Land use and Transportation Archives - Page 6 of 7

Sea Level Rise Adaptation Primer

While actions to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions are critical, communities also need to prepare for unavoidable climate change and its impacts. This is referred to as “adaptation”. The BC Climate Action Toolkit’s Adaptation: Challenges and Opportunities page links away to key Adaptation resources.

Included on the page is The Sea Level Rise Adaptation Primer – a resource for local governments and land management authorities, providing information on a range of tools that can be used as part of a sea level rise adaptation strategy.

The climate is changing. In B.C. recent technical guidelines published by the Provincial government projected a sea level rise (SLR) of half a metre by the year 2050, one metre by 2100 and two metres by 2200.

Similar projections have been made by other Canadian provinces. Rising sea levels will cause coastal communities to become increasingly vulnerable to issues such as: coastal flooding and reduced drainage capacity; coastal erosion; changes to coastal habitats and wetlands (i.e. salt marshes); reduction in coastal sea ice; and more frequent and intense storms, storm surges and wave action.

How can coastal managers respond to this new challenge?

In order to deal with these issues, coastal communities will require resilience and adaptive capacity to ensure their long-term sustainability. The B.C. Ministry of Environment commissioned the preparation of the The Sea Level Rise Adaptation Primer.

The Primer is a resource for coastal management authorities to identify, evaluate and compare options for adapting to potential impacts and hazards on both the Pacific and Atlantic coasts.

The Primer identifies four strategies (Protect, Accommodate, Retreat, Avoid) and 21 adaptation tools.

Find out more by downloading the Primer from the link below.

Authors: The Arlington Group Planning + Architecture Inc., EBA, a Tetra Tech Company, DE Jardine Consulting, Sustainability Solutions Group
Publisher: British Columbia Ministry of Environment

Land Use Impacts on Transport

This paper examines how various land use factors such as density, regional accessibility, mix and roadway connectivity affect travel behavior, including per capita vehicle travel, mode split and nonmotorized travel.

This information is useful for evaluating the ability of smart growth, new urbanism and access management land use policies to achieve planning objectives such as consumer savings, energy conservation and emission reductions.

E3 Fleet Cost Analysis Tool

Designed for the Federal Government but with broader applications, this calculator can be use to compare, over time, the costs and GHGs of hybrids or alternative fuel vehicles with those of similar conventional vehicles.

Development Permit Areas for Climate Action

The purpose of this guide is to help local governments use their DPA authority to conserve energy, conserve water and/or reduce GHG emissions. The guide is intended primarily for local governments and their planning staff. The content of the guide may also benefit others involved in land-use planning and development, including developers, builders, architects, landscape architects and planning consultants.

The information contained in this guide is intended to help local governments make strategic choices about using DPAs effectively for action on climate change. The guide:

describes the legislative authority for DPAs for climate action
identifies considerations for local governments that are undertaking a climate action DPA
presents examples of DPA strategies for energy conservation, water conservation and GHG reduction
highlights local government examples of climate action DPAs and related initiatives.

Development Cost Charge for Elected Officials & Best Practices Guides

The Development Cost Charges (DCCs) Guide for Elected Officials is designed to increase understanding about DCCs among local government leaders. The Guide is deals with the basics, or fundamentals, of DCCs using a “question & answer” format, which addresses important questions on DCCs and their use. Such as:

• DCCs Defined;
• Establishing DCCs;
• When to use DCCs;
• DCCs in the Broader Context;
• DCCs and Development; and,
• DCCs across British Columbia.

Best Practices Guide

For a more detailed review and information about the technical aspects of DCCs, please refer to the Development Cost Charge Best Practices Guide.

This is the third edition of the DCC Best Practices Guide. the feedback from local government and the development community has been complimentary and supportive of the material included in the guide. each edition has provided additional information, which reflects changes to best practices and legislation.

The DCC Best Practices Guide has two primary objectives:
to encourage local governments to standardize the establishment and administration of development cost charge programs; and to provide some flexibility to accommodate a municipality’s specific circumstances.

The best practices outlined in the guide were developed in partnership between the province, local government and the development community. Local governments who choose to follow the recommended best practices can expect an expedited process for provincial approval of their development cost charge bylaws. Further, they may also receive the support of the development community, which advocates for more transparent and understandable DCC programs.

Qualicum Beach Fire Hall (image courtesy of Town of Qualicum Beach)

BC Greenhouse Gas Inventory Reports

Archived copies of British Columbia’s annual provincial inventories and associated key data tables for greenhouse gas sinks and sources are organized by year.

Prior to the 2014 provincial inventory, tables were published every year, and a report that covered the inventory data and methodology was released every two years. From 2014 onward, the tables and the document on the methodology are published annually.

Archived Provincial Inventory Reports are available here.

Naturally Resilient Communities

Naturally Resilient Communities shares case studies for city planners, engineers and community leaders looking to utilize green infrastructure solutions.

This is an interactive tool that allows users to choose from various scenarios and narrow down search based on a hazard type, community type and scale to narrow down search results to most relevant case studies.

The tool is US focused but it is relevant for city planners in Canada.

Ecosystem Services Toolkit

The Ecosystem Services Toolkit – Completing and Using Ecosystem Service Assessment for Decision-Making: An Interdisciplinary Toolkit for Managers and Analysts is a technical guide to ecosystem services assessment and analysis that offers practical, step-by-step guidance for governments at all levels, as well as for consultants and researchers. The approach is fully interdisciplinary, integrating biophysical sciences, social sciences, economics, and traditional and practitioner knowledge. It provides guidance on how to consider and incorporate ecosystem services analysis in a variety of different policy contexts such as spatial planning, environmental assessment, and wildlife management, among others. It contains numerous innovative tools and resources designed to enhance users’ understanding of ecosystem services and to support analysis and decision-making. Canadian examples are featured throughout the guide.

Learn more about the Ecosystem Services Toolkit

New Solutions for Sustainable Stormwater Management in Canada

It is becoming clear that combining green infrastructure with existing grey infrastructure systems is a cost-effective option that provides a range of environmental and social benefits. It is also clear that stormwater management is a critical municipal service that requires a new funding approach that is dedicated, transparent and fair. Traditional grey infrastructure is costly and the lack of a dedicated, consistent funding source means few municipalities are able to proactively plan, build or maintain their stormwater system.

Smart Prosperity Institute (SPI) launched the New Solutions for Sustainable Stormwater Management project in November 2015 with the aim of enhancing the resilience of Canadian urban centres by moderating the impacts of extreme rainfalls through increased use of green infrastructure, and encouraging more Canadian municipalities to support this through “user pay” models and other incentives.

Finding the Nexus: Exploring Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation

This document briefly describes climate change mitigation and adaptation planning; discusses opportunities for local governments to integrate adaptation and mitigation efforts; provides examples of measures that address both; and highlights synergies between adaptation and mitigation measures, as well as potential contradictions.

As the level of government closest to residents, municipalities are well-positioned to prepare for a changing climate, and many municipalities have already begun responding to this challenge. In the past, climate change response strategies have too often focused on mitigation alone; however, adaptation is a crucial component of a comprehensive climate action plan. This Nexus document briefly describes climate change mitigation and adaptation planning; discusses opportunities for local governments to integrate adaptation and mitigation efforts; provides examples of measures that address both; and highlights synergies between adaptation and mitigation measures, as well as potential contradictions. Mitigation and adaptation are not mutually exclusive and should be seen as a two-pronged approach to managing the short and long-term disturbances to the climate.