Resource Library

Indigenous concepts of wellness are distinct from western notions of wellness, and are unique to each Indigenous community’s respective worldview. As such, there is a growing recognition of the need for indicators that reflect Indigenous notions of wellness This project focuses on how to develop strengths-based, culturally relevant Indigenous wellness indicators for the City of Vancouver’s Healthy City Strategy in collaboration with the urban Indigenous community.

Partner: City of Vancouver
Keywords: social sustainability

To support the City of Vancouver’s goals of zero emission new buildings by 2030 and for 100% of the city’s energy to come from renewable energy by 2050, the city is exploring solar energy generation on underutilized rooftop spaces and business models that would make this possible. This report investigates administrative and legal structures of successfully operating rooftop solar utilities and co-operatives, including ownership models and rate structures.

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

Vancouver is home to a wide range of establishments that support reuse activities. While there are several reuse, recycling, and disposal resources online for residents to consult, there is no consolidated resource that compiles zero waste assets into one platform. Drawing from community based asset mapping theory, this report applies a participatory mapping framework to propose a methodology for developing, maintaining, and analyzing a zero waste assets map.

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

This feasibility study consisted of analyzing current wastewater flow and concentration data from various sources at UBC, and applying growth estimates to determine parameters for a conservative wastewater treatment design. The use of best available proven technology for a compact treatment design was a requirement due to space limitations on campus, and to meet spray irrigation effluent requirements for water re-use (Class A effluent), recover nutrients, and capture energy from the wastewater.

Partner: UBC Sustainability and Engineering
Keywords: sustainability in education, waste management & recycling, water

Mental health and resilience have been identified as a priority area for UBC to address in order to become a health and wellbeing promoting university. The purpose of this project was to develop a draft of the action framework for the mental health and resilience priority. The action framework intends to establish a shared vision, working definitions of mental health and resilience, and to synthesize existing strategies, practices, and actions across both UBC campuses.

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

This report provides City Council and staff with an updated version of New Westminster’s Sustainability Report Card as well as a synopsis of interview feedback. The updated report would be in alignment to various sustainability strategies and plans. In addition, the newly revised report card will be a tool for staff and applicants to engage and encourage responsible practices using a social/cultural, economic, and environmental lens. 

Partner: City of New Westminster
Keywords: leadership & behaviour change, sustainable development & green economy, green buildings

The BC Energy Step Code is a voluntary roadmap that establishes progressive steps to transition to constructing net-zero energy-ready buildings by 2032. The City of Maple Ridge is exploring the potential to use this optional roadmap to encourage more energy-efficient buildings. The key components of this project include: developing possible scenarios for the adoption of the BC Energy Step Code in Maple Ridge; modeling energy and GHG emissions reductions for each scenario; and creating a GHG modelling tool in Excel for development planning purposes.

Partner: City of Maple Ridge
Keywords: green buildings

Greening medical imaging operations in the Lower Mainland Health Organizations equips practitioners with a course of action to demonstrate their responsibility towards the environment by ensuring that their operational procedures do not hamper the sustainability of the larger ecosystem while promoting the wellbeing of their patients. This report contributes to understanding the contexts of operations in medical imaging departments so as to meet the needs of staff and ultimately improve environmental performance.

Partner: Fraser Health
Keywords: sustainable development & green economy, waste management & recycling

The Lower Mainland Facilities Management (LMFM) department manages the facilities of the four health organizations in the Lower Mainland. THis report includes a review of LEED Certification performance for healthcare facilities, identifies the connections between the Healthy Built Environment Toolkit and the LEED V4 for Building Design and Construction (BD+C), and developes a protocol for the post occupancy evaluation of healthcare facilities in the Lower Mainland.

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