Critical Infrastructure for Sustainable CommunitiesCritical Infrastructure for

Sustainable Communities

Chris Ling Ann Dale:

Canada Research Chair in Sustainable Communities

Royal Roads University

What is Infrastructure?What is Infrastructure?

The set of structural elements that supports the day to day function

and influences the direction of society

What is Sustainable Infrastructure?What is Sustainable Infrastructure?

The designing, building, and operating of these structural elements in ways that do not do not diminish the social, economic

and ecological processes required to maintain human equity, diversity and the

functionality of natural systems.

Why do we need it?Why do we need it?

The importance of sustainable infrastructure to a community and its capacity for innovation is similar to the foundation the human skeleton plays in the overall structuring, functioning and health of the body.

The Ecological ImperativeThe Ecological Imperative

Meeting the challenges of Climate Change:

• Retrofitting buildings with standard technology = 30% GHG saving

• Retrofitting with leading-edge technology = 60% GHG saving

Could save up to 1/5 of current energy consumption

The Social ImperativeThe Social Imperative

• Liveability and Quality of Life

• Impact of the built environment on health and well-being

The Economic ImperativeThe Economic Imperative

• Lower maintenance costs

• Lower energy costs

• Lower health care costs

• Drive for innovation

• Competitive edge

Source: Evan Hill (2005)

The ResearchThe Research

• Trans-disciplinary team:

• Public and private sector

• Expertise in economics, planning, forestry, systems dynamics, community participation and geography

• Additional expertise bought from practitioners, decision-makers, researchers and from civil society

• Case studies from infrastructure innovation in Canada

• Survey of planners

• 6 E-dialogues

OutcomesOutcomes

• A website to enhance literacy for public infrastructure.

• 20 case studies – dynamic and interactive

• Database of innovators

• Integrated Community Sustainability Planning Tool

• Series of community checklists for Sustainable Infrastructure

Website: http://crcresearch.royalroads.ca/sustainableinfrastructure

Website: http://crcresearch.royalroads.ca/sustainableinfrastructure

Case studiesCase studies

Sectors:

• Energy

• Transportation

• Waste Management

• Land Use Planning

• Governance

Demonstrating:

• Integrated Planning

• Transformation and Innovation

• Transferability

Sustainable Infrastructure Case StudiesSustainable Infrastructure Case Studies

Land Use PlanningLivability as Part of Sustainable Development

Long Term Planning

TransportationMass Transit as a Tool to Encourage Sustainable Communities

New Mobility HUBs in Toronto

Transit-oriented Residential Development at Mt. St. Hillaire

WasteGreen Bin Programs

Storm Water Management

Sustainable Infrastructure Case StudiesSustainable Infrastructure Case Studies

EnergyA Microgeneration Strategy for Canada

Deep Water Cooling

Municipally Sponsored Use of Energy Performance Contracting

Renewable Energy on PEI

Wolfe Island Wind Power, Kingston

GovernanceEcoperth

Quest Food Exchange

The Use of Mid-term Objectives and Implementation mechanisms

United we Can community initiative

FindingsFindings

• Key findings

• Recommendations

• Community Checklists

• ICSP Tool

Key findingsKey findings

• The legal system does not best serve sustainable imperatives.

• Planning usually far too short term – needs to be 100 years +

• Champion based progress – lack of institutional support

• 19th and 20th Century governance structures are not suitable for 21st Century imperatives.

• Fundamental gridlock in almost all Canadian communities.

• Disconnect between federal, provincial and local government; between large, medium and small communities; between business and research communities; between the planning system and on-the-ground implementation

• Lack of vision - particularly at the Federal level.

The problem of “lock-in”The problem of “lock-in”

• Magnitude of investment in current infrastructure is huge – e.g. Ottawa = $112 Billion

• One unsustainable historical infrastructure choice is intrinsically tied and has led to others – e.g. a 1950s suburb is a complex relationship between lot sizes, storm pipes, sewers, roads, parks etc etc – a change in one means a change in all.

• Current planning process are also part of this relationship

• The cost of change of each individual component is likely modest – the cost to change all, is huge.

• With short-term perspectives this is not affordable for most communities.

