and with an international network of municipal governments.

Eligibility/Deadline:

  • Canadian municipal governments.
  • Join through a resolution at council.

Urban Containment Boundary

Putting a Boundary on Growth

An Urban Containment Boundary sets aside land to be protected from most forms of development. Usually an UCB will delineate the edge of town and the beginning of rural areas.

Urban Containment Boundaries help local governments meet a number of planning goals that cross-cut with climate action, such as:

  • improving the viability of transit by concentrating development;
  • encouraging mixed-use development closer to homes and jobs, helping cut the number of car trips
  • maximizing the use of existing infrastructure and minimizing new infrastructure costs;
  • revitalizing downtowns and town centres;
  • maintaining a working land base (agricultural, rural, forested, and other resource lands) and the
  • green infrastructure; and
  • protecting the environment.

On top of the climate-friendly results of UCBs, another benefit is in providing a degree of certainty to both developers and residents as to the location of future development. One potential disadvantage to UCBs is that it can contribute to an increase in land prices within the UCB. However, there is no consensus on this as there are many other factors involved in determining land value.

Community Examples

see also the West Coast Environmental Law website for further discussion of UCBs and examples

“2. Maintain the Urban Containment Boundary as the principal tool for growth management in Saanich, and encourage all new development to locate within the Urban Containment Boundary.

3. Do not consider major changes to the Urban Containment Boundary except as the outcome of a comprehensive five year review of the Regional Growth Strategy.

4. Do not adopt any bylaw or resolution providing for a major expansion to the Urban Containment Boundary without first attaining the assent of the electors through a referendum or plebiscite.”

Creating an Urban Containment Boundary

Policies to establish, implement, and review an Urban Containment Boundary must be set out in a Regional Growth Strategy and Official Community Plan. It is important to ensure that Zoning bylaws reflect the desired land use both within and outside the UCB. Local governments can create minimum lot sizes to retain rural character and prevent urbanization outside the UCB and should strategically zone areas inside the UCB to encourage compact and complete development.

Several Regions and Municipalities have created Urban Containment Boundaries as a part of their growth management strategies: Saanich, Kelowna, and Nanaimo are three examples.

It should be noted that an Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR), a land use policy designed to protect quality agricultural land, should not be confused with an Urban Containment Boundary. [1]

Sources

[1] Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, 2006, Planning for Food Seminar, British Columbia’s Agricultural Land Preservation Program, http://www.agf.gov.bc.ca/resmgmt/sf/plan_food/Presentations/2_b_Hall.pdf