The Scholars Project Library contents hundreds of reports, charts, tool-kits, and more, documenting the applied research produced since 2011. A useful body of knowledge to support further research around sustainability.

Building Energy Benchmarking and Reporting in the City of Victoria

The City of Victoria has a target of reducing community greenhouse gas emissions by 33% by 2020. The purpose of this project was to help the City conduct energy and water benchmarking of its own buildings and explore development of a policy to require the same of large buildings in the community in order to improve data access, transparency, demonstrate leadership and advocate early adoption with regard to building energy use.

Partner: City of Victoria
Keywords: green buildings, water

Built Environment & Mobility
Climate Change & Energy
UBC Sustainability Scholars report
PDF
2015
Manojkiran Casilingam

Wellbeing at UBC ‘Conversations in Wellbeing’ Engagement Strategy

This document expands on the initial Conversations in Wellbeing Engagement Strategy project. The first document served as an engagement piece to frame the conversation and to get input from those already working to promote wellbeing on UBC campuses. This report reflects the feedback from the initial document. 

Partner: UBC Wellbeing
Keywords: social sustainability, sustainability in education

Human Well-being & Social Systems
UBC Sustainability Scholars report
PDF
2015
Stephanie Aitken and Pariya Darvishzadeh

Conversations in Wellbeing: Reflections on 3 Vehicles for Campus Engagement

This report evaluates the challenges and opportunities of campus engagement. The document includes an explanation of Wellbeing at UBC, the ‘Conversations in Engagement’ project, a literature review, and the lessons learned from three vehicles for engagement including Staff Tune-ins, the Graduate Student Wellbeing Network, and the Faculty Wellbeing Cohort.

Partner: UBC Wellbeing
Keywords: social sustainability, sustainability in education

Human Well-being & Social Systems
UBC Sustainability Scholars report
PDF
2015
Erika Sagert

Corporate Building Energy Benchmarking

The City of Surrey has set goals to reduce corporate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 20% before 2020 from 2009 levels. Building energy benchmarking encourages organizations to track energy use and compare it with similar buildings, helping to make energy a more salient issue for building owners and operators and to potentially identify opportunities for savings. This project consisted of benchmarking 44 buildings using Energy Star Portfolio Manager (ESPM) to obtain building energy performance ratings.

Partner: City of Surrey
Keywords: green buildings

Built Environment & Mobility
Climate Change & Energy
UBC Sustainability Scholars report
PDF
2015
Sze Ting Tam

Chemicals and Products of Concern in Healthcare Facilities

In order to better understand the toxic substances in building materials and furnishing, the Fraser Health Lower Mainland Facilities Management is focusing on the toxic substances in resilient flooring and fire stopping sealants used in acute and chronic care facilities. This report elucidates on the possible toxic substances used in 1) resilient flooring, their installation, care, and maintenance, and 2) fire stopping sealants.

Partner: Fraser Health
Keywords: green buildings, social sustainability, sustainable development & green economy 

Built Environment & Mobility
Human Well-being & Social Systems
UBC Sustainability Scholars report
PDF
2015
Ivan Cheung

Building Energy Benchmarking for the UBC Neighbourhood

 To support the energy and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions laid out in UBC’s Community Energy and Emissions Plan (CEEP) for residential neighbourhoods on campus, UBC is developing a building energy benchmarking strategy. This report explains one of the first initiatives in the strategy to implement a benchmarking pilot project that focuses on six multi-family rental buildings in UBC’s residential neighbourhood.

Partner: UBC Sustainability & Engineering
Keywords: green buildings

Built Environment & Mobility
Climate Change & Energy
UBC Sustainability Scholars report
PDF
2015
Joshua Power

Building volunteerism capacity to support waste reduction at special events

This report details a best practices review for building volunteerism capacity to support waste reduction at special events. The objectives of this research include: investigate best practices employed by other municipalities to engage volunteers as recycling educators at special events; and provide analysis and recommendations that could be used by the City to create and maintain volunteer resources and to promote waste diversion. 

