Sustainable water and energy strategies for small to medium scale neighborhood developments in Canada

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

Urban Neighbourhood Development (UND) focuses on construction and development within or near larger towns and cities. UND include construction of various types of buildings (residential, commercial, institutional, etc.) and their supporting infrastructure and public utilities (such as energy and power systems, water and wastewater systems, road and transit systems, etc.). High volumes of energy and raw materials are required to construct, operate, and maintain urban neighborhoods and communities. During these operations, urban neighborhoods releases high amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, generates waste, and occupies land. Municipal planning for climate change mitigation and adaptation occurs in the context of increased public concern regarding the sustainability of our urban settlements. UND oriented toward the principles of sustainable development is often said to be both the socially responsible course of action, and an economically wise choice. Research to transform sustainability principles into planning practices is complex and challenging. Neighbourhood-scale sustainability requires a holistic and integrative approach to balancing flows of water, energy, material and finance. The proposed research aims to investigate sustainable water and energy strategies for UND in the Canadian context. More specifically, this research will explore the 'water-energy nexus' or 'water for energy and energy for water' approach, which is an emerging emphasis in sustainable UND in Canada. This approach considers the dependency of water and energy in conservation practices and recommends the integration of relevant policies and practices. The primary study focus of this work will be on New Monaco, a master-planned community in the District of Peachland in the Okanagan region of British Columbia.