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Jeremy Murphy

Pathway to Paris #16: Three steps to low carbon cities: finance, effective planning, appetite

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A biweekly climate briefing for municipalities

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In this Issue #16

  • How do we ensure cities are low carbon?
  • Clean energy grows and grows in Canada
  • Talk of the Cities
  • Downtown is sought after for both living and working
  • Are wealth indexes an accurate measurement of wealth?
  • Should local government also own and manage our energy supply?
  • Tickets are on sale for our 350.org gig in Paris (and selling out fast!)
  • Different approaches to climate action in Paris
  • Featured network: Local Climate Leaders Circle

Now that more people are seeking a compact city-life, how do we ensure cities are low carbon?

The latest report from New Climate Economy highlights policies and actions required to enable the transition to low carbon cities. Financial initiatives, essential monitoring tools and an appetite for walkability (as the article following this proves) are making the compact city popular again. Migration to cities is also increasing, for example by 2050 800 million people are expected to urbanize in Africa’s Sub Saharan region alone. So, how we can high carbon development be bypassed to manage this rapid urbanisation in a low carbon way? Read more

Jeremy Murphy

Listen to our latest Green Building podcast from our work with Portland Hotel Society (PHS) Community Services Society, Vancouver.

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Green Building audio tours have released our latest podcast that guides listeners through our project for community supported housing with Portland Hotel Society in Vancouver, BC. SSG Director Jeremy describes our contribution and sustainability of the 139 unit development for vulnerable people alongside Jeff West from Portland Hotel Society. Features include a rooftop garden, a high efficiency Airstack heating system, heat recovery units in the ventilation system, and a solar hot water array and 80% waste diversion rate during construction.

For the audio, please click here:

For images, please view here:

Jeremy Murphy

Prelude LEED Silver Development wins Award

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Prelude, a housing development we worked with to achieve LEED Silver Equivalency, has won the Multi Family Development Award by Canadian Home Builders Association.

Prelude City Homes is a unique mixed use development, one of the first to hit the market as part of the City of Vancouver’s innovative Cambie Corridor Plan. The 6.5-storey building consists of 4 strata commercial units and 52 strata residential units, two of which are free standing 3 bedroom laneway houses. Embodying the principles of urban densification, the project is located in the already established Oakridge neighbourhood, and within a few steps from schools, universities, parks, day care centres, community centres, a shopping centre, golf course, and the Canada Line Skystrain.

Sustainability Solutions Group was brought on to coordinate the achievement of LEED Silver Equivalency, and has encouraged the incorporation of such building features as: the use of groundwater for irrigation, the use of heat recovery ventilators, maximized daylighting, and LED lighting systems, to name a few.

Jeremy Murphy

SSG Achieves LEED® Gold Certification for 108-Unit Building for Women’s Socially-Assisted Housing

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The Canadian Green Building Council recently announced that the Sorella Women’s Housing project was awarded LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold status. Sorella is a new 10-storey, mixed-use building in downtown Vancouver dedicated to housing women. At the corner of Abbott Street and Pender Street, near Vancouver’s Chinatown gates, the building replaces a vacant, derelict lot. The 108 unit building also has 4 ground floor commercial spaces that are occupied by restaurants and a barber shop. Read more

Jeremy Murphy

North Cowichan and SSG win 2013 Climate & Energy Action Award

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The Municipality of North Cowichan was awarded the Community Energy Association’s Community Planning and Development Award at this week’s UBCM conference. Sustainability Solutions Group (SSG) performed North Cowichan’s unique and innovative Climate Action and Energy Plan, launched earlier this year. The plan, with funding support from BC Hydro, inventoried the community’s existing energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, and identified future trends in energy and GHG emissions based on population, land use, technology and other factors. Read more

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