Meeting Last Night - Urban Form

Last night, we had a great presentation by Andrew Devlin who is a researcher out of UBC. The great thing about Andrew's work is that it confirms what we already know about walkable communities and how they are less carbon intense. His research backs this up with hard science.


There is a direct correlation between urban built form and energy use. The more walkable, mixed-use, and dense an area is, the less GHG emissions it produces. North of Fraser communities produce 5.21kgCO2e per capita while South of Fraser communities produce 8.77kgCO2e per capita. 61% of travel emissions in the South of Fraser are caused by commuting. So what are the solutions to reduce GHG emission and build healthier communities?


We need a balanced approach with “carrots” such as strong land use regulation and accessible, affordable green transportation option. We also need “sticks” such as vehicle, parking, and road pricing. We need rapid transit spines that we can focus our development along such as 200th Street in Langley. I suggestion that you check out this great presentation for all the facts and listen to the audio below.


Presentation

Towards a Less Carbon Intensive Built Environment: Evidence and Ideas for South of the Fraser

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