Partner: City of Vancouver
Keywords: zero waste, social sustainability, waste management & recycling

Production, Consumption & Waste
UBC Sustainability Scholars report
PDF
2014
Angie Nicolas

Inclusive Community Gardens: Planning for Inclusive and Welcoming Spaces in Vancouver

This document combines current knowledge of inclusivity through the engagement of existing community garden guidelines; dialogues hosted by Can You Dig It (CYDI) Possibilities, and community coordinators and gardeners in Vancouver. The aim is to understand inclusivity in the Vancouver context; investigate current attributes of community gardens and their members; and provide assistance to leaders and gardeners in the creation of more welcoming and inclusive gardens. 

Partner: City of Vancouver
Keywords: healthy city, social sustainability, food systems

Human Well-being & Social Systems
UBC Sustainability Scholars report
PDF
2014
Ashley Lowcock

Analyzing VFRS heavy vehicle fleet travel patterns and identifying opportunities for efficiencies

The Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services are exploring options to reduce their fuel usage without sacrificing safety or effectiveness of their fleet. This study identified two strategies to explore: expanding the Medic vehicle program and moving some training from Chess Street Training Grounds to “satellite training locations” including Firehalls 9, 10, 15 ,17, 18, and City Hall. 

Partner: City of Vancouver
Keywords: lighter footprint, transportation

Built Environment & Mobility
Production, Consumption & Waste
UBC Sustainability Scholars report
PDF
2014
Bethany Dobson

Secure Bike Parking in Vancouver: Local & Regional Context, Best Practices, and Recommendations for an EasyPark Pilot

This report reviews the state of secure bike parking in Vancouver, including a review of the local and regional context, case studies, and best practices. It also provides recommendations for an easyPark pilot bike mobility centre, one of the actions identified in the City of Vancouver’s transportation plan. 

Partner: City of Vancouver
Keywords: green transportation, transportation

Built Environment & Mobility
UBC Sustainability Scholars report
PDF
2014
Camille Lefrançois

Greening Waste Management at the Vancouver Police Department’s Property Office

This report was compiled with the objective of comparing the current practices of the Vancouver Police Department (VPD) property office with the disposal practices of other police agencies, as well as best practices in solid waste management. The report then makes recommendations on the opportunities that exist to move away from incineration of unclaimed property and towards options that allow for reuse and recycling. 

Partner: City of Vancouver
Keywords: zero waste, waste management & recycling

Production, Consumption & Waste
UBC Sustainability Scholars report
PDF
2014
Christa Brown

Viability of Electric Vehicles within the Vancouver Police Department Fleet

Emissions from gas vehicles negatively impact the environmental wellbeing of a city. Green initiatives that aim to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by replacing ageing internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs) with more environmentally friendly alternatives have been launched in numerous municipalities across Canada. The purpose of this project is to examine the feasibility of replacing the ageing 4-door administrative and detective fleet of Ford Fusions with electric vehicle (EV) alternatives at the Vancouver Police Department. 

Partner: City of Vancouver
Keywords: lighter footprint, transportation

Built Environment & Mobility
Data & Technology
UBC Sustainability Scholars report
PDF
2014
Daniel Wood

Greening a Heritage Building: Literature Review and Case Study

Literature review and case study synthesis on the benefits of heritage building conservation and how sustainability focused strategies may be applied to enhance both environmental performance and heritage conservation.

Partner: City of Vancouver
Keywords: climate and renewables, green buildings

Built Environment & Mobility
UBC Sustainability Scholars report
PDF
2014
Dennis Fan

Building Neighbourhood Social Resilience

This project focuses on building neighbourhood social resilience, specifically in regards to emergency preparedness as well as disaster response and recovery, which can be climate-related or otherwise. It includes a literature review, a best practices review, a Vancouver project inventory and a pilot study. 

