Port Whitby Sustainable Community PlanCommunity PlanIntegrating Sustainability

Meridian Planning ConsultantsplanningAllianceGLPiArup

Cameron Thomson

Introduction

• What is Sustainability ?

Wh t d it f P t Whitb d it• What does it mean for Port Whitby and its community?

• Resource use in Whitby (sustainability indicators)• Resource use in Whitby (sustainability indicators)

• Potential Sustainability strategies and technologies which could work at Port Whitbywhich could work at Port Whitby

• Existing Sustainable Communities

Defining Sustainability – climate change?

Water?

Green buildings?

Defining Sustainability

• Different definitions to different people:• Community member organic produce green buildings?• Community member – organic produce, green buildings?

• Police – Safe society?

• Business – energy efficiency long term viability?Business energy efficiency, long term viability?

• City employee – transport solutions, long term cost?

• Farmer – water availability?y

• All – affordable

Defining Sustainability

• Economic viability

E i t l t d hi• Environmental stewardship

• Social responsibility

$$• Much wider than: $$S t i bilit• Green buildings

• Carbon reduction• Environmental Protection

Sustainability

• Water conservation etc

What are we evaluating for Sustainability?

Water image

Energy Water use and WasteEnvironmentally

friendly Relations with Safetystrategy and

infrastructure

Water use and wastewater

Waste reduction

friendly materials and

built formlocal

community

TransportationBiodiversityLandscaping

and open space

Social Inclusion and

Equality

Sustainability education

Economic impacts

Integrating SustainabilityIntegrating Sustainability

Why Sustainability?

• Building healthy environments

• Improving schools and education

• Creating jobs and economy

• Providing affordable housing

• Providing a safe place to live

• And more …

• Building neighborhood connections

• Enhancing culture and entertainment

Because it will help keep your kids, and your kid’s kids in Whitby

Canada’s Ecofootprint

Sustainability and planning

$$ Jobs and Shelter prioritized

CommonPractice prioritizedPractice

$$ No planningDysfunctionalCommunityy

$$ Planning decisions are made through the lens of sustainability

Best Practice

Measuring SustainabilityMeasuring Sustainability

COMMUNITYDoes this create a stronger quality of life and sense ofDoes this create a stronger quality of life and sense of community?

• Does it benefit everyone?(regardless of age, race, income)

• Does it allow different parts of the community to come together?g(parks, community centers, public spaces, mixed housing types)

• Does it allow more people to access a better quality of life?(easy access to work, short walks to ( y ,green spaces, affordable housing)

ECONOMYDoes this strengthen Whitby’s economy?Does this strengthen Whitby s economy?

• Is it affordable and practical?p(renewable energy, new infrastructure)

• Does it create or maintain newDoes it create or maintain new jobs and opportunities?

• Does it reduce the cost of living?

• Does it create an environment for successful business?(access to resources and markets, skilled workers and transport)workers and transport)

ENVIRONMENTDoes this protect the environment of Whitby?Does this protect the environment of Whitby?

• How will this affect the Lake?(potential for pollution, constraining it)

• Will this encourage alternateWill this encourage alternate modes of transport?(public transport, bike lanes, walking trails)

• Is green space protected?(does the plan affect wildlife or green spaces?)

Whitby Resource useWhitby Resource use

Indicators of Sustainability

Energy – how it’s used

Energy use

• On average each Whitbyresident requiresresident requires enough electricity each day to make 145 cups of coffeecoffee

• Enough gas energy is consumed by eachconsumed by each Whitby resident on an average day to drive a 2010 Mi i C 600k2010 Mini Cooper 600km

Energy Source

Water

• The average household in Whitbyconsumes 270,000 liters ofconsumes 270,000 liters of potable water per year. This is equivalent to consuming over 60 cases of standard sized bottledcases of standard-sized bottled water every day

• In 2006 Durham abstracted 7 7In 2006, Durham abstracted 7.7 trillion liters of freshwater from Lake Ontario (350 Olympic

i i l h ) dswimming pools per hour) and 0.55 trillion liters from groundwater wells (250 Olympic swimming pools per hour).

Water

• The average household in Durham produces 154,000 liters of wastewater per year. This is the154,000 liters of wastewater per year. This is the equivalent of approx. 12,000 toilet flushes per household (flushes per second).

• Wastewater is treated at one of the 11 wastewater treatment plants in Durham (except for approx. 15% of users who are on a private septic system) andof users who are on a private septic system), and then discharged to Lake Ontario and other surface freshwater bodies

C tl bi lid d d d f tili f• Currently, biosolids are recovered and used as fertilizer for agricultural lands.

Water

WasteFood waste(weekly)

Residual garbage (every other week)

Food waste(weekly)

• The Average Citizen in Port Whitby generates

(weekly)(every other week) (weekly)

322.52 kg of waste per year equivalent to 1/3 of the weight of a small car

• For the whole town this adds up to:

• Over 3000 garbage trucks• Over 3000 garbage trucks of waste per year

• or approximately 134 Ol i i i lOlympic swimming pools

• Province of Ontario (1,100kg) and Canada (791 Leaf and yard 

ikg) composting(every other week)

Waste – where does it go?

