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ACT Solutions |  |
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Surrey, BC Subdivision Leads Way in Incorporating Principles of Sustainability This project sought to address seven principles of sustainability: natural drainage systems; five-minute walking distances to transit and commercial services; different dwelling types in the same neighbourhood; detached dwellings that present a friendly face; car storage and services handled in lanes at the rear of dwellings; a grid street pattern; and narrower streets with lighter, cheaper, greener, smarter construction. Each of the seven principles has, to varying degrees, been met in the East Clayton development. Subdivision Introduces Innovative Lot/Design Concepts That Sell Conventional subdivision standards can give rise to the following drawbacks: garage-dominated streetscapes; lack of privacy on corner lots; and under-valuation of pie-shaped lots compared to rectangular lots, in terms of land and linear infrastructure consumption per home. Four new design concepts include a lot with a permanent garden suite, private corner lots, live/work housing lots and herringbone lots, which have wide frontages and short yards on an angle to the street. As a by-product of creating innovative lot configurations and design concepts, it was discovered that four additional lots could be included in the subdivision. Terrain Demands Leading-Edge Water Plan For Yellowknife, the cost benefits of on-site wastewater recycling extend beyond day-to-day reductions in water supply requirements and sewage collection and treatment requirements. A system that requires reduced water treatment capacity allows more flexibility in locating housing, as development does not need to be near water and sewer lines. Housing affordability would be enhanced because the City would be able to make more efficient use of what, at times, can be a restricted land base. Achieving Smart Growth in British Columbia Smaller municipalities tend to lack the staff, the financial resources or the regulatory capacity to implement smart growth principles. With the support of a multi-disciplinary group of professionals, West Coast Environmental Law (WCEL) developed a Smart Bylaws Guide to assist municipalities in adopting smart development practices. WCEL received ACT funding to use in demonstrating the application of the Guide with four municipalities.
Recycling Former Military Housing into Affordable Homeownership The close working relationship Habitat for Humanity Northumberland established with the Town of Cobourg proved essential for the successful purchase and rehabilitation of former military housing at a greatly reduced cost. The municipality’s collaboration resulted in significant savings of about $1.3 million. New Approaches Create a Unique Model Ecovillage Cowichan Valley Regional District worked with OUR Community Association to develop a new zone, called “Rural Residential Comprehensive Development Zone”, the first of its kind in Canada. This zone permits a combination of land uses and allows the creation of a multi-functional, holistic ecovillage. The ACT project included construction of a demonstration building featuring an environmentally sensitive design and the use of natural materials — specifically cob construction (sand, clay and straw mixed with water — straw bale construction, rainwater harvesting, alternative heating/energy, earthen floors and a green roof. Sustainable Aboriginal Demonstration Project Challenges Traditional Practices The Mohawk community of Kahnawake, 10 kilometres southwest of Montreal on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River, wanted to develop a culturally and environmentally appropriate community. A biological wastewater treatment system, and other development aspects of the Kanata Healthy Neighbourhood, would require changes to Kahnawake's regulations. It would also require close cooperation between Band Council departments that previously had little interaction. Developing Laneway Housing Numerous Canadian municipalities have small remnant, often derelict, back lane properties which could be used for dozens, if not hundreds, of laneway housing sites. This type of development contributes to densification, while making use of an inexpensive, unrealized resource for affordable housing. Nevertheless, such housing can rarely, if ever, comply with existing regulations relating to setbacks, parking, percentage of landscaped area and so on. The project documented existing Toronto laneway dwellings as examples and created prototype laneway house designs for four types of laneway lots— corner, island, key and slot—typically found in a city like Toronto. Affordable Workforce Housing in a Resort Community Escalating real estate prices and a shortage of building sites for homes have been driving homeownership and rental costs in the luxury resort community of Whistler beyond the means of the town’s resident workforce and seasonal workers. The municipality introduced new regulatory measures in 2003 to limit further loss and gentrification of the town’s remaining affordable private housing stock. With the assistance of an ACT grant, the Whistler Housing Authority commissioned a study in 2004 to create baseline research against which the municipality could assess the effectiveness of its regulatory changes. These and other solutions are available from ACT’s website. 
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