KirstenMcDonald – Environmental Stewardship and Urban Infrastructure

Although a large proportion of the world’s population live in large cities, in Canada, 40% of the population live in mid-sized cities (50,000 to 550,000 people) [1]. Mid-sized cities often face different challenges when it comes to sustainable transportation compared to large cities, but are important to focus on as well.

Community members living in mid-sized cities are often heavily reliant on vehicles. Most mid-sized cities in Canada are relatively new and were built during the automobile era, which allowed for infrastructure to be spread out. Zoning laws in cities also make it hard for its residents to use multimodal modes of transportation due to the large size of neighbourhoods and how far away they are from daily amenities.

The reason that public transportation works so well in large cities is because there are a lot of people traveling in the same places, which means that buses can run more often and be more reliable. In smaller towns, it is a challenge to get people to take public transportation because they often have to bike or even drive long distances to get to the bus stop, making the use of public transport a hassle. In addition, traffic delays in mid-sized towns aren’t problematic enough to promote other modes of transportation, because people ultimately want to choose the fastest and most efficient ways to travel.

Being from a mid-sized town myself, I was curious to look into the green transport initiatives that my hometown, Kelowna BC, is taking. The Kelowna metropolitan area has a population of nearly 200,000 people and it is rapidly increasing. It is expected that 50,000 people will move to Kelowna in the next 20 years [2]. With a rapid increase in population comes a lot of opportunity for sustainable initiatives going forward.

The City of Kelowna hopes to increase the ease of public transport use in the future by prioritizing buses over other traffic at key locations, and increasing the frequency and reliability of public transport. Rapid transit systems such as bus rapid transit, or light rail traffic are not economically feasible for the City of Kelowna at this point, but may be examined more in the future. The majority of Kelowna residents currently feel that automobile transport is the only viable transportation option, and one of the City’s main goals is to shift this mindset in the coming years [3].

References:

[1] https://urbansystems.ca/driving-change-sustainable-transportation/

[2] https://kelownapublishing.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=16871

[3] https://www.kelowna.ca/sites/files/1/docs/related/facts_in_focus_-_congestion_paradox_20180708_.pdf

Green Infrastructure in the City of Vancouver focuses on sustainably managing rainwater runoff due to the high volumes of annual rainfall that Vancouver receives. According to the City of Vancouver, Green Infrastructure “mimics natural water processes. It works with plants, soils, trees, and built structures to capture and clean rainwater before returning it to our waterways and atmosphere.” The following video explains Green Infrastructure in the City of Vancouver in more detail.

In rural areas, rainwater would typically be absorbed into the ground and would either slowly drain into a stream or river, or be transpired through plants. In large cities however, rainwater often becomes contaminated with pollutants on impervious surfaces such as roofs or pavement and is then released back into rivers or streams at an “unnatural” pace. This can disrupt the natural process that rainfall would typically undergo, and if large rainfall events occur, rainwater can often end up in the sewage system, resulting in contaminated water.

Some examples of green infrastructure that have been implemented in the City of Vancouver include green roofs, rain-friendly streets, swales, rain gardens, and parks. Green roofs are considered “living roofs” and are covered with various plants and trees in order to reduce rainwater runoff. Green roofs can also help to insulate buildings, and provide habitat for smaller forms of wildlife, and pollinators. Rain friendly streets, swales and rain gardens are all infrastructures designed to reduce rainwater runoff. Lastly, parks also mitigate rainwater runoff and are a beautiful space that communities can enjoy.

Some of the benefits of green infrastructure include improving water and air quality. With additional green space in cities, less rainwater is contaminated due to runoff, and green space can help sequester CO2. Green space also helps to reduce the risk of flooding and better manages rainwater. Green infrastructure can also help cities become more resilient to climate change. Incorporating green infrastructure elements reduces heat island effects in cities and helps to keep them cool during extreme heat waves. Sewer infrastructure costs can also be decreased with green infrastructure implementation, because the volume of runoff entering the sewage system is reduced. The lifetime of sewage systems is therefore increased, and less maintenance is required. Lastly, green infrastructure can help improve the mental and physical health of communities, by creating an inviting open green space for exercise and enjoyment.

Reference:

“Green Infrastructure, Sustainably Managing our Rainwater,” City of Vancouver: https://vancouver.ca/home-property-development/green-infrastructure.aspx

Author: KirstenMcDonald

Human Mobility in Mid-sized Cities

Green Infrastructure in the City of Vancouver