Compost Facility 2 Courtice, CA

Compost Facility 1 Pickering, CA

Recycling FacilityWhitby, CA

Port Whitby

Landfill(Michigan, USA)

42%

Transport

• Only 22% of Whitby residents work in Whitbycompared to 50% of Ontarians working in theircompared to 50% of Ontarians working in their municipality of residence

• 13% of all residents journeys are walking, biking, or j y g gtaking transit compared to 20% for all of Ontario

• 0.2% of all trips (commuting and non-commuting) in Whitby are made by bicycle and 5.2% by walking

• 47% of auto trips in Whitby are less than 5km in l th G tti l t f d t biklength. Getting people out of cars and onto bikes would have a big impact in reducing traffic on the roads.

Transport

• The Whitby Train Station has the highest number of boardings on the GO Transit Lakeshore Eastboardings on the GO Transit Lakeshore East Corridor

• 77% of trips out of the Whitby Train Station originate y gwithin 5km of the station (the typical walking and biking catchment area) yet 74% of passengers arrive via auto (park-and-ride and station drop offs )via auto (park and ride and station drop offs )

• Transport costs are the second highest expense for the average Canadian Citizen . The average cost is g g$7,800 second only to housing ($10,900)

Sustainability StrategiesSustainability Strategies

Whole Systems thinking

EnergyEnergy

Energy – the big picture

Energy Reduction Strategies

Which way the building faces is important

Ontario Renewable targets and incentives

Local Power Generation

Conventional Distributed

( b th f l )(can be other fuels)

Biomass

Energy : Distributed Renewables

Solar Energy• Photo voltaic panels• Photo voltaic panels

• Thin film• Thick film

S l ll t• Solar collectors• Flat-plate • Evacuated Tube Collectors

Green Lighting infrastructure

Ground source heat pumps

WaterWater

Water management

Water : Conservation for buildings

Efficient Fixtures• Toilets– duel flush (0.8/1.6 compared to

3.5 gpf)• Faucets – hands free, (1.5 gpm

compared to 3 gpm)• Laundry – (15 compared to 45

gallons/cycles)gallons/cycles)• Shower Heads – (1.8 gpm compared to

3.5 gpm)• Dishwashers – (4.4 compared to 12

ll / l )gallons/cycle)Toilets and UrinalsCooling Tower

ControlLaundry

Water : Renewable Supply

Rainwater Harvesting• Feasibility depends on rainfall rates and y p

irrigation demandAverage Precipitation

5

6

2

3

4

5

inch

es

0

1

2

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC

Water : Renewable Supply

On-Site TreatmentOn-Site Treatment• Re-use options

• Reuse for Irrigation• Reuse for district coolingReuse for district cooling• Reuse for toilet flushing and laundry• Create wetland habitat• Sell locally for irrigation

T t t T h l i• Treatment Technologies • Membrane Biological Reactor• Ultra-filtration• Reverse Osmosis (potable only)

Di i f ti• Dissinfection

Water Conservation at street level

3% f t bl tOn-siteConstructed wetlands- filtration system

3% of potable water supply from off-siteReverse Osmosis

On-site chlorination and UV treatment

Gray water treatment

Rainwater storageRain gardens Swales Rainwater storagePorous paving

gRecycled water

for irrigation

Heat Island & water

Green Streets

WasteWaste

Waste management

Automated Waste Collection System

Waste Inlet Points Central Waste Collection Station

Temporary Waste StorageTemporary Waste Storage

c

Pipe Network

ourc

e: E

nvac

So

Waste to energy

TransportTransport

Increased car dependance

Density and Transport

Land Use & Transportation

Mobility Accessibility

LivabilitySustainabilitySustainability

Aff d bilitAffordability

Land Use & Transportation : Transportation Opportunities

Other Innovative Strategies• Pedestrian-only Streets

• Bike Sharing

• Electric Vehicles

• Car Sharing/CarpoolingCar Sharing/Carpooling

• Tele-work Facilities

• Transportation Demand Management District• Ride Share• Ride Share• Transit Passes• Monitoring and Promotion

Land Use & Transportation : Street Level

Smart Growth and Street DesignSmart Growth and Street Design

• z

Case StudiesCase Studies

BEDZED, London, UK

Nieuw-Terbregge, Netherlands

Stapleton, Denver

B0 01 (The City of Tomorrow)Malmo, Sweden

Drake Landing, Alberta

Village de la Gare, Quebec

• Village de la Gare is a new sustainable development in the Montreal metropolitan region, about 40km from the city centre.

• The plan is to create a mixed use, p ,transit oriented community with greater focus on walking, bicycling and transit than on automobile use.

• First master-planned, TOD project in Quebec

44% t it d h ( i t• 44% transit mode share (non-private car use)

Group Discussion

1. In what areas — land use, water use, energy use, building design, transportation, waste reduction, etc. — do you believe the ‘future Port Whitby’ can achieve the most significant sustainabilityPort Whitby’ can achieve the most significant sustainability improvements?

2. Of the various ‘sustainability enhancing’ options/approaches discussed in the overview presentation which specific ones makediscussed in the overview presentation, which specific ones make the most sense and have the greatest potential for Port Whitby?

3. How can sustainability principles and practices best be integrated into your short or long term plans involving the Port Whitby area?into your short or long term plans involving the Port Whitby area?

4. Any other comments?

COMMUNITYENVIRONMENTSocial progress that recognizes the needs of everyoneEffective protection of the natural environment

NATURAL RESOURCES ECONOMYNATURAL RESOURCESPrudent use of natural resources

ECONOMYMaintenance of high and stable levels of economic growth and employment