Partner: City of Vancouver
Keywords: healthy city, social sustainability

Climate Change & Energy
Human Well-being & Social Systems
UBC Sustainability Scholars report
PDF
2014
Eliana Chia

Residential Parking Management: Best Practices & Policies

This report serves as a reference document on best practices and policies adopted by other cities to manage on-street parking in residential neighbourhoods. An emphasis is placed on residential parking permit schemes as well as other approaches that facilitate more effective on-street residential parking management. The report concludes by recommending some strategies that may be considered to improve management of on-street parking in Vancouver’s residential neighborhoods. 

Partner: City of Vancouver
Keywords: green transportation, transportation

Built Environment & Mobility
Policy, Economics & Governance
UBC Sustainability Scholars report
PDF
2014
Glen Chua

Connecting to Nature in Vancouver’s Urban Landscape: Greenest City Action Plan Access to Nature Strategies in Everyday Landscapes

This report explores how multiple Greenest City Action Plan strategies can be incorporated to increase connections to nature in the city within the design of characteristic urban landscapes. The strategies and other initiatives taking place in the city are the basis which informed the designs for a neighborhood park and major boulevard to show how these common urban spaces can bring quality nature experiences into our urban landscape. 

Partner: City of Vancouver
Keywords: access to nature, ecological systems, social sustainability

Ecological Systems
Human Well-being & Social Systems
UBC Sustainability Scholars report
PDF
2014
Lindsey Fryett

Predicting the internal corrosion in cast iron drinking water mains

The focus of the research study was to look at the chemical and physical parameters affecting the corrosion rate of water mains in the City, specifically cast iron water mains. This report contains information relevant for predicting the internal corrosion of cast iron drinking water mains.

Partner: City of Vancouver
Keywords: green buildings, water

Built Environment & Mobility
UBC Sustainability Scholars report
PDF
2014
Mehdi Bagheri

Roadmap for Green Innovation and Technology Demonstration in the False Creek Flats

The goal of this research is to extend the Campus as a Living Lab concept from the University of British Columbia to a “City as a Living Lab” including developing a roadmap for green innovation and technology demonstration in the False Creek Flats. From a distillation of the research questions, the objectives of this research have been simplified to the following: Identify demonstration sites and green technology ready to be demonstrated; and make recommendations for improvements on the current matching process. 

Partner: City of Vancouver
Keywords: green economy, sustainable development & green economy

Built Environment & Mobility
Data & Technology
UBC Sustainability Scholars report
PDF
2014
Paul Save

Place-Based Environmental Education: A Fieldhouse Feasibility Study for the Vancouver Park Board

This report explores the feasibility of converting fieldhouse(s) into place-based environmental education (PBEE) spaces in one or multiple biodiversity hot spots in the city. This research provides recommendations and next stepson three possible PBEE models that integrate urban environmental place-based learning approaches. A critical summary of a sample of Vancouver park fieldhouse locations with indoor and outdoor spaces and ecological surroundings is presented. An overview and assessment of existing environmental education partnerships and resources is also provided.

Partner: City of Vancouver
Keywords: ecological systems, biodiversity, social sustainability

Ecological Systems
Human Well-being & Social Systems
UBC Sustainability Scholars report
PDF
2014
Rachel Roy

Moving Forward: Opportunities for Vancouver’s Digital Wayfinding Map

In an effort to encourage more residents and visitors to explore Vancouver on foot, information kiosks, were installed across the city displaying neighbourhood maps and destinations. A pilot project in 2012 informed a system-wide refresh of these kiosks. One of the assets created as a result of this refresh was a custom, digital map of Vancouver. This report identifies opportunities for the new digital wayfinding map with a particular emphasis on its potential to encourage more walking trips throughout the city.

Partner: City of Vancouver
Keywords: green transportation, social sustainability

Built Environment & Mobility
Human Well-being & Social Systems
UBC Sustainability Scholars report
PDF
2014
Robert White

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