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WCEL
> Issues > Urban Growth and
Development > Smart Bylaws Guide > Part
2 > Connect the Green Infrastructure
Smart Bylaws Guide – Connect the Green Infrastructure
Connecting
the pieces of the green infrastructure is important for maintaining
ecological functioning and for providing ecosystem services such as
stormwater management, habitat protection and stream enhancement.
It also creates a system of green infrastructure that provides a
host of other benefits, which include opportunities for
non-motorized transportation, recreation, education, and social
interaction.
In most
built communities the core of a connected green infrastructure
includes the linked grid of streets and open spaces comprised of
local streets, parks, schools, riparian areas, the urban forest, and
other preserved areas.
Strategies
for connecting the green infrastructure range from regional to
site-specific action, and from retrofitting an urban neighbourhood
to preserving the integrity of a rural landscape.
Regional Strategies
Most
regional growth strategies establish the green infrastructure
(natural areas and working lands) as a starting point for growth
management in a region. As part of the 25 year vision, they
also set out policies to expand and connect the green
infrastructure.
For example, the Capital Regional District (Victoria) and
Provincial Capital Commission developed the Regional Green/Blue
Spaces Strategy to identify how regional green/blue spaces areas
should be protected and who the partners in such initiatives would
be. The Strategy outlines a Green/Blue spaces system that is the
essential regional infrastructure for creating a livable and healthy
region. Adopted in 1997, the Strategy is composed of four parts:
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green/blue
space core areas;
-
greenways;
-
renewable
resource working landscapes; and
-
valuable
remnant ecosystems.
The
Strategy sets priorities for the integrated contributions of
citizens, landowners, businesses, community groups and all levels of
government to sustain the green infrastructure in cooperative
stewardship. In 2000, the residents of the Capital Region
approved an annual $10 property tax levy for ten years to fund the
acquisition of priority lands, and in 2003 the Strategy was
incorporated into the
CRD
regional growth strategy.
See
the Capital Regional District’s
regional
green blue spaces system and environment and resources policies,
and the Greater Vancouver Regional District’s Green
Zone policies.
Municipal Greenways, Parks and Community Plans
Greenways are linear systems of open spaces that can protect
habitat and ecologically sensitive areas, provide recreation
opportunities, and buffer different uses from each other.
Greenways include a continuum of land types, from protected riparian
corridors to recreation paths in a rapid transit right-of-way.
Parks can be primarily for active uses such as recreation and
playing fields, or passive uses like habitat and environmentally
sensitive areas. Both greenways and parks are important land
uses that connect the green infrastructure and create a network of
pathways through municipalities.
Some municipal governments had the foresight to map their
greenways and parks as the first step in developing a vision for the
municipality and as a guide for all future development. For
example, the rural
Highlands
mapped its considerable greenways before imposing zoning in the
community. While the municipality is now comprised of 35
percent
public parkland, much of the natural areas are and will remain in
private ownership. The municipality uses a variety of methods to
ensure that this extensive habitat remains free from development,
including designation in the OCP as greenway, large lot zoning,
public education, clustering development, and building smaller
roads. Municipal staff also provide education for residents on
the importance of natural areas and develop stewardship initiatives
to replace or supplement regulation.
Many municipalities are ensuring that greenways, parks and a
seamlessly connected green infrastructure are features of new
greenfield neighbourhoods, or are superimposing greenways onto a
developed urban community. For example, the East
Clayton Neighbourhood Plan in Surrey incorporates
greenways throughout the neighbourhood; and planning for the
new Grandview
Heights Neighbourhood Concept Plan nests with the Fergus Creek
Integrated Stormwater Management Plan to incorporate greenway
corridors that will serve multiple functions - providing
recreational trails, drainage and stormwater management, natural
forest and landscaping, and important habitat and riparian
protection. The cities of Victoria and
Vancouver have extensive greenways planning and resources (see the Victoria
Greenways Plan and Map, and the Carrall
Street Greenway (inner City Vancouver) and City
Greenways)
Finally, a
few municipalities are developing comprehensive environmental action
plans that map out a long-term vision for the municipality and for
acquisition or creation of a connected green infrastructure.
For example, the Whistler
Environmental Strategy provides extensive direction for the
development and management of parks and greenways. Part Two
describes land use directions for sustainable ecosystem management
of Protected Area Networks, Recreational Greenways and Developed
Areas. Part Three describes environmental stewardship for
infrastructure systems, including transportation, water supply and
wastewater, solid waste and energy efficiency & air quality.
Part Four describes the implementation plan through the municipal
organization, municipal operations, partnerships, financing,
business practices, education and research and continuous
improvement. Part Five is an action chart and progress evaluation.
See also the District of Campbell River’s Environmental
Action Plan, focusing on parks planning and green infrastructure
in 2004 and working towards the completion of a State of the
Environment report in 2007.
Environmentally Sensitive Areas
Environmentally
sensitive areas (ESAs) are natural areas that are sensitive, rare,
or in danger of disappearing. These include watersheds,
watercourses, aquatic habitats, marine foreshore and nearshore,
mature and old growth forests, wildlife trees, habitat, rare
woodlands, and special forms such as cliffs and coastal habitats.
Municipalities are preserving ESAs first by mapping significant
habitats and through site-specific development controls. See
also Use Site Resources Wisely.
Examples of municipal ESA initiatives include:
Other elements of connecting the green infrastructure include
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