Soak it up! Policies and tools for community-wide implementation of green stormwater infrastructure. Alix Taylor, Green Communities Canada

Transcription

1 Soak it up! Policies and tools for community-wide implementation of green stormwater infrastructure Alix Taylor, Green Communities Canada

2 Green Communities Canada RAIN Program Soak it Up! Toolkit Stormwater 101 Challenges and barriers Solutions Case studies Lessons learned Strategies

3 Green Communities Canada Two decades of experience. Brand recognition with funders and national partners. Trusted source of environmental information and resources. Collaborative. Community-based and engaging. Results-driven and professional. Experienced and knowledgeable. Creative and fun to work with.

4 RAIN Community Solutions Public outreach and awareness Workshops and workbees Demonstration projects Site specific advice Contractor training and referrals Tours and other events Neighbourhood action planning Information sharing in the industry

5 Stormwater 101

6 Soak it up! Toolkit plans/strategies community engagement building capacity new development green streets public lands urban forest private property economic instruments

7 Challenges/Barriers Existing infrastructure and competing uses Shrinking budgets during recession Multiple departments and stakeholders Lack of capacity Beliefs that It won t work here

8 Opportunities Embrace innovation Focus upstream (not just the shoreline) Engage people via business/homeowner associations, churches, schools Public parks can do double duty Promote naturalization and tree planting Philadelphia Water Department. Stormwater dry pond doubles as public park and theatre.

9 Beyond demo projects Across the landscape Manage rain where it falls Watershed scale impacts Toolkit for building on: Local priorities Local capacity Creating a linked strategy Inspiring and mobilizing action SAVE MONEY. REDUCE FLOOD RISK. PROTECT OUR WATER.

10 Across Canada Progressive municipalities lead the way.

11 Municipal planning options Official Plan Growth Stormwater Watershed and source protection Sustainability Climate adaptation/flood management Asset management Urban forestry Complete Streets (transportation)

12 Creating a local strategy Provincial policy requirements Local hot buttons Beaches/tourism Drinking water Fishing Saving money Climate adaptation Wet basements/flooding Potholes

13 Building support Get community onside Educate decision makers Use peer to peer networking Demonstrate cost savings Seek out community champions (residents and municipal staff) Do demos that involve community and engage media Make managing rain where it falls the new normal Offer incentives

14 Transforming the urban landscape Halifax Philadelphia Montreal

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16 Kitchener/Waterloo Growing infrastructure deficit Stormwater fees and credits Big media for demonstration projects People engaged in reducing volumes Pilot home and commercial visits RAIN barrel blitz 600,000 m3 diverted annually

17 Vancouver Ambitious targets: 25 mm absorbed 25 mm treated/cleaned 90% captured and treated $1.5M for GI team, plan. Multiple drivers (water quality, CSOs, biodiversity, flood prevention, climate resiliency. Rain gardens, green alleys, daylighting creeks, and more. Rain is a resource.

18 Victoria Stormwater user fee roll out in 2016 Rainwater rewards program Online tool City of Victoria ineering/stormwater/managing-rain-as-aresource/rain_gardens_in_victoria.html

19 Toronto Green streets design guidelines in development Integration with Complete Streets Green Roofs policy Green P parking lots Photocredit: City of Toronto, Fairfordand Coxwell Parkette, Sheila Boudreau on twitter.

20 Mississauga Massive sprawl Repeated flooding Resolution for LID in rights of way CVC and TRCA working with developers Stormwater fee and credit system Photocredit: Toronto Star. Mississauaga, July 2013

21 New York City Capture 1, 10% of impervious areas in CSO district, by 2030 Reduce CSO volumes by 3.8 billion gallons/year Save $1.5 billion vs. all grey, reduce risks Photocredit: Street makeover in Brooklyn.

22 Chicago Every alley to become a green alley Cost of permeable pavement came down to cost of regular pavement within 1 year RainReady, CNT

23 Milwaukee Goal to capture 740 million gallons or 0.5 inch of rainfall with every storm across the region by 2035.

24 Seattle Projects in the rights of way Swale on Yale manages runoff from 400 acres 12,000 Rain Gardens Program Source: n/projects/swaleonyale/index.htm

25 Philadelphia Credits and incentives Greened acre retrofit program Commitment to make 1/3 of city permeable Green roofs, permeable pavement, rain gardens, and more Photo credit:

26 Lessons learned Specific, tangible goals are essential Green stormwater plans that target problem areas have the most by-in and benefits Grants for construction and ongoing credits work best together Credits need to be paired with education and community engagement. Photo credit: (San Francisco)

27 Demonstrate benefits for developers. More space for building lots Integrated design process/charrettes Expedited approvals Floor area bonus Beautification premium Green sells Photo credit: Barr Engineering, Burnsville, Minnesota.

28 Demonstrate community benefits. Public safety Flood reduction City cooling Open beaches Healthy fishery Beautification Walkability

29 Conduct community engagement. Workshops Presentations Special events Partnerships Demonstrations Depaving Work bees Site specific advice Community survey Tours

30 Provide local and specific advice Reduce flood risk. Reduce slips and falls from icing hazards. Understand path of runoff. Extend downspouts to permeable area. Regrade. Rain harvesting. Soak up rain via infiltration landscaping. SAVE MONEY. REDUCE FLOOD RISK. PROTECT OUR WATER.

31 Build capacity Training and certification. Work with industry partners. Presentations at conferences. Toolkit and other online resources. Umbrella Bulletin. Don t forget property managers and maintenance staff.

32 Hold onto your soil Soil is not just dirt, it supports plants, infiltration and essential biological processes. 30 cm of topsoil to support plants and trees. Organic and uncompact Examples- Halton and Okotoks SAVE MONEY. REDUCE FLOOD RISK. PROTECT OUR WATER.

33 Check downspouts. Disconnect and redirect to permeable area. Harvest, infiltrate. Voluntary, incentives, mandatory. Portland, London, Toronto. Photo source: Snohomish Conservation District, Washington

34 Opportunities on public lands Alleys Schools Parks Parking lots

35 Stormwater user fees Smart Prosperity-New Solutions for Sustainable Stormwater Management in Canada City of Mississauga- Stormwater charge

36 Take the next step. Download Soak it Up! Toolkit. Sign up for Umbrella Bulletin. Talk to decision makers and community organizers about hosting RAIN Community Solutions. Learn more at webinars, trainings. Retrofit your own property and place of work (lead by example).