301B: The House is on Fire: Key Drivers for Planners to Create a Post-Carbon City

September 21, 2022

3:15PM - 3:45PM

We contend that one of the most impactful methods to protect our natural and built environments from climate change is through the use of the official plan. All municipalities in Ontario’s Greater Golden Horseshoe are currently undertaking a Municipal Comprehensive Review (MCR) to bring their official plans into conformity with the provincial plans, namely the 2020 Growth Plan. Simultaneously, municipalities have been confronting the impacts of climate change, with many municipalities having declared a climate emergency. Why aren’t we using every tool in the box to address it? Our official plans contain policies on protecting the natural environment and increasing resilience to extreme weather, but can they be harnessed to do more?

In the context of a climate emergency, SvN has undertaken extensive research resulting in a process that defines how we advise clients to make investments in buildings, communities, parks, and cities that respond to our climate emergency. Our firm’s interdisciplinary Post-Carbon Research Group has examined global best practices in policy, site planning, and building design. These investigations resulted in a submission to the City of Toronto’s Official Plan Review, but the recommendations for climate-positive policy are broadly applicable to municipalities across Ontario. 

This session will share our experiences over the past year working with leading practitioners, developers, planning officials, and researchers around the interrelated aspects of planning for a post-carbon future. Topics will include building low-carbon buildings, improving recycling, reducing embodied energy, enhancing a city’s capacity as a carbon sink, strengthening build resilience, and improving transit. 

In the race to address our global climate crisis, it is incumbent upon our profession to create inclusive, equitable, and resilient cities. We believe the official plan is a core planning instrument and a key driver for planning cities that promote the principles of sustainability and equity.
 

Speakers