Key findings – the positiveKey findings – the positive

• 700 decision makers: Something must be done!

• Near unanimous agreement – investment in sustainable infrastructure is a necessary and sufficient condition for the ecological, social and economic well being of out communities.

• There are many examples of Canadian innovative sustainable infrastructure choices, in all sectors of infrastructure.

• The problem is not one of example, technology or even cost, the problem is one of planning and governance.

Known

Complex

Chaos

Waste ManagementEnergy

TransportationLand Use Planning

Governance

Entrenched Silos (strong centre weak edges)BarriersBest Practices / Case Studies

Linear Solutions (strong centre, strong edges)Reduce, reuse, recycleCost/benefit analysesPrototypes

Cross domain connections(weak centre, strong edges)Worldview linkagesSustainability @ CAS???

No patterns, no relationships(weak centre, weak edges)Crisis challenges all knowns, knowables, complexitiesEmergencies @ emergents

KnowableKnowable

Infrastructure Learning

SummarySummary

Locked in technology

and processes

Isolated innovations and innovators

Flexible sustainable processes

A variety of local solutions appropriate to local conditions supported by processes

Un-supportive system Sustainable solutions

Using market mechanisms to stimulate greater innovation and adoption

Using market mechanisms to stimulate greater innovation and adoption

Without the internalization of environmental costs sustainable infrastructure will never be a political priority

Recommendation:

Municipal government implement comprehensive water pricing

Provincial and Federal governments implement a carbon pricing system

Money raised invested in sustainable infrastructure

Necessity of Innovative FinancingNecessity of Innovative Financing

The investment required is too pricy for a tax-based system, private financing must be sought to support communities

and spread the risk of innovation

Recommendation:

Governments implement programs to explore and disseminate the knowledge

of alternative financing techniques

Reducing uncertainty and riskReducing uncertainty and risk

Most communities in Canada are so far from being sustainable, fairly radical changes are required, needing

state-of-the-art and the innovative. But most communities so not have the capacity to manage this risk

Recommendation:

The federal government lead and broker partnerships for continuing pilot projects

for leading edge solutions

Mechanisms to alleviate risks are considered e.g. subsidized insurance

Reducing uncertainty and riskReducing uncertainty and risk

Most communities in Canada are so far from being sustainable fairly radical changes are required. But most communities so not have the capacity to manage this risk

Recommendation:The federal government lead

and broker partnerships for continuing pilot projects for leading edge solutions

Mechanisms to alleviate risks are considered e.g. subsidized insurance

Reducing uncertainty and riskReducing uncertainty and risk

Most communities in Canada are so far from being sustainable fairly radical changes are required, needing

state-of-the-art and the innovative. But most communities so not have the capacity to manage this risk

Recommendation:All levels of government should implement asset management, life-cycle analysis and full cost accounting with ongoing periodic reviews of sustainable infrastructure investments.

Regulatory regimes provide lee-way for investors willing to incur risks by moving to leading edge and proven state of the art technology investments

Policy congruence and alignmentPolicy congruence and alignment

Policies, codes, and standards for sustainable infrastructure development vary enormously across and between

governments, and often are simply inconsistent. Initiatives at community levels are often stymied. Planning is

disconnected from actual implementation.

Recommendation:

Infrastructure Canada convene a series of regional planning round tables to

identify inconsistencies, and to begin comprehensive policy congruence and

realignment between municipal, provincial and federal levels.

Comprehensive Planning TechniquesComprehensive Planning Techniques

Comprehensive long term planning for sustainability in Canadian communities is not common, and when in place,

rarely linked to decision-making bodies and governance structures. Present planning at best only touches on the

costs associated with sustainable development.

Recommendation:

The Government of Canada disseminate knowledge on sustainable infrastructure

innovations and planning techniques; including techniques to enhance the

sociological and economic and environmental attributes of sustainability

and cost forecasting.

Innovative Financing TechniquesInnovative Financing Techniques

Innovative financing options are a key for communities trying to redirect less sustainable infrastructure choices to

more sustainable ones: The encouragement of e.g.

Recommendation:

• Energy performance contracting

• Utilities provide funds to businesses to implement improvement, reclaiming funds with on-bill surcharging.

• Built/Own/Operate/Transfer public/private/partnerships to finance sustainable larger infrastructure

investments

Innovative Financing TechniquesInnovative Financing Techniques

Innovative financing options are a key for communities trying to redirect less sustainable infrastructure choices to

more sustainable ones.

Recommendation:

Federal and Provincial governments encourage

municipalities to sponsor the wide-spread use of energy performance contracting to

finance improvements in energy and water use of buildings.

Community ChecklistsCommunity Checklists

For each of the five infrastructure sectors, what are the questions that a community needs to ask?

• Energy – focus on energy savings

• Waste – focus on composting and storm water

• Transport – focus on Transit Hubs

• Land use planning - focus on long-term and limits to growth

• Governance – policy alignment

Energy savingsEnergy savings

Basic Information and Initial Decisions• Is there support within your community for energy saving investments, and

how is this support being articulated?

• Are you aware of how much can be achieved through planning for energy savings?

• Have you examined case studies and best practices to get a feel for what can be done?

• Have you undertaken an energy audit of your facilities?

• Do you intend to undertake energy-savings investments in-house or are you going to contract out?

• Are your plans for energy savings linked to a broader sustainability plan?

Energy savingsEnergy savings

Implementation

• Do you have a list of reputable energy-savings suppliers?

• For energy saving, are you aware that employee and tenant awareness programs may be just as important as investment in equipment?

• Has consideration been given to green building standards in the planning and construction of new buildings?

GovernanceGovernance

Basic Information and Initial Decisions• Have you prepared an inventory of your guidelines, regulations,

standards, bylaws, zoning requirements?

• Is your municipality aware of any overlap and duplication between local, provincial and federal responsibilities that may affect the development of sustainable infrastructure?

• What are the barriers to concrete implementation of sustainable infrastructure?

• Have you assessed your community’s engagement to climate change and sustainability?

• What are other communities doing, and who are the leading edge communities in planning and implementing novel plans for governance?

• What is the most appropriate planning timeframe for implementing sustainable community development?

GovernanceGovernance

Implementation

• Have you considered how to address the whole issue of sustainability and how to govern it?

• Do you have a template or plan to introduce sustainability within your community, and appropriately govern it?

• Have you aligned policies, zoning, bylaws, regulations and standards to achieve optimal sustainable infrastructure implementation?

• Do you have readily available material describing the long term advantages of pursing sustainability within your community?

• Have you developed a process to ensure community engagement, and political commitment and support?

Integrated Community Sustainability Plans for Canadian Municipalities

Integrated Community Sustainability Plans for Canadian Municipalities

The development of a template to support

integrated community sustainability planning

“I believe many planners, certainly those properly

credentialed, have been practicing the planning

approach that is advocated in this [tool] for many years...

Whether the decision-making frameworks have embraced

these is another matter.”

Opportunity

“I think the biggest barrier is that we generally do not have good processes or structures in place in our communities that allow us to develop community visions or plans in a systematic way.”

“We have separated humans from other beings and from

nature.”

What is it about?

“Sustainability, I believe, is not an end state. Consequently, a static plan cannot purport to provide the ultimate prescription for sustainability.

What is the template about?What is the template about?

EngagementEngagement

IntegrationIntegration

Tools and TechniquesTools and Techniques

Reconciliation

Dynamics

Guidance

“planning at too large a scale often bogs down because of differences

in interest OR if you have a common interest but no authority.

Planning at too small a scale often means that the plan is great but the

power/authority to implement change is lacking.”

Principles

“at what level do we decide to plan, on the scale of a neighbourhood or a region, and in reality, are not cities just a system of embedded neighbourhoods if diversity is respected”

PrinciplesPrinciples

Integration: linking sustainability and planning policyIntegration: linking sustainability and planning policy

Inclusion: early and full engagement of the communityInclusion: early and full engagement of the community

Scale: moving beyond municipal boundaries and short term policies

Governance: proactive planning rather than reactive planning

“Please don't encourage people not to be visionary or

utopian --how else will be move out of our present

predicament.”

The approach

“I think that the base planning would be done at a 100 year time scale, at a geographic scale that included a city and it's hinterland.”

The stepwise approachThe stepwise approach

Engage with the communityEngage with the community

Understanding the placeUnderstanding the place

Creating a planCreating a plan

ImplementationImplementation

“Looking at the embedded links in the Integrated

Community Sustainability Planning tool … all attempt to engage the whole community

in the planning process -- as a first step of integration.”

Engaging

“Planning strategies can begin with a single building, say a house…From house to street to block to neighbourhood similar themes can be developed…with synergy kicking in to support [the] district.”

Engaging the communitygetting people involved

Engaging the communitygetting people involved

Representation: who is the community – what are the stakeholders?Representation: who is the community – what are the stakeholders?

Principles of engagement: to engender a open, collaborative and inclusive processPrinciples of engagement: to engender a open, collaborative and inclusive process

Use of tools: many existing resources to help the processUse of tools: many existing resources to help the process

Learning from others: use the experience of other communitiesLearning from others: use the experience of other communities

“We are trying to create a structure plan whereby density increases and

forms are connected to transportation infrastructure, energy opportunities, amenities (existing or

potential) etc…like streets that function as parks, like parks that

function like farms, etc.”

Understanding

“but what about protecting agricultural land and natural spaces from the development/growth frenzy?”

Mapping the communityunderstanding the place

Mapping the communityunderstanding the place

Green and community mapping: what matters, and where?Green and community mapping: what matters, and where?

Land use and landscape planning: how to manage growth and changeLand use and landscape planning: how to manage growth and change

Systems approach: making space for natural systems and developing within the carrying capacity of the region

Systems approach: making space for natural systems and developing within the carrying capacity of the region

“we cannot create community until we first

envision it”

Creation

“As we ponder scale of place -- what about time scale? These days we are taking up more place space but seem to have less and less time to allocate to whole systems thinking and planning – it is just urgent -- no time for importance.”

Creating a planframeworks for development and change

Creating a planframeworks for development and change

What is the community vision?What is the community vision?

Timeframe: long-term vision linked to short term cycles and goalsTimeframe: long-term vision linked to short term cycles and goals

Scale: links to neighbouring jurisdictions, nested systemsScale: links to neighbouring jurisdictions, nested systems

“I have observed over the years that much good work is done at the community or OCP planning level… only to be completely ignored at the implementation phase”

Creation

“in my area. . . people are wanting to create rural co-housing, small eco-villages etc and are running smack into zoning regulations that were designed [for] a large extended family that farmed the land . . . times have changed but underlying thinking… has not”

Creating a planframeworks for development and change

Creating a planframeworks for development and change

Institutional needs: is the municipality in a position to deliver on the plan?Institutional needs: is the municipality in a position to deliver on the plan?

Identify strategic areas: what does the plan need to focus on?Identify strategic areas: what does the plan need to focus on?

Commitments and outcomes: what are the resource and reporting implications of the plan?

Commitments and outcomes: what are the resource and reporting implications of the plan?

“The recently completed regional plan placed a moratorium on development while policies were established and now the document itself is poised for implementation.”

Implementation

“a large barrier to integrated planning is the … weak position of Planning relative to the larger power of the politicians, Engineering Dept and Parks Depts (and the even weaker positions of environmental planning or social planning sections – if they exist at all)”

Implementing the planThe ICSP needs to be the primary operating

document for the municipality

Implementing the planThe ICSP needs to be the primary operating

document for the municipality

Policies bylaws and regulations: do these line up behind the ICSP – or are they contradictory?

Policies bylaws and regulations: do these line up behind the ICSP – or are they contradictory?

Legal authority: Is the plan enforceable by law?Legal authority: Is the plan enforceable by law?

Monitoring: is there a robust cycle of evaluation to ensure that short term action move the community towards the long term vision?

Monitoring: is there a robust cycle of evaluation to ensure that short term action move the community towards the long term vision?

“The tool is an excellent guide for communities to pursue sustainability. It offers many worthwhile, essential even, suggestions for communities to undertake Integrated Community Sustainability Planning.”

“a static plan cannot purport toprovide the ultimate prescription for sustainability”